Examples include worries about having committed a sin or breaking a religious rule, blasphemous thoughts about religious figures, or fear that one is falling short morally.
This type of OCD involves sexual, aggressive, and religious/moral obsessions. These obsessions involve very taboo thoughts that are hard to talk about, even with people who we are closest to. Many people with OCD have these unwanted, intrusive thoughts and think they are the only ones.
These types of taboo thoughts often include harmful, violent, aggressive, sexual, or religious thoughts that are in opposition to their value system and morals, and they often bring about intense feelings of discomfort, shame, or guilt. These thoughts are often hard for people to talk about.
Unwanted, "forbidden" and disturbing thoughts involving sex or religion. Compulsive counting or touching things. The need to do tasks in a certain order. Fear of throwing away something that might be useful later, which may lead to hoarding.
Anxiety and arousal
This attention and the anxiety you are feeling may actually increase blood flow and physical arousal. This can make you feel as if you are aroused by the intrusive thoughts when in fact the opposite is true. Many people with this type of OCD call this 'groinal response'.
High arousal emotions, for example, may include joy, excitement, or fear. And whereas the groinal response is very specific to the sensation we feel 'down there', arousal encompasses a more full-bodied experience.
Some people with fear of incest OCD may even experience what is referred to as a groinal response. A groinal response may be a subtle or very obvious sensation in one's genitals which can include twitching, pulsing, tingling, an erection, or increased lubrication.
Typical OCD Thoughts
Constant worry about catching a deadly disease and/or contaminating others with your germs. Disturbing sexual and/or religious imagery that might include sexual assault or inappropriate sexual acts. Fears about contamination with environmental toxins (e.g. lead or radioactivity)
Attend to the intrusive thoughts; accept them and allow them in, then allow them to move on. Don't fear the thoughts; thoughts are just that—thoughts. Don't let them become more than that. Take intrusive thoughts less personally, and let go of your emotional reaction to them.
What are some examples of taboo behaviour? Well, you wouldn't walk down a street naked, burp in a stranger's face, or steal a purse from an elderly person. Calling someone a rude name and catcalling a woman in the middle of the day are also considered increasingly unpleasant.
Common taboos involve restrictions or ritual regulation of killing and hunting; sex and sexual relationships; reproduction; the dead and their graves; as well as food and dining (primarily cannibalism and dietary laws such as vegetarianism, kashrut, and halal) or religious (treif and haram).
Someone without harm OCD might, for example, have a passing thought about stabbing a family member, and react by thinking, “I'm not going to do that,” and never think about it again. By contrast, someone with harm OCD who has that thought will become preoccupied with the possibility they will act on the thought.
The second most common trick is that OCD convinces you that “only crazy, bad, dangerous people have these thoughts.” It is important to teach patients that the content of one's thoughts is the maker of “crazy, bad, dangerous.” Also educating patients that everyone has intrusive thoughts and how we cannot control our ...
Concerns about contamination — or germs — are common intrusive thoughts. This could mean worrying about getting sick or spreading illness even when the risk is low. These intrusive thoughts can lead to obsessive concerns about your health and result in behaviors like excessive handwashing or avoiding other people.
Counting, tapping, repeating certain words, or doing other senseless things to reduce anxiety. Spending a lot of time washing or cleaning. Ordering or arranging things “just so”. Praying excessively or engaging in rituals triggered by religious fear.
OCD and Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts
Examples: “I'm contaminated after touching that public bathroom door with my bare hand!” “I'm an awful mom” because you aren't 100% interested in playtime with your child. Slurs about other races.
Presentation. Primarily obsessional OCD has been called "one of the most distressing and challenging forms of OCD."
Repeating compulsions can take up a lot of time, and you might avoid certain situations that trigger your OCD. This can mean that you're not able to go to work, see family and friends, eat out or even go outside. Obsessive thoughts can make it hard to concentrate and leave you feeling exhausted.
Signs and symptoms of OCD
Obsessive thoughts: These obsession symptoms typically intrude other thoughts when you're trying to do or think about other things and may include: Fear of being contaminated by germs or dirt. Intrusive sexually explicit or violent thoughts. Fear of having a serious illness.
Intrusive thoughts are often triggered by stress or anxiety. They may also be a short-term problem brought on by biological factors, such as hormone shifts. For example, a woman might experience an uptick in intrusive thoughts after the birth of a child.
POCD arousal: a biological response
Simply experiencing a thought that is sexual in nature can cause physical arousal. When humans sense or imagine something that is generally sexual, the brain sometimes signals the body to experience arousal.