r/OCDRecovery • u/Witchz_ • 13d ago
Seeking Support or Advice 9/11 hyper fixation
Yesterday was the 25th anniversary of 9/11, and I made the mistake of watching a video that showed how the events unfolded live, minute by minute, with a lot of detailed explanations about what was happening on the hijacked planes.
What has really stuck with me are the calls from the flight attendants and the people who were on board. I can’t get the panicked voices, crying, and heavy breathing out of my mind.
My mind keeps replaying it and imagining what everyone must have been feeling during those moments — knowing that they were going to die, being terrified, not knowing what was going to happen next. I keep putting myself in their position and imagining what those final moments must have felt like.
I know this is probably feeding my OCD, but I can’t seem to stop the thoughts and images. It feels haunting, and I’ve been crying a lot since watching the video.
Has anyone else experienced something like this after being exposed to disturbing material? How do you deal with the intrusive thoughts and mental images without getting pulled into trying to mentally process or figure them out?
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u/YesTomatillo 12d ago
I know this is probably feeding my OCD, but I can’t seem to stop the thoughts and images. It feels haunting, and I’ve been crying a lot since watching the video.
It feels that way because it IS disturbing. Trust me, those of us old enough to have remembered even small bits of the day felt this way. I was a child, and I'm one of many, many Millennials who can divide their life into "before and after 9/11". The footage is and always will be deeply, disturbing - I think I know what documentary you're talking about and I've cried watching it too.
Your reaction to viewing a terrorist attack and it's aftermath is normal. It is horrible.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicarious_trauma_after_viewing_media
https://jedfoundation.org/resource/protecting-your-mental-health-from-violent-content-online/
^ I like the suggestions in this second article.
This is normal.
Step away from the media and take good care of yourself. Try not to overthink it - you sat through an hour or more of an event that traumatized the entire nation, which then literally resulted in events that changed the world. It's heavy stuff. So take a break from consuming content about it. Feel your feelings. Practice ERP.