Knives Out! - Overcoming harm / violent intrusive thoughts

When I struggled with mental illness, I stopped using knives because of the anxiety and intrusive thoughts and violent images I would see in my head and feel in my body when I used them. Now I don't experience any of those challenges and I use huge knives all of the time. Getting over that wasn't about focusing on and trying to fix the stuff in my head. It was about changing my actions.
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[@gabbaqui]

“It doesn’t matter what stuff is in my head, it matters what I do.” Thank you for this. We may not have control of our thoughts, but we have control over our actions. This may be easier said than done in the OCD community, but we have to train our minds to understand that it matters what we do not so much what we think. You got to do the work to get the reward.

[@everybodyhasabrain]

Enjoy doing!

[@samesquivel7093]

Gabrieila did u have those symptoms?

[@ImComiz]

Getting scared of a disturbing images makes you a good person. Got stuck in the cycle once again and will get through it again. Thanks for the reminder that this isn't a chronical thing. Loved the video Mark, can't thank you enough

[@everybodyhasabrain]

Enjoy breaking that cycle!

[@patrickcallender8742]

Really enjoyed listening cos I am struggling again past few months and don't know what to do it's more and more then before it's so hard

[@DamianLoved]

This video provided me with real solace. I'm not exaggerating; one of my obsessions that terrifies me regularly is centered around similar imagery. Those horrific, "painful" looping thoughts would often lead to a panic attack or general unease. For some reason, I've been hesitant in sharing that with others. I felt as though I'd be seen as deranged, crazy, etc. Peace of mind feels kinda cool and I have faith that I'll recover.

[@everybodyhasabrain]

Enjoy the steps ahead!

[@sirjudesabalot]

Sir Mark Freeman I just want to share this thought that somehow i might get crazy. I keep thinking it all the time not until my mind pops a thought about someone is watching me. I feel scared why i come up with thay thought. I sometimes believe maybe there is someone watching alreadt. And it makes very anxious

[@liveshifter7325]

Same bro I was so scared I was actually going to do it

[@celina0204]

it helps so much to know that others go through the exact same thing. i get so afraid that im crazy, but i’ll be okay. we’ll be okay 🥺 i want to live a happy life, i have that ability it’s all in my control

[@mickymorrison135]

I am not an emotional person because I have to keep a game face to cope through my mental illness. While watching this video I cried and cried..finally somebody gets how horrible dealing with harming intrusive thoughts! It makes you feel “mad”..just exhausting. I will definitely check out your other videos. Thank you !!

[@everybodyhasabrain]

You're welcome!

[@Clarkesy]

Thank you for posting this. I've been struggling with thoughts like these so much recently, lockdown has made them so much worse because there's less to distract me from it. Thank you for showing me a way out and that I'm not the only one that's had these thoughts. I worry all the time that I'm a sick person or that I'm actually going to do these terrible things because I'm having thoughts about it.

[@leiaboo9490]

This lockdown has made these thoughts bubble back up after years of not having them. Its terrifying to say the least. Worrying literally every minute of every day and trying to stay away from knives and constantly worrying I'd become a danger to my children. You're not alone!

[@chelzyramirez3663]

Leia Boo yes I haven’t had harm ocd in YEARS and during quarantine all my ocd obsessions came back to me and now I feel horrible and like a murderer.

[@cleverhandle420]

Lockdown has been a beast!!! I think meditation has helped me a lot bc the whole point is to be present with your thoughts without judgment but it is taking a lot of practice!

[@samesquivel7093]

@@leiaboo9490 how did u overcome it?im going through the same thing

[@samesquivel7093]

@@chelzyramirez3663 are u still going through it?if not how did u overcome it?

[@ahill9477]

One of the most important points is the moving towards the positive action (ie, taking a cooking class, moving on), instead of trying to ‘resist’ the negative action. Invaluable. Thanks so much Mark.

