Reddit Reddit reviews Brain Lock: Free Yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior

We found 5 Reddit comments about Brain Lock: Free Yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

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Brain Lock: Free Yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior
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5 Reddit comments about Brain Lock: Free Yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior:

u/Xemnas81 · 5 pointsr/Anxiety

So sorry to hear this. It sounds like you're experiencing intrusive violent thoughts; [this is very common, nothing to be ashamed of, and is nothing to fear.] (http://www.ocduk.org/types-ocd)

Have you ever been diagnosed with OCD or 'Pure O'? [Here is a booklet explaining the difference between mainstream clinical Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Pure O.] (http://www.ocduk.org/pure-o)

tl;dr Pure O involves frequent distressing intrusive thoughts impacting quality of life, but which you lack compulsion to act on.

edit: OK knife-checking, I spoke too soon sorry; so it's more likely you have mainstream clinical OCD. As you can see on the links above, checking rituals are common compulsive behaviours with OCD and intrusive thoughts, but they reinforce the fear of uncertainty and thus increase anxiety around intrusive thoughts! It's a form of [magical thinking, a cognitive distortion very common for people who have
OCD to find themselves engaging in.] (http://evolutioncounseling.com/magical-thinking/)

The important thing to remember is thoughts are not facts! Just because you think, say, that you want to slap someone (let's keep it mild for now) doesn't mean that you'll actually do it. So it is with even the most severe thoughts of harming, even killing someone. In fact, the very fact you are extremely distressed about these thoughts, is a good sign that you're unlikely to act on them! :) Psychopaths and sociopaths wouldn't think twice about such thoughts and might even indulge them. Likewise, those most at risk of suicide have a much more passive, resigned acceptance of fate, with a troubling lack of being affected by such serious ideas, almost at peace with the idea of death,. You are here screaming "I don't want to die," which strongly suggests that these are intrusive thoughts, and not suicidal intentions or ideations.

What differs the average person from a OCD or Pure O sufferer is the significance that they attach to intrusive thoughts. Most people can just have them metaphorically go in one ear, out the other.However, people on the OCD and anxiety spectrum are more prone to have fears of loss of control and identify as a person who appreciates control. Therefore they perceive lack of control, even over one's thoughts, as more of a moral character flaw than the average person. This means that the thought distresses them even more, exacerbating stress symptoms and anxiety, increasing a fear of intrusive thoughts and their significance, increasing the feeling that one needs to perform a compulsion and creating a vicious cycle.

As an example of a sexual intrusive thought… A person not suffering from OCD might think for 10 seconds something awful like "man, I'd love to sleep with my friend's 14-year old daughter, she's really hot" but then they'd briefly notice it, think "wow, what a silly thought, the mind is a weird thing sometimes haha" and carry on with their day. Contrast to a person with OCD who may have such a thought, then ruminate over whether they are secretly a pedophile and ephebophile, tell themselves "I am an awful person and must be punished or arrested for thinking such disgusting criminal thoughts," catalysing a crippling depression and social phobia from fear of hurting children.

So the most important parts of recovery are to accept:

i) I am not 100% in control of my thoughts, and that is OK

ii) Just because I have a passing thought, doesn't mean I want to act on it

iii) Just because I think bad things, doesn't mean I am a bad person

All of this can be conditioned into your mind by practicing some form of mindfulness such as meditation on a regular basis, and getting in the hang of observing one's thoughts and feelings, without judging them or attaching any significance to them. Just observe, and let it pass.

The r/OCD sub specialises in these issues, but we can support too. Do you have a university counsellor to speak to? Mine were very helpful when I was at my worst, as was my GP. They'll explain everything I have in more detail.

If you don't have specialist support available, I cannot recommend these books enough.

  1. Overcoming Obsessive Thoughts, by Purdon&Clark

  2. Brain Lock, by Jeffrey M. Schwartz

    Remember-you are NOT what these thoughts say you are. I believe that you are a good person. But, in the long run this reassurance that the thoughts are nothing to be afraid of should not come from me or anyone else, or it'll create a reassurance-seeking cycle of checking behaviours. It's up to you, to teach yourself this. But I have faith in you.


    Take it easy friend :) good luck! Here if you have any questions.
u/GatitoAnonimo · 2 pointsr/OCD

Find an OCD specialist if you can and start getting treatment ASAP. The one OCD specialist here sucked so I had to help myself for the most part. These books helped me:

Dare: The New Way to End Anxiety and Stop Panic Attacks Fast

Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts: A CBT-Based Guide to Getting Over Frightening, Obsessive, or Disturbing Thoughts

The Imp of the Mind: Exploring the Silent Epidemic of Obsessive Bad Thoughts

Brain Lock: Free Yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior

Read, research, work hard, and know that one day you will recover.

u/anotherhumantoo · 2 pointsr/TrueChristian

Others here are going to point you to Scripture to help you through this difficult, and I encourage you to read that. I don't remember very many verses that would help you here.

I want to add to that, though. I am not a psychologist or psychiatrist; but, some of the issues you're describing sound very much like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a mental issue that has an MRI-verifiable impact on your brain. I have it, too, and it impacts me in a lot of ways. My psychologist recommended the book Brain Lock: Free Yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior to me. It goes through a series of steps that will rewire your brain through slow, methodical work and help you identify and resolve your issues.

Of course, don't go off and do things that are actually sins.

edit: minor word changes

u/Ihr_Todeswunsch · 1 pointr/OCD

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

The book talks about how OCD works and what's different about people who suffer from OCD, and methods and stories on how to overcome obsessive compulsive behaviors.

u/Guardian_Of_Pigs · 1 pointr/OCD

Yeah, I did talk therapy back in high school but I've stopped going since then and have been trying to better myself.

I recommend reading Brain Lock,
its a fantastic book about treating OCD in a self guided 4 step program that really does help,
doing this along with other things such as meditation has been a life saver. PM me if you have more questions.