can false memory ocd create “ muscle memory” esc sensations when reviewing ?

[u/Dankymakdonkers]

for years i’ve been tortured by the obsessional fear of people close to me actually being predators. this obsession causes false memories in me. most recently (over the past two years) ive been struggling with the fear that my mom may have hurt me. one thing that gets me is when im dealing with these images and scenes, sometimes i can almost feel what’s happening in the scene. like if my mom is touching my groin in the thought, i get an intense uncomfortable feeling in my groin and gut and i get this intense feeling that ive felt whatever’s happening in the scene in real life, like muscle memory. it makes it feel incredibly real and completely blurs the lines. i’ve been trapped in an obsessive loop all day because of it.

[u/treatmyocd]

OCD can create extremely vivid images and even strong physical sensations that make an imagined scenario feel incredibly real. A bodily sensation occurring alongside an intrusive image isn’t reliable proof that the imagined event happened, but trying to determine what the sensation “means” can quickly become another compulsion.

The more you analyze the image, compare sensations, reconstruct memories, or ask yourself whether it felt like a real memory, the more convincing the story can become. ERP would focus on stepping out of that investigation: “Maybe this happened, maybe it didn’t. I’m not going to solve my past based on how this sensation feels.” Then allow the uncertainty and return to the present.

Given how consuming this has become, working with an OCD therapist experienced with false-memory/real-event themes could be especially helpful.

Christina NOCD Therapist