[@reagandean9524]

I have these intrusive thoughts of "wanting" to do something bad or something bad to happen. I start freaking out because I've never thought this way before and I'd never actually want to do this/want this thought to happen. I get so scared that I'm a horrible person who wants these things to happen. I tend to look up different intrusive thoughts people have had and I always try to compare mine to other people's intrusive thoughts. I've tried mediation and different ways of stopping these thoughts but they always make their way back. I want to see a doctor but idk how to start a conversation with my mom. I'm scared people are going to see me as my thoughts and not who I really am.

[@Jenbug123]

I have overcome my impulsions and intrusive thoughts! It is possible! Its hard work but possible! I just tries different things took up watercoloring, had a house plant hobby, played my guitar, michael sealy for meditation. Faced my fears i was scares to use a knife but when i had a good day i would make myself use one to cook a meal i loves to make as i loved cooking and entertaining. Also the most important was I have god. Its amazing how praying has helped me. Blessings my friends dont give up! It took me 3 years two relapses and today im in a much better place!

[@KaptainKash100]

@@Jenbug123 Are you still good?

[@staygiane2512]

I want to be a surgeon but I’m scared because of my intrusive thoughts I don’t know what to do it hurts because I want to help people but im scared I’ll hurt them and I don’t want that

[@hiya1399]

You have no idea how I’ve been dealing with this for so long-YEARS. Psych meds made it worse. Now I can use knives and razors now but I couldn’t even look at a tv show if someone was using a knife.

[@everybodyhasabrain]

Congratulations on moving past it!

[@samesquivel7093]

How were u able to overcome it

[@mounikachakriofficial]

How did you overcome

[@LeeDaleness]

I won't use psych meds if can.

[@a.dibenedetti7309]

OMG! this happen to me. After being diagnose with GAD with intrusive thoughts, this was a major one I feared using sharp objects. I wanted to put handcuffs on my hands to prevent me from ever getting dangerous with sharp items. I kept this inside of me and suffered for so long because I thought I was insane. The images were terrible, I saw blood, bones, death it was horrible. I can't tell you enough this was the worst physical thing I had ever suffered in my hole life and I have had 12 surgeries and pre cancer. Mental illness was the worst. My mind kept controlling me, it kept making me think I was an insane and evil person. My Brain kept making up stories of things that I thought were happening or going to happen and they weren't. I'd go to bed at night and awake shaking saying what if I am insane and i hurt someone? Id be driving down the road and see someone walking or riding a bike and an intrusive thought would ping me, saying yes you are going to hit them. Then I would drive fast past go up the road and slow down look in my car mirror to make sure I didn't hurt them. OMG! I wanted to die, I couldn't ever cope with the awful images in my head and the constant repeated thoughts. I was so exhausted, depressed so scared I was going to be put in Prison, or a Mental institution and I wouldn't be able to take care of my family or be with them again. My mind kept tormenting me yes, you will be put away to never be heard or seen again. I went to a Psychiatrist and he put me on Gabapintin and I was to see Therapist for my Generalized Anxiety Disorder with intrusive thoughts and OCD. The medication along with the Therapy has helped me come so far. The Gabapintin has slowed my thoughts up do help me think some with out being peppered with negative ones. The Therapist has helped me sort out my thoughts it took me 6 mos. to admit to him I was afraid if I tell him what my brain was uncontrollably thinking he'd have me put away. He listen after I told him my terrible thoughts I can't control in my head he said, those are called intrusive thoughts. He also showed me a diagram of the brain that produces thoughts and mine is overactive. He has worked with me on giving me understanding on What my diagnosis is, what the thoughts are and reassured me that I was not insane, or going insane. After I began to realize that he wasn't surprised by my thoughts nor felt threatened he has guided me to keep telling myself, "They are just thoughts," I felt more secure because he didn't look at me as a severely mentally disturbed person my mind made me believe. He helped me build my confidence in myself to work on different techniques to use that he showed me as well. I knew that to that if I had to go back to the Emergency room, my family, Psychiatrist, Physician and Therapist knew about me. It wasn't just me I began to have a support system to make me feel better about myself and helped me realize that thousands and millions of people have this problem. I will say the medication, that I take in Non Addictive and it was once used for Arthritis in the joints. Now it is an official Psych Medication and the Therapy has been a major, major roll in getting better. I was 58 when I went through this and now I am 62 and def. improving however when you learn to use your tools( that are given to you through techniques) in your toolbox( is a box you put your tools away in, in your mind) and when you need them just open it up and get what you need and you will be able to block the bad thoughts out. It takes time, but don't go it alone as you need to have support.

