The Things Everyone Needs to Know About OCD
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- Опубликовано: 7 янв 2023
- Join us for an in-depth discussion on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). In this comprehensive video, we aim to provide a thorough understanding of OCD, covering essential aspects and insights into this complex mental health condition.
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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a widely misunderstood condition that affects millions worldwide. In this exploration, we'll delve into the nuances of OCD, shedding light on its symptoms, potential causes, and the impact it has on individuals' daily lives.
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▼ Timestamps ▼
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05:23 - What is OCD?
12:25 - Where does OCD originate?
17:37 - Avoidance behaviours
21:26 - Conclusion
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im forever thankful you talk about compulsions being MENTAL. for the longest time i believed i couldnt have ocd because i 'just' had intrusive thoughts and would go in a loop of mental compulsions which would actually only make me su-cidal. OCD truly is like mental torture, not something i'd wish on anyone.
Yes that was really helpful for me as well
School of Life did a video about that where they called it Pure OCD.
100%. i ruminate on a lot of intrusive thoughts but only have a few physical compulsions. it was one of the reasons why i felt like maybe i wasn't "ocd-enough", yet when i was diagnosed they told me i fit the criteria for severe ocd.
You are seen and heard, I can relate to you completely, recently had a massive bout with ocd that lasted a good 2 years surrounding obsessions about religion, it was a huge hit to my psyche because i didnt really struggle with my ocd for many years at that point, but it came back full force and only stopped until I basically abandoned my faith in god/jesus recently, which ultimately was the parasite which was destroying my life and making me physically unwell, just saying it as it is, I understand that many people have their own beliefs, but when you subscribe to such a toxic religion which claims you are depraved and which has a tendency to dismiss mental illness, it causes nothing but harm. I know we are all at different stage of recovery and managing shit like OCD, Im untreated like probably most out there but damn is it good to feel free again, my ocd has crawled back in its hole again, Dont know if it will come back like that ever again, But i'm hoping you are doing well. it chokes me up to know that others have to deal with the things ive went through, my honest best wishes to you and all my brothers and sisters who deal with this disorder.
I feel like crying. Finally someone on youtube talking about this without trying to cover up the bad stuff, but tells it how it is.
This effed up shit pile of thoughts. I HATE them!
But at least they don't make me suffer and hate *myself* anymore. I remember the moment of relief when my psychologist told me, "Don't punish yourself, everyone can have these types of thoughts. Only: Healthy people can shrug them off." He basically told me not to concentrate on them, to not feel bad about them, but instead to go on with my day. It's hard to put it into words here, how exactly he said it and how he managed to calm my mind down so much, but these few sessions helped me so incredibly much. It has gotten much better since then. So if you have thoughts of this kind... get help. A few well placed words by a trained person can work what almost feels like wonders.
My fiancee's diagnosed OCD and is specifically one of the "immoral thoughts" types, and yeah that's the struggle we're still kind of working through with him, is that breakthrough of separating the thoughts as a reflection of your mental state and not a reflection of your personality or behavior.
I'm so proud of you for getting there! ^.^
@@KarianDespri Thank you for your kind words. And also thank you for having his back. I know from my own experience how much it helps to know that your loved ones don't judge you for thoughts that you don't want to have. :)
What ended up helping me is recognizing that my OCD is a part of myself. I practiced just being ok with whatever I thought because I realized it doesn't make me a bad person. So because it's part of you the fear of being a bad person or other things like it can actually cause my ocd to spiral out. Once I accepted everything my OCD started to quiet and focused more on positive and neutral things.
When I would meet people as a monk I found that many of them just needed a reason to allow themselves to feel better. It's almost like we don't allow ourselves to feel good but think we need someone else to tell us it's ok.
Obviously there's more to it than that but it was an interesting observation.
The most relieving thing I’ve heard from a counselor is that “thoughts are just thoughts. They’re not actions”. I grew up from then to learn how to let a thought come and then let it go.
I absolutely hate when I hear those "omg im so ocd about..." comments. The last time I tried to explain why it was offensive I ended up getting laughed at and called a Karen. We NEED more content like this because ocd is not a joke or a quirky personality trait, it is a daily struggle for those who experience it. Thanks Dr K. 🌻
"Shut up Karren" 😂
this!
i never thought i'd be sick of hearing Karen. even though i've never been called one i am so sick of hearing it + hearing ppl called it. folks have taken the fun + funny out of it.
OCD is serious + if ppl understood even a fraction of what we actually deal w| i think most would never make offhanded comments like that again.
there will always be assholes but in general i think most would be chill. so yea, i agree w| you we need more content like this + the NOCD ads w| Maria Bamford that i've been seeing lately.
Well yes OCD is a serious disease but that shouldn’t stop people from saying “omg I’m so ocd”. It is just a way of explaining one’s behavior and although it isn’t inherently correct doesn’t mean people shouldn’t say it. You know exactly what someone means when they say that, no one really has ocd. Some could take it personally but it isn’t offensive to say it.
@@false7095 Well said.
I couldnt agree more
I've got instrusive thoughts due to my OCD. I don't get upset that easily, but I do really get annoyed by people that act on an impulse and they say they gave in to their "intrusive thoughts". Those aren't intrusive thoughts, they're just impulses. Having intrusive thoughts is not a quirky "tick" that makes you impulse buy that cute skirt you saw.
Well technically, impulsive thoughts are a form of intrusive thought. Intrusive thoughts are normally addressed medically when they're negative bc the thoughts will be causing the patient suffering. But things like impulsive thoughts about shopping, or your favorite animal, or other positive things are also intrusive thoughts.
I have OCD so I say this not to invalidate your feelings, but to share what my therapist (OCPD) has taught me to help me understand intrusive thoughts better. And as someone who has been addicted to shopping in the past, while having OCD and ADHD, I can confirm that the disorders made letting go of the temptation to shop much more difficult! I saw these goth boots at Forever 21 months ago and I still can't stop thinking about them...😅
@@bekkahboodles yeah, I agree. I also believe that our susceptibility to intrusive thoughts is also part of what causes so many people with OCD to also struggle with substance abuse. The urge to use is amplified by the constantly repeated intrusive thoughts about a substance, even after the physical addiction has been dealt with.
