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

We found 4 Reddit comments about The Imp of the Mind: Exploring the Silent Epidemic of Obsessive Bad Thoughts. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

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The Imp of the Mind: Exploring the Silent Epidemic of Obsessive Bad Thoughts
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4 Reddit comments about The Imp of the Mind: Exploring the Silent Epidemic of Obsessive Bad Thoughts:

u/Throwaway98709860 · 3 pointsr/OCD

I think what you are saying about women is very interesting and probably true. As for the prayer part, particularly about feeling that your prayers are ruined because your sexual desires nullify them, it is actually fairly common from what I have read. I believe Martin Luther, the founder of Protestantism had experiences like this (it's thought by many psychologists that he had OCD). He would walk into churches and get thoughts of the devil or other sacrilegious imagery. He felt horrible about it and went to confession almost daily.

I read a good book on this stuff. It goes into detail about the commonality of these thoughts and also what to do about them: https://www.amazon.com/Imp-Mind-Exploring-Epidemic-Obsessive-ebook/dp/B002I1XS5I

I'd check it out

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/Thundrr · 1 pointr/NoStupidQuestions

That’s not normal man.

May I suggest a book to you? Check out Imp of the Mind. It’s not directly applicable to your situation, but you may learn something about yourself (as did I.)

u/sdfdbb · 0 pointsr/OCD

Hey mate!
Disclaimer: not a doctor, but a fellow sufferer from similar symtoms.
BUT. 100% OCD if you ask me. I’ve been through the same thing; the doubting of past self, morals, and actions.

First things first:
Are you seeing a therapist and/or psychiatrist? If not, contact your health care provider and get evaluated if possible. OCD is nothing to be ashamed of, but it can be difficult to beat on your own. The right treatment can save you alot of trouble.
Let’s get on it.

>Is it common to get really confused with memories, because you've analyzed them so much? What I mean by this, that I'm not sure if certain thoughts I had at the moment are really thoughts I had back then or if they just reflect my current obsessions?

Yes!

the human memory is HIGHLY flawed. I cannot stress this enough. The articles on source-monitoring error, the misinformation effect, and confabulation should be of particular interest to you.

Our memories constantly get distorted, misinterpreted, even fabricated. There is no way to find out if a memory is real or not. Add to this the fact that it's been proven that repeated checking of memory causes reduced memory confidence, vividness and detail. (check the links to the right for more studies on the subject)

What we have here is a recipe for disaster for someone with OCD. A real memory can turn false by post-processing; just like a fabricated, false memory can turn ’real’. AND, regardless of wether the source is true or false, constant memory checking reduces the vividness and detail of, and ultimately, your confidence in it.

There's no way you can win this game. You lose simply by participating in it. The strongest indicator you have wether this is real or not are your current morals and values. Are you a good person? My money would be on a resounding yes. People with OCD almost always are, and that makes total sense when you think about it. There's a reason you are so bothered by this. It's because you really, really don't want it to be true. Why? It goes against your true character. What you need is to rediscover that you are, in fact, a good person. Cognitive behaviour therapy, more specifically ERP (exposure response prevention), can aid you in breaking your (faulty) thought patterns. Preferably with professional guidance, but you can always check out the books Brain Lock and [The imp of the mind] (http://www.amazon.com/Imp-Mind-Exploring-Epidemic-Obsessive-ebook/dp/B002I1XS5I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398731380&sr=8-1&keywords=the+imp+of+the+mind) if you think therapy is overdoing it at this stage.

Wish you the very best and good luck :), feel free to comment or pm me if you have any questions.