[@fabiovenegas9331]

Such an emotional roller coast of emotions, wow man. Life can get really dark, and both anxiety and paranoia can get you really badly. Take care of your self man, all the best.

[@bjork914]

This helped me tremendously. Will refer back to this one on the hard days

[@HeoniBebe]

my intrusive thought is like a boomerang it keeps coming back. At home, i always try to avoid going to the kitchen because there is knives in there and I am afraid i might murder my family with them, i am a sensitive person, my mind knows i love my family but why am i thinking about things like this??

[@everybodyhasabrain]

Because of the compulsions!

[@Johncena-cr9ov]

I have the same problem i don't go to kitchen because of knifes

[@Johncena-cr9ov]

@PercyHabibi 3135 i dont have discord 😥

[@gingerellacookie5641]

I had a fear of becoming a murderer and interestingly enough i begin listening to gangsta rap lol good exposure prevention response therapy I guess.

[@Perseus-u4g]

Lol same. I love drill rap too 😂😂 violent video games, literature, physical exercise. But I used to full on make myself panic

[@WiWillemijn]

You're good at explaining stuff, it's easy to understand and you're funny

[@keikoo]

I'm having a problem similar to this and I can't tell you how much I appreciate your videos and just seeing how many views/comments they have knowing I'm not alone and what I'm going through is very human and something that a lot of people understand and experience

[@raymoun1]

Man i can feel you so much. The whole life around and in me fell apart only from one meaningless thought of hurting my kids and wife. I was so afraid of myself, i really thought about better being dead than being a threat to others. Also i was jealous about contagane-people because they have no arms so they can't hurt anyone with knifes 🙈. It was getting better after i told my wife everything, and she was completely not afraid of me (i thought she would be). Talking about it is so important. Then i started meditating and started to use big ass knifes again so it is getting better and better. Thank you so much for you video, it really helps a lot to know you are not alone 💚

[@leiaboo9490]

I have the same exact thinking!!! Its terrifying! So thankful I'm not the only one.

[@raymoun1]

@@leiaboo9490 Yes it is very calming to know that. There are so many who are suffering, but are too afraid of talking to someone. At the beginning i was too scared of own research because i didn't want to find out i am crazy, but this research helps me a lot to understand the issue. Now i even write my Bachelor Thesis about potential treatment of such problems. :) Wish you all the best and never give up.

[@samesquivel7093]

@@raymoun1 how long did it last

[@samesquivel7093]

@@leiaboo9490 how long did you have it for?

[@raymoun1]

@@samesquivel7093 it is an ongoing process while i am learning to handle my thoughts and the related feelings. it is up and down, but getting much more stable. The time it needs to be processed depends on your commitment on how deeply you want to change. For me it is 2 years since it started and i learned a lot about me and the world around me. The more areas of life you adjust for the good, the quicker and more sustainable it will be. Very important is the knowing that every "bad" situation has the full potential to change your life completely into a healthier direction. Don't see it as an illness, but a great chance. :)

[@funkyshade]

Mark, thank you so much! Since I started watching your videos, my understanding of OCD has drastically improved, and it has encouraged me to go and get therapy. I'm still very much at the start of my recovery, so I'm still dealing with many difficult days on which I often hate my life, but your videos give me hope. I hope you'll continue making videos.