Some people have Pure O OCD to where they do not have compulsive behavior and some people have compulsive behavior acting as a coping mechanism to temporarily relieve obsessive/intrusive thoughts. This coping mechanism isn't healthy of course. They are not impulsive, they are compulsive, as they are repeated rituals. For example someone might be like "I need to touch X 5 times or X will happen to my family, etc". Impulsive shopping is more associated with mania.
@@jaimlawson there's no such thing as Pure OCD. There's always some reinforcement it just might be not that key behaviour.
@@gniewomircioek6845 Right, it is kind of a made up term to label how symptoms may manifest in someone and not from the DSM V. I've experienced all kinds of different forms and like you say, the reinforcement is the constant that drives it, whether psychologically or somatically. Regardless it is exhausting.
My wife has OCD. It's really hard sometimes because we have two beautiful children together and things can get out of control when she doesn't get enough sleep cause of the kids or stress or misses her meds cause our life gets super busy. It can def be overwhelming at times but I love her and our family and that's what matters most. I'll always be there to help her when things get hard for her.
Aw 🥰
❤ Thank you
I developed OCD while working as a pharmacy technician. I'd worked as a technician for several years without any problems really but other things in my life began to make me more anxious. I was in school and trying to find a co-op/internship. Lots of changes in my life at once time were very hard for me to deal with and I began having lots of intrusive thoughts on the job about making medication errors/harming a patient. My compulsions would lead me to check something so many times until I felt comfortable. There was no magic number of times. Sometimes 3x, sometimes 22 times and it became a debilitating cycle. Once I left that job because I was progressing in a career change with school and going into programming, I thought the compulsions were over since I didn't have to do that job anymore. Then it began affecting my driving. The same concept/intrusive thoughts of harming someone unintentionally. I had a type of "hit and run" OCD. Every bump in the road became a thought of someone I'd just run over. I would drive in circles and constantly turn around to make sure I hadn't just hit someone. Sometimes making a simple trip to the store hell. Then my compulsions began leaning toward severe hypochondria. I'm a type 1 diabetic so hypochondria has been present in my life since my diagnosis. I began developing all kinds of unwanted obsessions. For who knows what reason, a severe obsession/fear of rabies. Becoming hyper-aware of my surroundings all the time and watching out for things that would never be there. I've been in therapy for about a year now and medicated. It helps but I'm still learning to cope. This disease can really be debilitating to an individual's daily life.
Oooh yeah, I also have "just right OCD" where there's no magic number of compulsions that makes me feel comfortable. It's just a feeling that you know when you've reached it. Definitely a major pain in the ass when you don't know if you're gonna a perform a compulsion 3 times or 30.
I have a fear of poisons(rat poison/ammonia -used to include bleach)and heavy metals.
I also work in the pharmacy field and OCD can be debilitating. I hope you’re doing okay all things considered.
Oh God, I also developed, for who knows what reason, a sever obsession/fear of rabies. It's been debilitating when going out with people. The constant worry, always being alert. It's so damn tiring. I feel you man
@@Georgiana216 I dont want to mention any specific triggers or compulsions because I dont want to pass them on. But have you had any successes with exposure and response prevention therapy? Currently this is the only obsession I've not been able to overcome. I know what you're going through though. Some days it feels easier just not leaving the house but it's not the type of avoidance I recommend.
What sucked for me is that the majority of therapists and counselors I've talked to about this literally don't understand OCD past it being orderly. I'd bring up the taboo thoughts of sex or harm and they just wouldn't know. If you want to treat OCD, please see someone who specializes in it and practices Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). It's the "gold standard."
I have very extreme OCD and live my life completely in gloves at this point.. Even sleeping in them. I go through over 400 a week. I can barely function anymore, everything in life is contaminated to me I can’t even touch my own skin and crying about it grosses me about because of the tears.. I got so excited when I saw you posted this because OCD is all I do at this point, it would mean the world if you made more videos on OCD to both understand myself more, have others understand, and know better how to recover. I’m very open about my condition if anyone has any questions
Have seeked helped? The theory behind the ERP thearpy is really simple. Can be harder in practise espically if you do it alone at first. Its not impossible as many have done it. But again I recommend if you have access to proffessional help, seek it! Medication can also help to make thearpy is easier. But thearpy is the best long term.
"How does ERP therapy work?
ERP therapy is a behavioral therapy that gradually exposes people to situations designed to provoke a person's obsessions in a safe environment. A hallmark of ERP is that is doesn't completely remove distressing situations and thoughts."
I was in a similar situation a few years ago and for a long time it seemed hopeless. i didnt want help because OCD had taken over so much of my life that nothing outside of it excited, i was OCD, there was no me left.
i refused therapy and medication for a long time out of fear of losing my OCD. What i've come to learn is that i did actually want help, i was trapped and screaming out for help, but OCD is so extremely overpowering and controlling that is punches you down into such a small ball that you cant move, you are too scared to move.
I eventually did take medication: sertraline. It helps OCD, but fucks up everything else in your life (at least in mine). i felt like a zombie for months, i couldnt sleep, my depression got worse, my hormones were fucked, i ate less but put on weight, i wanted to hurt myself so much. (note that i started on 50mg and went up to 200mg. NEVER DO THIS PLEASE)
but after years of fear and gloves, i could finally go outside and touch flowers, rocks, and the face of my partner. i cried because i had barely felt anythign outside of gloves for so many years.
i couldnt handle the side effects anymore so i changed to fluoexetine (20mg) which was a lot more mild, but it still dulled my brain too much (all of this was while at uni during covid)
I am currently not on medication, but i feel the OCD coming back, i am in talkin therapy for a lot other issues and am seeing psychiatrist soon.
