Can you have OCD without the thoughts being disturbing?

[Robert29]

Hi all,

Can you have OCD without the thoughts being disturbing?

Everything I read online and even on here describes OCD as intrusive disturbing thoughts about sex, violence etc. I have intrusive thoughts but they are not disturbing. I just analyze specific topics to the point of almost making myself crazy.

The reason I think it is OCD is when I am obsessing about a specific topic my mind thinks SO strongly that if I can just find the right answer or description online my obsession will go away. and it does work but only temporarily.

For example I recently thought I needed to grow up in certain areas of my life and because I started obsessing about this I researched exactly what growing up means online for literally months until I found an answer that would satisfy my brain. I would find an article or description that would make me happy for a few days max and then I would start doubting again. I never found an answer that lasted the only reason I ever stopped obsessing about what growing up means and how I can grow up myself is because I started obsessing about a different topic. And so the pain restarts.

Right now my obsession is wether I have, depression, anxiety or OCD. My brain thinks if I found out which one I have it will be ok I just need to know which one it is. I understand it could be all 3 but my mind doesn't want to know that it wants a specific answer. I can get on with normal life most days but I have this constant over analysing going on in my head constantly. I can distract myself temporarily but it always comes back. Sometimes I go to bed feeling completely fine and then I wake up the next day and BANG back to square one.

Any help or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Rob

[ci]

Hi rob

I have ocd but thoughts are not disturbing most of the time. Every one is different and ocd can effect people differently.

Have you spoken to someone about what's happening with you? Can you talk to your gp?

[geoff]

hi Rob, I too know how you feel as I've had OCD for 56 years but through these years my obsessions/habits/thoughts have considerablly changed, however I tend to stop one but then take on another.
No one knows that I have this illness as I have learnt on how to hide it, so it can't be picked up, I had to do this as I was criticised by an older brother or rather chastised and made fun of, because back in those early years I didn't know what it was called and that's why he made fun out of it, much to my detriment, and I don't think much has changed these days.
OCD is caused by anxiety which is included by having depression, why, because what it does is pull you down to a state of annoyance, confusion, frustration and lowers your self confidence and self esteem, all are a part of depression.
One problem with OCD is that you are always asking yourself or should I say questionung yourself about the validity of your thoughts, are they going to happen, so you go back and check not once or twice but what number you have fixated in your mind, mine is 4, but I can still do this habit or obsession more times than 4, but I do it as long as I count to 4, so in other words I could actually do it 10 times, but as long as I count 4 times it doesn't matter.
Obviously the more worried you are about something the worse you become in over analysing, because it's that thought of doubt that lingers around you.
There has been a lot of discussion on intrusive thoughts, but I'm not exactly sure that you find the anwser you are looking, but you have to think to yourself whether or not would you actually be capable of doing what you are thinking, so keep challenging your thought, what if, what would happen and would it achieve anything positive, and if you can say NO to each of these questions, then why worry about them.
If you say YES then ask yourself 'why would I want to do it' and would it leave me better off or to feel guilty.
For me I challenge any of these thoughts and tell myself 'that there would be no benefit to me' or it just sounds to be so silly that it would harm the person I love dearly.
Please ask me any question you need to. Geoff.

[GracieG]

Hi Rob,

I certainly don't think 'disturbing' thoughts are vitally important in diagnosing OCD, as I was diagnosed at age 5 and I don't think my little brain had the capacity for disturbing thoughts back then! I think the key criteria are whether the thoughts are intrusive enough that they affect your everyday life, and whether you obsess over them. In fact, the DSM criteria are:

1) Presence of obsessions, compulsions, or both. Obsessions are defined by:

• Recurrent and persistent thoughts, urges, or impulses that are experienced, at some time during the disturbance, as intrusive and unwanted, and that in most individuals cause marked anxiety or distress.
• The individual attempts to ignore or suppress such thoughts, urges, or images, or to neutralize them with some other thought or action (i.e., by performing a compulsion).

Compulsions are defined by:

• Repetitive behaviors (e.g., hand washing, ordering, checking) or mental acts (e.g., praying, counting, repeating words silently) that the individual feels driven to perform in response to an obsession or according to rules that must be applied rigidly.
• The behaviors or mental acts are aimed at preventing or reducing anxiety or distress, or preventing some dreaded event or situation; however, these behaviors or mental acts are not connected in a realistic way with what they are designed to neutralize or prevent, or are clearly excessive.

2)The obsessions or compulsions are time-consuming (e.g., take more than 1 hour per day) or cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

3)The obsessive-compulsive symptoms are not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or another medical condition.

4)The disturbance is not better explained by the symptoms of another mental disorder.

I'd say that your best bet would be to go to your GP and get a referral to a psychologist or psychiatrist, as they're the only people who can correctly diagnose you, though I'd say it's most likely a combination of both OCD and GAD (though I'm only speaking from experience, and don't have any kind of training).

Hope you're doing okay,

Gracie 🙂