[@everybodyhasabrain]

Thank you! Enjoy the steps ahead with therapy 😁

[@wuld7915]

The voices and thoughts began not long after my first highly unpleasant experience in isolation. I believe they arise as a last-defense, to keep us going until the very end, and get us out of hellish pits of survival--OCD is a result of the unuseful inability to leave the fight / flight mode, I believe (we have not evolved for our environments, yet)--and so all sorts of compulsive behaviors that were once comforting become antagonstic to a synthetic, casual lifestyle, at least that is my theory. Thank you, Mark, for all the videos you have made--I started watching back in 2017--during my benzo-psych-drug withdrawal phase, where all of the most graphic mind stuff sprung out at me, I and had to just deal with it. It just is. It just is. It just is. Since then, struggling with fear of being compulsive, not being good enough in general, and social isolation have haunted me--it is very difficult, so beware that your cat does not learn from the condition--they will pick it up, and you'll have two to handle instead of only yourself! Peace.

[@tracysiegan9093]

Thank you so much for this video. It makes me feel better just to know someone else has experienced similar compulsive thoughts!

[@everybodyhasabrain]

Enjoy making changes around them!

[@lunacat.]

How do you work up the initial courage to start doing exposures like this when you feel you could be a danger to someone? I want to start spending time around children again but I’m scared if I do I hurt them.

[@macieevans5703]

You wont , wat u need to do is whatever you are scared of weather that be knifes , u need to do more cooking and even walk around with a knife in your hand when no ones home , this will make you realise that it’s nothing to worry and that will cure ur compulsion, i know it sounds horrible but the key is exposure

[@12bjarnib]

The content is awesome really helpful in dealing with my harm ocd and people that say: I wish I had ocd should watch this Thank you.

[@camillabrandao_ads]

Thank you for talking about this. This topic is not spoken enough.

[@everybodyhasabrain]

It is a common experience. It's too bad we don't talk about it more.

[@paigemontuoro6972]

im dealing with the same thing.. I truly thought something was wrong with me. I kept depending on the reassurance, rather then trying to move past these thoughts. Its been tearing me apart. Until I finally decided to do some research. I learned to not ENGAGE. Meaning no more avoiding Family, friends, video games, music, and most importantly, the kitchen lol. Its been up and down but I definitely feel a difference after just a week. Of course right now I'm in a more positive mood so im thinking more logically. But I still prepare myself. I let my brain think what it wants, but I continue doing what I would normally do.

[@Prisoner4011]

I'm struggling with similar thoughts and mental illness too. Hope you are doing better! (I sure hope I will lol)

[@everybodyhasabrain]

Thank you. Yes, I haven't struggled with these compulsions in many many years. It's great to now do the things I care about with whatever the brain throws up. I use large knives every day now to cook delicious things! All the best on your journey of leaving these compulsions behind.

[@erynmcentee7993]

Helped me so much in my recovery from anorexia. Thank you

[@everybodyhasabrain]

:)

[@erob9446]

Holding something I could use to hurt someone really gives me panic attacks. I am happy that I am not alone

[@hg77777]

Mark you are the best KZbinr alive. You have helped me understand what OCD was and how much it was affecting my life. Thank you !

[@everybodyhasabrain]

That is very kind of you, Vanessa! I'm glad you're finding these tools helpful.

[@Sally-yp4hg]

I asked for this subject , thank you so much

[@everybodyhasabrain]

You're welcome!

[@CL-qs7gg]

thank you. thank you so much. it’s been about an hour since i watched this for the first time and honestly you’ve already managed to turn my life around

[@everybodyhasabrain]

Enjoy the steps ahead!

[@GeoffTripoli]

One of things that takes me down a rabbit hole is trying to reason with intrusive thoughts of violence, like saying to myself why I would never do such a terrible thing. You touched on that a little, but it's a specific kind of interaction with your thoughts that is not helpful at all. It trains your brain that the original thought is important, so it will circle back again.

[@everybodyhasabrain]

So true!

[@christinag5012]

Brilliant video! Like always! Keep up the great work mark!! You are making a difference in so many sufferers life 🙌

[@everybodyhasabrain]

Thanks, Christina!

[@duncanhough1284]

I suffer with harm OCD and find this video so helpful, especially the part about 'not getting caught with listening to the stuff in our heads'. Thank you for posting this video.

[@claudiamello7684]

I love this video! Cucumber sandwich therapy rocks. Thank you, Mark, for your realness.