OCD is fucking hard to live with and overcome, its a crippling disorder that can easily destroy you and your life. I can recommend medication and therapy, but ik how hard it can be to accept it and allow it to change you. I hope you can find some help and some peace from your OCD brain. Please always remember that this is a long long journey and that there will be many up and downs, and that letting the OCD back in is so so tempting, its addictive, but that you are strong, you dont need it, there is a person beyond this fucked up disorder. this is a you trapped inside of yourself, and never give up no matter how much you want to
@@oatmilk9918 talking thearpy does not help against OCD or rarely helps . "How does ERP therapy work?
ERP therapy is a behavioral therapy that gradually exposes people to situations designed to provoke a person's obsessions in a safe environment. A hallmark of ERP is that is doesn't completely remove distressing situations and thoughts." You can read and learn alot about this thearpy on your own. This basically what Dr.K explained. Also medication can be a hit or miss, so maybe another one will help you more. I never took medication but thearpy is must. Lots of hard work mainly in the form of home works. GL with your work it will get better
@@dane2313198 as i said i'm in talking therapy for other mental health issues. I will probably move to a more OCD focused therapy after seeing a psychiatrist.
that said, i now see a surprising amount of other issues are just OCD in disguise (shame, guilt, avoidance etc)
i never made that connection until watching this video. after dealing with OCD for so long it can be hard to separate it from yourself and other comorbid issues
@@oatmilk9918 Sorry missed that you have other mental health issues aswell(its common). I was lucky to only have a very mild depression along late onset of ocd(26 years old). I was also lucky that I seeked help only after 2 months of the onset of OCD and feeling like my old self after 6months. Hope it turns out okey for you.
When i was 11-12 y/o I had an obsession with counting numbers. Every single little micro-movement i did my body increased the counter in my head, I felt terrible because it was constantly in my head, and I had to focus really, really hard on not counting to make it go away. The one thing that helped with the stress was, as stupid as it sounds, resetting the "mental counter" to 0.
That doesn't sound stupid at all! Why would it? That sounds rather straightforward to me!
Same. It’s was actually awful. I genuinely lost a good chunk of my own free will from things like that.
I enjoy watching Dr. K's videos so much!
Yes, it took YEARS of purposefully stepping ON sidewalk cracks to stop stepping over them equally between my feet. My mom's back is completely fine btw!
I would love to hear your thoughts on the connection between OCD and maladaptive daydreaming.
Statistically speaking people with OCD are very likely to struggle with addiction (as the neuro-circuitry are the same parts of the brain). When I was a kid I was basically addicted to day dreaming and I have OCD. I have gotten treatment and I have recovered. What I will say though is, Dr. K is wrong in that focusing on the content doesn't matter; he is right in that the content of the thought doesn't matter, however, lasting recovery comes from understanding the content of the core belief which fuels the fear/guilt/shame etc that is associated with the thought. Otherwise your OCD will be episodic (as mine was off and on for 15 years).
OCD is hell... I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy tbh. At one point in my OCD journey, my intrusive thoughts we're so worrisome that I couldn't eat or sleep. At it's worst, I was ok if were to get in a terrible accident or plane crash so I wouldn't have to deal with those thoughts any longer. Luckly enough, I was able to recover through my OCD specialist and ERP.
Thoughts are just a thoughts.
When I was living as a Buddhist monk I had loads of people come with that diagnosis.
Will save this video for future reference, great stuff!
Thank you for sharing :)
Do you have any recommendations on how to treat OCD? Or do you have any videos you can share with us that you think are good? 😊
@@aquariia3723
Being able to manage difficult emotions and sensations and thoughts are some of the key reasons to practice mindfulness meditation.
In the west we often view meditation as relaxation or a way of calming down. And so it makes sense to create an environment that is calm and soothing.
But when we meditated at the the meditation centers we would welcome whatever came up both from within and from the external world. Then we'd learn how to handle how that would cause us to react internally. A thought is just a thought, you don't need to follow it, observe it and you'll see that eventually if you can sit with it it will dissappear.
I don't have any specific videos on the topic , but I recommend listening to anything mindfulness related. Many that I met said that a daily meditation practice combined with mindfulness practice throughout the day helped them.
Main thing many get wrong that come into meditation is that they want to get rid of your thoughts. What meditation does is help you observe your thoughts and see that they are just thoughts, you don't need to follow them or do what they say. They arise, then they pass away. Easy to say, but difficult to do. A daily practice is a great place to start.
Good luck with your practice!
@@MartinKPettersson Thank you!
OCD has been a part of my life, and learning Vipassana has been a major help for me. It was so cool hearing Dr. K describe the psychotherapy for OCD and make the connection between that and what the Buddha taught. It is truly amazing the scientific connection of the two techniques!
@@nickconley4794 thank you for sharing your story. I agree completely, meditation is a great way to handle many of these diagnosises.
Was it one of the goenka retreats you went to?
I've always thought I had OCD but never talked about it because I understand the danger of self-diagnosing but also I have worked really hard over the past few years to separate the intrusive thought from the action and it doesn't debilitate me. I wasn't sure if I could have a disorder if it wasn't debilitating. Thank you for the video this has been so incredibly helpful especially for someone who hasn't talked about this with a therapist yet.
A lot of the time people don't get diagnosed for stuff unless it is effecting their quality of life but that doesn't mean there isn't something going on, just that treatment might not be required. There is no reason to get too caught up on official definitions of if you have or don't have something though, since the goal should just be to live your best life.
@@Lilitha11 You're absolutely right. I've never thought about it that way before but you're totally right. This helps me a lot thank you so much for taking the time to write this comment.
Get a diagnosis and therapy. I thought I had gotten rid of my compulsions by no longer performing external actions, but I ended up just internalising all of my compulsions and do them in my head instead.
was waiting for this.
Same
Dr K, it would be so helpful if you could talk sometime about mysophonia, since I recognize that my attitude with mysophonia parallels pretty accurately with OCD behaviors, only that the disgust I feel is acoustic and not "hygienic" in nature. I'm not the only one, I don't know how much of your audience might suffer from this. I would be really thankful if you could touch this subject and whether your coaches would be prepared to help someone with this.
