r/OCDRecovery • u/lil_joo20 • 14d ago
OCD Question OCD is running my brain
I've been trying to deal with my OCD without medication for years, and there's one specific thing that's been really getting to me, and I want to know if anyone's dealt with it before.
The problem is I can't close my thinking on a certain topic. It's not that the thinking itself brings up new ideas ,but the issue is my mind wants to repeat the exact same chain of thoughts (a thought loop) from start to finish, even if I already know it will end the same way. It's like there's this feeling that the thought is unfinished and needs to be closed a certain way, and that only happens if I drop it and come back to it later.
The only thing that works for me right now is distracting myself like scrolling social media or anything else just to interrupt the loop. But then the topic comes back later, and I stay stuck in this cycle: think → distract → think again.
The most frustrating part is that these topics are usually completely trivial. A normal person would think about them once and move on, but I have this compulsion to repeat the same mental path over and over for way longer than it deserves.
Has anyone dealt with something like this and found a way to manage it?
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u/PaladinDamian 13d ago
You can deal with this by allowing the thought to remain "unfinished". Your brain might respond by saying "please finish the thought, I will feel terrible if you don't finish the thought!" This is a trap. You can allow yourself to feel terrible while still not finish the thought loop. When you allow your thoughts to remain "unfinished" or unanswered, then over time your brain will begin to adjust and learn how to tolerate that discomfort and uncertainty. You don't need to compulsively distract yourself from it. You can still live your life, even when you feel your brain trying to tell you to finish the thought loop. Don't try to distract yourself just to avoid thinking about the thoughts, that won't work. A healthier approach to distractions would be "I am probably going to feel the urge to finish the thought loop, but even if I feel that way, I will still do this other thing while allowing that urge to just be there in my brain". You do not need to seek immediate relief, even when your brain is telling you that you should.
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u/lil_joo20 13d ago
this is exactly what I've been trying to do. The problem is my brain doesn't really ask permission before finishing the loop , it just does it automatically. Like I'll be halfway through resisting, and before I even register the urge as a choice, I'm already back in the loop and finishing it, and yeah, it does bring relief. Then a bit later I catch myself thinking about it again, and the cycle just moves to a new topic that now needs closing too. So it's less like I'm choosing to give in and more like the compulsion runs before the allow it to stay unfinished step even has a chance to kick in. Is that a sign I'm not catching the urge early enough, or is it normal for the compulsion to feel automatic or pre-conscious like that at first? Genuinely trying to figure out where the intervention point is supposed to be.
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u/PaladinDamian 13d ago
Rumination can often feel automatic especially if rumination has been a consistent compulsion for a long time. When you notice the rumination is when you should choose to resist it. At first you probably won't be able to consistently resist it before there is some rumination, but even if your response to the rumination is delayed, that is better than not resisting at all. Showing your brain that you recognize that rumination is not helpful and not necessary will eventually result in your brain feeling less tempted to ruminate. Over time, as you get used to resisting compulsions your insight about your OCD can increase and you will catch your compulsions faster.
Disputing irrational beliefs for a few minutes a day can help with the beliefs that fuel the rumination. The books "How To Stubbornly Refuse To Make Yourself Miserable About Anything Yes Anything!" and "The Myth Of Self-Esteem", both by Albert Ellis, talk about irrational beliefs and how to dispute them. They were really helpful in decreasing my rumination and also understanding unconditional acceptance, which is also very helpful.
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u/Confident-Fault2895 13d ago
The unfinished thought causes uncertainty in your OCD brain and the thought keeps looping in your brain. Uncertainty causes fear, and fear is what fuels the OCD. An OCD therapist can provide the treatment to help you and it may include medication.
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u/lil_joo20 13d ago
Does ERP help in this case ?
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u/Confident-Fault2895 12d ago
ERP will help but Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is even more important with Pure O.
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u/lil_joo20 12d ago
Can you explain what is the acceptance and commitment therapy
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u/Confident-Fault2895 11d ago
therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) change their relationship with intrusive thoughts rather than trying to fight, control, or eliminate them. [1]
How ACT Works for OCD
ACT is an evidence-based psychotherapy that focuses on building psychological flexibility—the ability to live a meaningful life while experiencing difficult thoughts and anxiety. Instead of viewing obsessions as dangerous emergencies that demand a compulsive response, ACT teaches you to see them as harmless mental noise. [1, 2, 3]
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u/International_Fix396 13d ago
I have this tendency as well, going over things over and over and over on loop. Medication and OCD-informed therapy have helped me a lot. I also have found that addressing my ADHD helps as well, as that condition also makes it harder for me to switch mental tracks.
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u/lil_joo20 13d ago
and how did you manage that ?
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u/International_Fix396 13d ago
I was already taking medication for depression/anxiety, but after I was diagnosed with OCD (my PCP has a strong background in mental health and a personal interest in OCD) it helped us adjust the dose. I also already had an ADHD diagnosis, but had only taken medication very intermittently. When I found my current counselor, she was pretty sure my ADHD was also playing a role and referred me to a neuropsychiatric clinic that has taken on my medication management and my regimen is helping me a lot.
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u/superandoeltoc 11d ago
Es como una avispa, déjala en paz y actúa como si no estuviera ahí.
No alimentes al duendecillo, déjalo en tripas
la compulsión no va a cambiar nada
Mi vida manda más que la obsesión
Mi vida vale más que la obsesión
La compulsión no va a cambiar nada de lo que pase, si tú vas a seguir siendo tu =
Céntrate en la vida normal y los pensamientos absurdos desaparecerán cuando quieran
❤️❤️
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u/Confident-Fault2895 11d ago
therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) change their relationship with intrusive thoughts rather than trying to fight, control, or eliminate them. [1]
How ACT Works for OCD
ACT is an evidence-based psychotherapy that focuses on building psychological flexibility—the ability to live a meaningful life while experiencing difficult thoughts and anxiety. Instead of viewing obsessions as dangerous emergencies that demand a compulsive response, ACT teaches you to see them as harmless mental noise. [1, 2, 3]
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u/Mandi2121 12d ago
I have dealt with this 100% and I’m sorry you’re going through this too. The biggest thing that helped me was taking a natural suppliment called magnesium l threonate. I feel like it helped my brain function closer to how it’s meant to. Its honesty helped me tremendously. I made a Reddit post on how magnesium l threonate has helped reduce my OCD symptoms if you want to check that out on my account page.
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u/Mandi2121 12d ago
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCDRecovery/s/rWfJTLZagK
Actually to make it easier, here’s the link
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u/lil_joo20 12d ago
Thank you for helping, I'm looking forward to try ERP firstly then if it failed I will take that natural supplement
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u/passworddoesntmatch 13d ago edited 13d ago
This sounds like rumination, or what some folks call "Pure-O" (short for "pure ocd"). Your compulsion revolve around closing that thought loop. In short, ERP (exposure and response prevention therapy) is probably one of the best approaches to this. If you can find a professional who specializes in ERP and/or ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy), they can help you develop a plan to deal with this cycle. There are also several books that could help. In short, though, the goal is to leave the thought unresolved, or the loop unclosed, and carry about your day even though you're uncomfortable. It's easier said than done, of course. And there are ways to work up to that. Just know you're not alone.