[@everybodyhasabrain]

Enjoy those cucumber sandwiches!

[@Kamopanda]

Thanks for this. It helps to know another person goes through this and has handled it well

[@everybodyhasabrain]

You can handle it, too!

[@kurioza]

Thank you 💞 I feel less alone now and like there are people who understand

[@samesquivel7093]

Do u have them often?

[@kurioza]

@@samesquivel7093 More than desireable. I mean that's intrusive thoughts for you. If you are a perfectionist, then any amount will throw you off.

[@samesquivel7093]

What kind of thought were they?

[@kurioza]

@@samesquivel7093 I think it's too personal to talk about on yt lmao

[@samesquivel7093]

Do u mind if we talk on the phone or email?

[@LLFUPS]

Hey there, I love your videos. Just a quick question. I’ve been having these thoughts about choking my girlfriend for about a week now. I love her so much. I would never harm her and when it comes to my thoughts, it seems to be mostly focused on her. It doesn’t make sense to me, I’m scared maybe I’m going crazy. Any tips for me ??

[@everybodyhasabrain]

There are always other compulsions beyond the ones that we notice and that distress us. So it can really help to work with a professional on learning skills to cut out compulsions and change how we interact with stuff in our heads.

[@MrYossi2010]

Thank you for taking the time to upload the video, and share your personal experience with OCD. I found your tips very useful and will incorporate them in my life..

[@everybodyhasabrain]

I'm glad you found them useful on your journey!

[@fractalspace1111]

Exposure therapy has really helped me with the contamination intrusive thoughts and also the fear about hurting myself when prepping food..... I feel like this is something that is completely normal for a large majority of the population but some people are more aware/ lend more value to the thought than is reality. I view it as a positive actually because my intrusive thoughts have made me a more safety conscious person as I am extremely careful doing any activity where I could possibly get injured. It is a safety mechanism. I still wash my hands compulsively when prepping food though haha.

[@doindaworst5824]

OH MY GOD THE TINGLE UP THE ARM!!!!! Dude, I’m so glad I found this channel, it took so long to even get my OCD diagnosis. I’m never had so many Aha! moments before.

[@everybodyhasabrain]

That's great to hear you're finding these videos useful on your adventure!

[@kevinmccourt6546]

Great video thanks. It’s really helpful when you refer to your own struggles in the past

[@everybodyhasabrain]

Thanks, Kevin!

[@kayapowers8121]

Tbh I didn't even know what intrusive thoughts were till I look up why I was having really negative thoughts I suffer from extreme general anxiety and mild - severe depression , so panic/ anxiety attacks come often to me since I was like 10 years old when my parents got divorced , but recently I got so over whelmed by them I go into extreme panic and my brain replaces the negative thoughts about hurting people with the idea of you should just die before you do anything to anyone , which I know now isnt good / healthy at all I'm really relived that I'm not the only one suffering from this , my anxiety attacks from this made me feel sick to my stomach so I didn't feel like eating or drinking , I got to the point were I gave myself a UTI (currently dealing with it , my mom took me to the doctor's and got me antibiotics ) alough I'm kinda scared it might happen again , Also how does on go about easily falling asleep with these thoughts/ the anxiety of them? They have been keeping me up at night till really late

[@rafaelvelazquez460]

After many years of this I realized if it hadnt happened it never would. Since then things have been easier.

[@elev8investments515]

Thank you. All I have to say, is thank you Mark.

[@everybodyhasabrain]

You're welcome! :)

[@SpencerLuxBurton]

Watching your video I'm becoming aware that I've been suffering from this for as long as I can remember and before that too. It hasn't been longer than a year or so that I've been addressing this in a clinical fashion, and I'm 30 years old. I have to remember that this isn't just a disease I have, it's an aspect of my entire reality.

[@everybodyhasabrain]

It's great you're exploring now how to interact with experiences differently!