The timing of this is absolutely INSANE. Just yesterday I read about OCD and I got the sudden realization that some parts of my GAD resembled it a LOT.
My therapist has suggested this before, but it never clicked (because I had a totally false idea of OCD), until yesterday.
Definitely gonna get tested now. It would explain a LOT of inconsistencies.🙌🏻
I've had such intense internal monologue my whole life that is impossible to turn off. I've been picking my hands since I was at least 2, and for 26 years now I just thought I had an active imagination and lifelong depression. I get paralyzed with fear-based thoughts and check out, making my hands bleed. I used to think more positively about the future, but at some point I decided that thinking about a thing meant it wasn't going to happen, so therefore if I think about only bad things, then they won't happen. So I then magically-thinking'd myself into obsessively going over every horrible possibility of everything without even feeling like it's safe to consider what could go right.
Somehow, it never occurred to my dad to mention to me that he used to massively struggle with OCD, and had to do everything 3 times. Check locks, turn off lights, say certain things. I had no idea he ever struggled with this and it only came up less than a month ago. I feel like it all now explains a lot. :P
Most dads aren't psychiatrists. If you didn't do the exact same things he did with OCD, he wouldn't necessarily make the connection.
Also, an example I use to describe OCD to get the ball rolling on an example that could fall into the umbrella is, “Pudge controls the weather” from Lilo and Stitch. The one time she didn’t give Pudge a peanut butter sandwich, her parents died in a car wreck in the rain. It’s an example of the magical thinking we might experience when we have OCD
I have OCD and I am so happy this content exists on the internet because I know it will help people. This is the type of thing I wish I had seen growing up. It took me a long time and a breaking point before I was diagnosed and even longer and an even worse breaking point before I got actual help. Thanks for putting this out there!
Never heard anyone explain OCD this perfectly. Thanks for this video
I've isolated myself for so long that's it actually affecting my loved ones. It's such a spiral of bullshit. This year I'm going to try to reach out more. Hopefully I can repair the damage I've done trying to protect my loved ones from myself.
Ocd fucking sucks but I am here to tell You that building a beautiful life is possible.
I am an artist and I have suffered this shit for a long painful time, there were times I would wish to give my hands exchanged for another brain.
But I have learned to build a life despite the pain and struggle and not giving up.
The obstacle is the way, it's no easy, it's hard as fuck when you can't even leave your room with the fear lf becoming evil and causing dispair... when you can't even touch a pencil. But it's worth a try, it's worth the effort to be brave and accept the terror in all it's faces. To value your life beyond the pain is possible, because thoughts and emotions are not ours but our will and effort always are.
You can grow strong and capable. My Best wishes to you if You are struggling with this, i send you virtual hugs and much love from México. And cbt es the best therapy.
I've been waiting for months for you to talk about OCD. I am constantly defeated by my own thoughts. Thanks for the big picture. Please... I'd love to hear your thoughts on OCD and Schizophrenic commorbilities. I have been obsessed with my obsessions. There include my other disorders
Thanks for speaking on OCD again Doctor K. I spent a good chunk of my childhood living in fear of the various scenarios my mind invented and doing compulsions to save myself/alleviate the negative feelings they brought on, not really knowing what was truly going on in my brain until much later in life. Right now it's still there but nowhere near as bad as before, it is mostly a struggle with obsessive and intrusive thoughts these days for me. The worst of it seems to come and go in waves every few years if the right scenario presents itself.
Also, the video you did on maladaptive daydreaming in connection with OCD (along with other things) was really enlightening, I did not know about it before and it is something that I seem to do all the time if my mind isn't almost completely preoccupied...
I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on what causes people to end up in certain camps of OCD (scrupulosity, harm, etc.) as well as your opinion on Pure-O OCD. Thanks again for the videos!
Man I feel like I’ve needed to watch this video for years, thank you so much
I would like to hear more about your perspective on Dermatillomania, because its the main way for me to release that "anxiety" caused by my OCD. I just had this specific talk with my therapist and I think your video helped me understand in a deeper level what happens with my mind whenever I go through that discomfort and seek release by harming myself. At this point it became a reflex, its disgusting.
I know I need to face my discomfort and intrusive thoughts head on but sometimes I just cant function. Its horrible, now its taxing me on my body and I dont know what to do, I am very close to looking after anxiety meds.
Hey I hope you found some help. Much love
I have dermotillomania as well. Specifically on my lips or any scabs/plaques on my face or body (I also have sebopsoriasis which is not a good combo haha). So I know how you feel. I have so much shame around what I do to myself and I worry a lot that I won’t be able to solve it. Especially as someone who wants to be a therapist. The thought of seeing clients and absentmindedly picking at my lips during a session horrifies me. I’m seeking therapy for it, so I hope it helps.
Hey I'm also struggling with this for the past 10 years. (Time flies...) It's gotten a lot better but sometimes it comes back. For me it's important to keep my stress low. I tried therapy and medication a few years ago, but now I'm mainly doing yoga and meditation a few minutes everyday and honestly after a few months I started feeling more peaceful overall and it's a lot better.
THANK YOU Dr K!!! I'm 31 now, I've been struggling with my mental health since I was 15 or 16. I've worked with 5 or 6 different therapists over the years, and only JUST got diagnosed with OCD last year. The stuff I'd been doing in therapy prior to this helped, but now I'm doing totally different treatment that works SO much better than the other stuff.
It took so long for me to get diagnosed because my OCD has nothing to do with cleanliness, germs, or magical thinking. On the surface, it really looks nothing like the cultural stereotypes we have about OCD, but the truth is, I do obsess and I do have compulsions, and those things debilitate me. I'm so grateful to finally know what's going on with me.
I swear you've posted this like 2 times before! But it's good to hear again still. I struggle with OCD and one part that doesn't get mentioned is that the thoughts may seem irrational but they're so NORMAL that (at least for me,) I didn't notice I was forming OCD until it was severe...like didn't shower for a year severe.
Yes! I’ve struggled with OCD my whole life. Thank you for explaining this so beautifully!
