Does anyone suffer from POCD or intrusive thoughts?

[Anonymous]

Anyone? I think I might, and to be frank, I'm scared. I read that people won't act on these thoughts. They are in no way fantasies or desires or predict the future. But I still feel like a bad person and I'm ashamed and embarrassed of it. What can I do? I really don't want to go to a doctor or take meds. It doesn't happen often and the thoughts don't last long at all.

Updates

+1 y

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POCD is a form of OCD with intrusive thoughts. (Commonly associated with pedophilia) But I'm not concerned with that-I'm not a pedophile. I have the "random thoughts of violence" type I think.

[notallthere98]

Think of it this way. The very fact that you don't want to act on those thoughts is a VERY good indicator that you won't. People who do horrible things do them because they want to or don't see anything wrong with them. People who don't want to do horrible things just don't. A marker of intrusive thoughts is that they are things you DON'T want to do.
I get how scary it can be though. I have seriously disgusting intrusive thoughts, and the first time I got them, I had a massive three day anxiety attack and I felt like puking or throwing myself off the first overpass I could get to so that I would never act on those thoughts. But that gut reaction of disgust and willingness to do the extreme to make sure I didn't follow those thoughts, means that those thoughts are in no way fantasies or desires I have. They are just my brain being an asshole.
One strategy I use that has HUGELY helped is to give my intrusive thoughts a name. Trying to ignore them only makes them stronger, so the best thing you can do is acknowledge them, then move on. Treate them like an annoying friend.
Examples:
Intrusive thought: Hey, swerve into oncoming traffic.
Me: Thanks for the input, Dale. I'm not gonna do that, though.

Intrusive thought: Hey, stab your dog with thay steak knife.
Me: Fuck off, Dale. I don't need your shit today.

Doing this:
1. Helps separate the intrusive thoughts from yourself. It makes it easier to accept that these thoughts aren't yours, they are just your brain fucking with you.
2. Acknowledges the thought so you can move on. It's the whole "don't think of a pink elephant" thing. If you are focusing on not thinking about it, you will think about it. But if you calmly acknowledge the thought and reject it, your brain will move on.
3. Makes the thoughts come less. If you know you have a way to deal with them, you won't be on guard against them. If you aren't on guard, they won't occur as much. Even around your triggers.

Side notes:
-Not having a strong reaction to intrusive thoughts still doesn't mean you want the thought to happen. It just means your brain is desensitized to the thought, or blocking out the emotion because it can't deal with it at that moment.
-Intrusive thoughts aren't you. You aren't bad for having them. It's your actions that count. You can have the most vile, evil intrusive thoughts and still be a good person because you don't follow through on them.
-Therapy can help and therapists will not judge you or think you are crazy or dangerous.

[jacquesvol]

:-|

link : Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction (POCD) is a decline in cognitive function for weeks or months after surgery. POCD is common after cardiac surgery ? Or link or link ? Or link ?

[Asker]

link

[martyfellow]

Still, youneed counseling. Maybe not drugs, but to talk out why you have these repressed violent fantasies. Hopefully you can get rid of them without medicine.