[@barbikayler40532]

These are the same thoughts I've had in the past though with heights...one example if this is I took a cruise one year I was looking over the rail of the ship and all of a sudden I started thinking jump! jump! While also thinking at the same time would if I do jump, would if I fall, I don't want to jump, I don't want to fall, people that don't know me well think I'm afraid of heights for all the wrong reasons, lol Glad I found your channel good to know someone else understands this ❤ PS...I still stay away from high windows and balconies, lol...though I did get on a ten foot ladder to clean my own gutters this spring, I had a good talk with myself before I went up and it went pretty good 😁

[@JanetSmith900]

Barbi Kayler I had a therapist in the past who told me that whenever she gets near an edge (e.g., Grand Canyon, cruise ship) she has the urge to jump.

[@barbikayler40532]

@@JanetSmith900 ...me, exactly! When I tell people I'm afraid of heights because I'm afraid I'll jump not fall they think I'm suicidal, lol....I'm also afraid to fall like any other person, but I don't want to fall on purpose 😁

[@chriswright5665]

Totally have ran this through my mind. Doing commercial HVAC on roofs constantly... I just gave the edge and call it out.. don't ever get hammered by that anymore.

[@matthiasboettcher8844]

I just recently came across a woman saying even a normal healthy person has these kind of thoughts. The thing with a healthy person is that they just discard that thought and move on. Only a scared person lets this kind of thought stick around and grow bigger. So yes easier said than done go to an edge every day and let that thought pass

[@Devijks]

I am having violent intrusive thoughts aimed at my abusers. I don't know how to overcome this.

[@everybodyhasabrain]

It's very natural the brain would throw up thoughts about something like that. Talking with a therapist could be a way to learn how to handle the difficult feelings around abuse, make sure there are supports around you know for safety and healing, and see how you can give your time and energy to things you want to be growing in the present.

[@ButcheryTapes]

Almost everything I look at I see the potential of it being used as a weapon, either by me or by someone else. Some times thoughts just pop into my head that I could use said object to hurt someone but then I have fortunately come to learn these are “intrusive thoughts” so I came up with a name for them “NOBS” = Nagging On Bull Sh*tter.

[@r.e.d.b.u.d]

Thank you so much. I recently developed harm ocd and my main trigger is knives and killing myself. It’s been terrifying me and nothing is worse than thinking I’m going to lose control and do it. This gave me the courage to stop avoiding

[@everybodyhasabrain]

Enjoy using the kitchen again to nourish yourself 😁

[@DanielM19931]

"It doesn't matter what stuff is our head, it matters what I do" bro.... I was sat watching television and I got this thought of myself choking my nephew. Honestly it freaked me out so bad; it made me cry and obsessively look at a photo of him thinking why am I thinking this. I ended up having a panic attack over it in bed. I thought about never seeing him cos it but when I went to see my brother and his sons not once did I feel the urge but unfortunately I had the thoughts trying to come in. I loved playing with him, making him laugh and chilling with him. We were playfighting and he hit me in the head with a toy and I didn't get the urge despite being irritated. My anxiety over it is still there but I know I'm in charge and would never act on it. Just trying to clear my mind

[@chelzyramirez3663]

I need help with my ocd thoughts. I used to have violent thoughts but now they are more different. For example, I get mean thoughts about people I love or care about. If I hear about someone dying or someone who is sick my mind says “hope they die” even tho I don’t mean it at all. I feel so guilty that I just can’t do it anymore. I’m scared these thoughts won’t go away or if a loved one in the future passes away and I get mean thoughts about them I don’t meant or my mind is making me think I won’t care about their death even though I love them. Or when I am talking to someone in person I get a mean thought I don’t mean . I don’t know if this is OCD please help.

[@everybodyhasabrain]

It really helped me to recognize that thoughts are just like a random person shouting in the street. It sounds like right now you're attaching a lot of meaning to thoughts. My brain can say whatever it wants. That doesn't mean anything about me. Here's a video explaining this more: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJ-npI2JfryIerc

[@chelzyramirez3663]

Mark Freeman so should I not pay attention to these thoughts? Because they stress me out badly :( and makes me feel terrible. I try to look up this type of ocd but mostly nobody talks about it. I don’t know if it’s common or not.