How do you always upload videos at the right time. I have OCD, last night i had pretty bad insomnia because of my intrusive thoughts and yeah i know my compulsion is watching games/playing games. Thank you Dr K
Thank you so much for this video, Dr K. It felt like this video was made personalized with how detailed and informative it was
I appreciate this channel so much as a sufferer of OCD and cyclothymia. Your perspective is always so well-thought out and intelligent, i cant believe what youre saying is free ! You confirmed to me that i do wanna join the mental health field thank you!
I’ve been struggling with OCD for about 30 years, and I knew most of what you said. But this video was tremendously helpful and helped me realize how I can use my experience in treating my OCD into other portions of my life that I am struggling with.
Thank you so much .
Dr. K I think you might've just gave me the key to solving the biggest problem in my life. Thank you! Im glad I listened and clicked on this video.
The hardest part of my ocd for me, is that it so tied to morality and established hygiene standards/what docs or disability rights activists tell you to that the compulsions are difficult to let go. Especially if i want to listen to what they say, the mental compulsions that would trigger are just so hard to let go of bc of the pressure to be the rigid moral ideal others want me to be
I’ve been struggling with contamination and responsibility ocd for my whole life, particularly bad for 2 years now
Thanks for the education on the topic!
Omg yay, I appreciate a video with a title about OCD that's actually all about OCD. I'm ADHD too & love all the other valuable stuff you say but recently one video seemed like it'd be an hour on OCD & it mostly strayed from the topic, which was understandable but a little bit of a bummer XD Can't wait to watch this in the morning. Thanks for all your useful insights & hard work
You made me realize the world when you talked about OCPD. I've always thought about having ocd but other people's experiences with it don't seem to completely resonate with me. I've always been obsessed about the way things are organized in my home: My closet has go be slightly open, the blanket on the couch has to be on the left side and things like that. But also things like constantly checking my phone's battery or my Nintendo Switch's brightness to reassure myself that it's at the highest level of bright. The thing is, you said people with OCPD don't try to push the intrusive thoughts away. But I do, everytime I have the thought of checking my phone's battery I try my best to reassure myself that I already checked it and it hasn't changed in just seconds, so I check it constantly. I'm still a bit confused since it almost seems like I suffer from a sort of hybrid between OCD and OCPD 😭. I'd love a video about OCPD
Maybe you don't have OCPD, but something else. Your checking makes me think of my problem: I have a tendency to verify and even when I'm sure I did or didn't do something I still have to check, but not more than once, I spend hours in the shower to be sure I'm enough washed and then rinsed. But it also looks as if I have some kind of social anxiety, and adding to that other symptoms, what I relate the most to is obsessional neurosis. This term isn't used anymore today, now we talk about anxiety, OCD, and anxious depressive troubles, it's quite confusing. That's why it is important to have a diagnostic, and even see several kinds of professionals to confirm.
I just got diagnosed with OCD, now im watching these videos to get more insight into what's going on in my head
Where have you been all my life . Seriously. Started crying cause I felt so understood whilst listening to you.
Please never stop uploading❤
My ocd has been so bad as a teenager, I didn’t even attend the funeral of two of my relatives.
I am an adult now- until this day, no one in the family understands why I could not be there . They believe it must be because I’m a bad person and that I didn’t care which is so hurtful.
Back then, it felt as if I didn’t have a choice.
I wish someone would have helped me to cope with it. I was alone with this though and nowadays, in the day to day life , still am - since most people think mental illness is just imagination or a joke . „Other people have problems too“ and „ get over it“.
So happy RUclips algorithm recommended your channel.
Love from Europe ♥️
This was tricky. Thank you Dr.K
The examples given were great and I hope you will consider expanding on the overview by providing examples of what that psychotherapy will look like as well as clarifying if there are any self-help solutions.
This video is on point and very well done. I suffered from moderate to moderately severe OCD for over 12 years in total out of my 33 years on Earth before I finally arrived at an OCD diagnosis and proper treatment. I went through a lot of what you're describing... Not knowing what OCD really was and viewing what I was experiencing as anxiety or a physical health problem. I did incorporate mindfulness meditation practices into my recovery and I like how you recognize this as being the main "gift" from treatment that even non-OCD people would benefit from.
One minor quibble is I don't think most clinicians really spend enough time on the emotional and physical experience once the OCD gets to a moderate level... Chronic anxiety, panic attacks, chronic shame and guilt, depression, etc. The relief you get from the compulsions doesn't last long and it becomes constant. Once the compulsions stop working is also a seriously bad development in the downward spiral.
Otherwise, great video.
Thanks Dr. K appreciate you very much you have helped me a lot on here. God bless your work
This is useful, because a few weeks ago my friend was telling me about her anxious thoughts and how out of control they get. I suggested that it might actually be OCD, but there isn't a lot of understanding of OCD.
Thank you for this, I struggled with horrible intrusive thoughts since I was young (the ones about family getting hurt if I didn't do certain things hit too close), and thought I got rid of it all when I stopped the repetitive actions, seems like not, it just changed an now I am just an anxious mess... Please consider making those videos you mentioned at the end of your video, would love to see more info about OCD and how one might at least start fixing oneself :o
I respect Dr.K a lot man he is a gem for this world
Thanks for this, you explained it very well
I couldn't find the guide in the description, did I miss it?
Edit, there's a short video announcing the guide. I was able to get it there
I would love to see more videos about dealing with OCD working on finding a therapist but haven’t had luck yet. My worst obsession is skin imperfections and I end up picking my face to the point of canceling plans because of how much worse I made it I’ve been struggling with this one as long as I can remember. I always picked insect bites as a kid. I didn’t realize my possible OCD tendencies were also behind me needing to “do something” to fix all my feelings. Mind blown as always thank you for your work
Great video! You mentioned that the solution is to separate thoughts from actions, but didn’t give hints on how to start on it. I’d love to know more
Just got diagnosed with OCD. Thank you for helping me understand what’s going on in my head
As someone who has severe Pure -O (Form of Ocd) this video is extremely informative and digestible. Thank you Dr. K! This really motivates me to do ERP
You literally described the situation i'm going through for the longest time. I've had many awkward moments where my actions from OCD get noticed by others around me, and I've managed to developed solutions to manage my OCD, which in fact made things worse, and it's actuallly is a cycle that I'm not getting out of. The worst thing is, I know my actions aren't gonna make things better in the long run but I do it anyway just to get out of the negative thoughts even if it's for a little moment.
Thank you so much for this, Doctor.
Thank you for this video 🔥
I relate to all this deeply, I've been diagnosed with generalized anxiety and OCD, and the structure you describe (intrusive thoughts leading to stress, then soothed by compulsive behavior) is very familiar, I would drift through life with all these weird little rituals and magical incantations in my head all the time. I knew it was all very stupid but it really felt like if I didn't engage in it, something horrible would happen to my loved ones.
Ive really lessened my symptoms, conventional therapy helped but what really did the trick was exploring various mindfulness/zazen/Vipassana techniques. I can still get pretty neurotic and wound up, but these processes allow me to detach from the thoughts and compulsions and function in a healthier way.
Can i just say how much i envy your highly dense dark wavy hair. I almot have the same hair as you, beside from the fact that my hair density is not that high. I thought i was balding, but when going to multiple barbers and asking the question, they said that i actually have a lot of hair. It's just that my hair is quite fine and not that dense, which makes my scalp really easy to see at times.
I know nobody cares, but i had to get that out lmao
awkward.....
pls do a video about ocpd too i want something to send to ppl when they don't understand my disorder 🥲
i was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder years ago and never looked too deeply into it, just tried some medications and nothing really worked too well so i just decided to live with it. then like a few months ago i found out what dermatillomania is and i realized, wait, i do that. and as i kept looking into ocd more and more, i'm realizing like all of my anxiety and behaviors and stuff fits neatly into this box. and this video really helped explain how it all fit together. i guess it's time to go see a therapist lol
Interesting point you made at the end about the region of the brain that is effected and the comparison of feeling negative emotions and playing video games to resolve the negative emotions. Reminds me of when my OCD started.. prior to this I was 14y smoking strong weed chronically any time I experienced a negative emotion. No wonder my wires got crossed. Wish I could undo all of that.
To me, it looks like some people are feeling personaly angry when others mislabel it, and I think this is due to some people who truely have ocd associating themselves strongly with it.
In some sense, I think this is a problem too, because then it can become hard to have a calm and impactful conversation when you're confronted about what ocd really is.
By the way, I have had severe ocd in my teenage years (got very close to psychosis apparently), and oh boy was it not fun to deal with. I'm glad I've been able to get it to a point where I don't really feel its effects on a daily basis. If you have to strugle with ocd on a daily basis, just know that it WILL get better over time if you put the efforts in. I'm a "miracle case" apparently, I'm proof that no matter how bad your ocd is, there is hope.
Thanks for reading, and I wish yall the best 👍
Hi @HealthyGamer GG! Thank you for your work. Could you make a video on tics (involuntary movement) for young children 12+ years?
Awesome video and channel!
I am a victim of OCD. Thanks for making another video on it Dr. K! Learning more about this demon in my head is helpful so I can outsmart it.
Anybody who's suffering right now, trust me, it can get better despite how stuck and defeated you feel right now. My germaphobia had gotten so bad that I was showering for 5-6 hours but it barely affects me now.
I like your approach to treating that. My friend who has OCD went to a horable program for it that just did exposure therapy wich ended up triggering tourettes. He was so afraid of germs hurting him he would avoid eating in public or going camping. Would shut down if the family went on a camping trip. He's doing a lot better now than he's getting individual help instead of a one size fits all program.
Thanks Dr K!
Great video, i would love if you had a guide on how to learn dealing with emotions and just be with it.
Oh hey, i'm in this video and i appreciate it. Thanks Doc.
I'm glad you mentioned the OCPD because I've met alot of people who claim to have OCD to excuse their abusive behaviors
I think people need to understand that health anxiety is a form of OCD. Didn't make headway with my health anxiety until I started treating it like OCD. Unfortunately, my therapist didn't even understand and I had to figure it out on my own. Thank goodness for youtube.
One thing I found to be somewhat helpful is that when you start to obsess about something, you go over it in your head time and time again to make sense out of it and sort of "justify" why you're not a "bad person" for thinking it, or if you're thinking about the order of some things over and over until it "feels" right, like you made sure its done in the "right order", when you identify that you're having those thoughts, write them down in a notepad on your pc or in a diary or whatever. Something about it being written down and saved somewhere, feels like I won't forget about it, that I don't need to go over it anymore and its relieving, then few days later even if you delete it it won't bother you. Of course its not really some sort of "cure" but its time saving when you need to focus on things.
I do not like the word "cured", it is quite misleading. It is manageable at best.
@@jaimlawson yes, thats why I said that its not a "cure" and that it might just be helpful
@@Wakshak321 Sorry, I think that came off wrong, I was referring to the video where he says like "people walking around with uncured OCD". I'm sure you know, it is a silly concept because at the end of the day, the person with OCD has to overcome and manage it themselves day to day regardless.
2 years ago I think my OCD manifested.
Harm OCD to be specific I genuinely believed I was going to gouge my eyes out. This was my obsession for the next 4 months.
I became unable to do a basic task for myself like eating or bathing which required using my hands, I would sit on my hands, I would ask my family if I would truly cause harm to myself. I would cry every single day because the images and thoughts in my head were horrific and graphic.
And I started to become unable to trust myself at all. I would avoid sharp objects I would avoid putting my hands anywhere near my face. I needed a family member present at all times because I did not trust myself to be left alone.
And don't even get me started on the sensations, next level horrifying. The only physical compulsion I had was checking my eyes in the mirror for at least 10 to 15 minutes straight.
I never knew what I was looking for but it eased my OCD for a short while. Before rinse and repeat lol.
Well anyway I was diagnosed by a psychiatrist with OCD along with some other disorders. And was prescribed Fluvoxamine. Thankfully, it had very much silenced my OCD, and I definitely am much better now.
I got a lot of obsessions and compulsions. They’ve gotten so much better with getting out of a bad situation and finally getting therapy for anxiety and a tiny dose of ssri’s for depression.
It makes me feel like this isn’t something I need treated since it’s so close to my sense of discipline and sense of self. They rarely objectively cause harm. The only thing I have left is I want a diagnosis so that I’m allowed to speak about this without feeling that I’m describing the wrong thing or people will think I’ve fallen off the deep end.
I guess I’m just really struggling with how to cope with depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive actions. Like in the example mentioned I’m afraid of going to a party, i avoid it and don’t go. But when I let myself have compulsions, I spend 15 mins tapping the wall, and I’m late - but I made it to the party. I know it could be a slippery slope but I fundamentally can’t understand how to live without the compulsion structure since it’s all I’ve ever known. On a higher dose of anti-depressants and trying avoiding compulsions - I stopped doing everything, and nearly got kicked out of college - but suddenly with the compulsions there I can function like a normal person just with a big secret part of myself that I feel no one understands.
I would love to hear you talk about OCPD more then. This was great.
I've been talking to a girl with ocd. When I was working I had this sudden shift in my brain state where I was repeating the same numbers in my head over and over again. When I worked I had to write the time, julian date, and employee number on every part I worked with (over 400 parts a day). I was repeating the same number sequence habitually while I was at home or at work I'm not sure why but when I stopped working the repeating numbers eventually stopped. She was diagnosed with OCD about two years ago and she also has depression. She used to work on some sort of assembly line idk all the details but I imagine there's a chance her work could have produced her OCD which seemed to happen to me (temporarily). I will look for a way to ask her about it without making her feel wierd.
I have schizophrenia I've been diagnosed for about 6 years now, I told her if I could talk to somebody about it that would have helped alot but what went wrong with me was a massive cluster of things that's really complicated and can easily be misunderstood so idk if I'll ever be able to communicate with somebody about it. I was just trying to suggest to her to look for ways to talk about it. I know that during the bottom point of my psychosis all I needed was somebody to slightly readjust my thinking without completely dismissing my thoughts and I desperately tried to get that help from friends but found no support until I was officially diagnosed. She told me she does have difficulty talking about it and think she felt I was helping her.
I'm so thankful you're talking about OCD, I have pure o ocd, and have had it on and off for 6 years, it's not as bad anymore but it used to make me literally suicidal. Also mine is very immoral and sexual which is why there is such a stigma and a lot of people are too scared to get help, or they might even not know they have ocd and think they want those things to happen
I am dealing with the same problem for 2 weeks now can you give me some tips please
I also have the same immoral thoughts I know they are not me it was so bad to the point I wanted to do suicide but I couldn't and thought about running away from home which I did but my dad found me and I told him everything about the thoughts etc he told me it's okay don't give attention to your thoughts they will go away but still it hits like every hour a day which is making it very difficult for me
Did you also had the thoughts that those intrusive thoughts feels like its you
@@user-xf2vl8jp7z What you're experiencing is very normal OCD especially Pure o, if you can you should try to get help from an OCD specialist psychologist. But I know it's hard but what helps me with my thoughts is not trying to fight them, just let them be there, it's an ERP technique, the more you fight them and try to get rid of them the stronger they become, just let them be and do nothing and your anxiety will calm down, it'll be hard but it helps
A big part for me is that I’ll start randomly thinking about something scandalous that just makes me feel so gross since it’s morally wrong and it’s a thought I shouldn’t be having. And they don’t go away usually until I do that hand washing until I’m raw. So it has little to do with the fear of germs or getting sick or anything and everything to do with grossing myself out over the thought so I do something clean to cancel it out and make me feel neutral again. It’s like you’re constantly at war with your own mind
Holy shit. I knew I have had some traits of OCD in recent years but I was never diagnosed with it so I wasn't so certain but when you started talking about repeating spells in your mind I came to a realization I've had this for a very long time and I never even really considered this to be an OCD trait. Now I'm 99% certain I have it. Although I know you shouldn't self diagnose.
I would love a video on the actual treatment of OCD, this is amazing content.
I have this issue that whenever I have this intrusive thoughts, I change the behavior depending on how inconvenient or harmful it might be. Like, I understand and prioritize my physical well being, even my productiveness. Most of the time I can give in to the compulsive behavior, but if at some point, which is rare, it starts to get too stressful...then it is defeating its purpose, and then I stop. Or if it's something that is hurting my body, my mind is like..."ok this isn't working out" and then I am able to switch or modify that behavior
OCD great little overview doc.
Great video.
i'd love to see a video about ocpd. i mean for example, where do we draw the line between liking organized and efficient things, and actually having ocpd
Is trichotillomania partially an OCD? It is compulsive so will the advice to separate the thought from the action help?
Yeah, i might have to get evaluated for OCD at some point for sure. Everything here sounds very recognizable
I greatly appreciate educating about OCD, it is one of the most misunderstood and misdiagnosed mental health issues out there. I have OCD, I have gotten treatment and I have recovered. What I will say though is, Dr. K is wrong in that focusing on the content doesn't matter; he is right in that the content of the thought or emotion itself doesn't matter, however, lasting recovery comes from understanding the content of the core belief which fuels the fear/guilt/shame etc that is associated with the thought. Once you learn what the core belief Dr. K's treatment is correct, you learn what the core issue is and learn to accept that if the worst case scenario of that belief were true that you're okay with it. Otherwise your OCD will be episodic (as mine was for 15 years). I agree though, learning to become comfortable with whatever horrible thought or feeling comes into my head does give a certain liberation
may I ask did your treatment involve medication (I know some people who take medication for OCD) or more Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? from. your comment I assume the latter but I'm curious. I think you're right in what you're saying, often there's some underlying self-esteem problem or core belief at the root of the OCD if you dig deeply enough. it also seems to develop in childhood and I have some suspicion that traumatic or unstable family/relationship dynamics may be involved in the developing brain's attempts to control its environment with the maladaptive OCD behaviors that develop.
I have extreme harm ocd. I had to deal with constant thoughts of people killing me, I had reoccurring thoughts of chewing the fingers off of infants as they scream. I still do and this is the worst thing I deal with. It causes me to mutilate myself by biting my hands and pulling eyelashes or other hairs on my face.
I've had OCD since as long as I can remember. (Seriously, I can't remember a time I haven't experienced it.) But I didn't realize I had it til I was 32, and I'm 33 now.
It's actually frustrating that it wasn't caught sooner, even though it was so obvious.
Actually, RUclips algorithm caught it before I did and showed me Nate Peterson's (OCD & Anxiety) channel, and everything in my life made sense -- the eating disorder, self-harm, addiction, workaholicism, paranoia leading to agoraphobia, literally everything.
I've since joined the NOCD community, and it's been so supportive.
I've been in therapy since 2001, but ERP has been *the hardest* I've attempted. Some themes feel so unmanageable and so suffocating (especially ones requiring constant reassurance) that I haven't been able to confront them yet -- but I will.
This was such a great video, and I'm glad more people are giving real info about OCD when there's so much misinformation out there.
Could you talk about ocpd, the personality disorder? My doctors are thinking that I could have it but we won’t do the testing yet because I’m still just 19 years old. I would still like to know more about the obsessive compulsive personality disorder and maybe get some peer support while I get treated with the other things like depression and anxiety. Thank you for these informative videos!
Thanks Dr K, it’s been controlling my life more than I’ve ever know. On the mend right now
I made my first comment before I finished watching this. I was only in 2 minutes when I wrote that. I am now 12:30 into it. I wasn’t really 100% 100% sure this is what I have but not I am. It’s right on. I’ve thought for the first time I may have ocd a couple years ago and never really thought I had that bc of the way it’s thought of in general. Ty for this video.
My OCD was undiagnosed for decades, just diagnosed last November, because the compulsions are all either in my head (counting, repeating phrases, repeating conversations, going over everything I know about whatever I'm obsessing on such as car safety statistics, etc.) or blended in with autistic stimming and avoidance behaviors so much that it doesn't even occur to me when it's an intrusive-thought-related compulsion instead (joint cracking, stretching, toe-walking, refusing certain foods, not liking to leave my house, putting off tasks. Sometimes it's just sensory/physical, sometimes it's a response to intrusive thoughts.)
Understanding that the vast majority of my thoughts are either intrusive thoughts or compulsive responses was monumental. OCD can be invisible, and I wish more clinicians probed for differential diagnosis between GAD and OCD. I think it would not have gotten so bad, and I would be a lot further along in healing if that had happened 20 years ago, or any time since.
I also think clinicians should consider anyone presenting with both ADHD and anxiety to be high risk for OCD. Intrusive thoughts are common in people with ADHD, especially those with high impulsivity, and it's a short jump to OCD when combined with persistent anxiety.
I just stumbled across one of your other videos the other day and really like your content. Would you have any information on how to train one's mind to be silent i.e. only absorbing the signals from sense organs without trying to make sense of them.
😂😂😂😂😂 that wig and beard part was amazing ❤️❤️🔥
This video is incredible, thank you so much for uploading it. Please could you do a video about bipolar? I have a few friends who suffer from it and I really want to understand it better.
Also a video on how to train the techniques of separating thoughts from actions would be really appreciated.
I also wanted to ask if you could remove the "Shaman persona" in costume from these videos. The content of the videos is incredibly helpful but that persona is kind of patronising and off-putting to anyone not familiar with your work. I'd like to share these videos with people I think they would help but I feel embarrassed to share a video about something so sensitive when it starts like that. It just seems very tone deaf. Anyway, thanks again for the video.
Never thought I’d say this, it came to me while watching this presentation. I’m grateful for the existence of the compulsive behaviour component in OCD. Imagine if there weren’t any link to “prevent” you from engaging with in order to alleviate horrendous obsessions. You can alleviate obsessions by compulsive behaviour for short term respite, or you can allow an increase in anxiety and suffering for the short term, resulting in long lasting positive change.
Is it hard? Very!
Is there any other way? No!
Is it worth the pain and suffering? How could it not be!
What if I put an enormous amount of effort in practicing the recommended treatment and I don’t improve?
It’s a fair question. Some faith (non religious) is required in the evidence based research of the treatments (ERP) efficacy. Try not to focus on the small amount of people that don’t improve by it. Look at the overall statistics. The question also implies a level of avoidance. It’s recognising that preventing compulsions will ultimately mean, voluntarily welcoming and sitting with the most uncomfortable thoughts possible. Who wants that? OCD entails the mother of all feedback loops. However, knowing you have a choice in being able to break this loop is truly life changing.
I ended up, after being diagnosed with OCD after a hard break-up, creating a formula for myself that seems to help.
There’s a side of obsessive thinking that exists that feels relieving when letting it take over. It almost feels like indulging in a vice. It’s something I have no control of but it gives me a sense of control to define it as irrational. It includes things like; “my ex sleeping with others”, or “I bet my brother looked like this when he killed himself” even though I wasn’t there, or anything I have no facts to support or wasn’t present for at all. Again, these are the irrational thoughts. Defining them as such when they come helps give them less merit & control instead of acting out a compulsion because of them.
After I have “indulged” in those thoughts as an observer and the itch is scratched in a way, I can begin thinking about the “logical” things.
The second category to my formula of relief is that logical side. The logical side is what is based in reality. Not opinion. Not what I want to be reality to make myself a victim or anything similar. It’s based on the facts of the situation and can only be reached after I’ve let the obsessive thinking run their course. The obsessive thinking will try to make its way back in, but as long as I recognize those irrational thoughts as such, than I am okay to continue.
Generally, the thing that makes an irrational obsessive thought so irrational, is that it has no basis in reality. The thoughts not based in reality are the ones that seem to want most of my time. But as time goes on, I’ve learned how to navigate them and sometimes just get them to turn off.
Thanks for reading, love your work Dr K.