[@everybodyhasabrain]

Why would you want to pay attention to any thought? Looking up types of OCD to check if they're common is actually a compulsion. The more we chase certainty about stuff like that, the more uncertainty we create. It's very helpful to cut out compulsions like that.

[@chelzyramirez3663]

Mark Freeman yes it is OCd I know it because I’ve had ocd for many years and the mean thoughts I get give me severe stress and anxiety and I am going to stop looking it up or this will never go away thank you though! 🙏🏽

[@Johncena-cr9ov]

I'm scared of knifes nowadays i dont go to kitchen my mind is saying to hurt someone that i love but i dont want that to happen help me sir please 😞

[@nayeonchae8830]

Thank you so much for this! I have the same problem with knives haha I feel better now, knowing that I'm not alone, and that someone was able to get rid of the thoughts. I really thought this is forever.

[@antoniocenteno1483]

My harm OCD is about becoming insane or becoming suicidal and doing harm to me or others, like going out one night, get drunk and kill my loved ones, or going to a lake and jumping into the dark cold water, or jumping from high places, step by step i´ve done a lot of progress and those thoughts don´t bother me that much anymore, but it still happens to me that i walk the stairs to my room and my brain goes "Once you are in your room, you gonna kill yourself", and is very disstresing, altough most of the time i keep control of them at times i just feel like i´m gonna sucumb to my thought and harm people or harm me. Your videos are very helpful so i can undestand this things more and for that i thank you a lot.

[@endlesscrusade]

Stay strong brother, don’t ever fear yourself. You are in FULL control even though it doesn’t feel this way sometimes. Remember you are not your thoughts, if you were then who is the one listening to the thoughts. You are a courageous spiritual being who is on the path to instant - negative energy nullification. Much love brother and stay strong 💪🏾💯!

[@antoniocenteno1483]

@@endlesscrusade Thanks brother! I've been much brtter since, thabks for the help

[@fluffinater]

Look into mindfulness and practice practice practice it helps a lot

[@whoistylerdurden]

How are you doing now?

[@angelspence2565]

@@antoniocenteno1483 how are you doing now

[@Yourcreatorlovesyou]

This helped alot bro .. just dont wanna hurt no one . Its weird . Cuz u can literally picture yourself doing something evil . Even though your the biggest baby ever and would never wanna do that . Its like ptsd or a movie you play . Its awful to go though this especially with family . Like i said Like the angel and the devil on your shoulder .

[@professorcecil]

Ahh I need to say this... I feel like such an awful person, like a monster. I am so sad and depressed, also immensely scared to death! 😭 From the time I wake up I start getting this disgusting thoughts. Like the different ways I could kill my parents, my animals, sometimes even friends, I don't want to do that! I am so scared that I might go nuts and actually do that, sometimes urge is really high and it makes me feel like killing myself right sway in order not to commit anything awful. My brain thinks it is better if I die, this way I won't harm people I love the most. Please someone help! Tell me I am not only one having this super scary thoughts 😭😭😭

[@everybodyhasabrain]

It can really help to work with a professional on learning some healthy skills to handle these experiences. They're totally common and it's entirely possible to learn how to make changes around this, but it helped me to learn that checking for reassurance if people have similar thoughts is just more of the compulsions that fuel these challenges.

[@its_jon_g6142]

I'm going through the same thing. It's just the Anxiety and OCD. It's how u respond to it. It really sucks but just know that u are in control not your thoughts. Stay Blessed 🙌

[@everybodyhasabrain]

@UCYB3t3XpvYZrzp_j5_6bCGw I find that's an approach that just keeps people relapsing because they're practicing the same compulsive pattern but label some compulsions as "good" or some thoughts as desirable. But it's the pattern that's the problem, not the content of the thought/obsession

[@ESG13]

I bought your book...life changing!

[@everybodyhasabrain]

Thank you for reading. I'm glad you're finding it helpful on your adventures through life!

[@nidhinthomas2497]

@@everybodyhasabrain which book? Is it available in india?

[@everybodyhasabrain]

@@nidhinthomas2497 It's called The Mind Workout or You Are Not A Rock. One is the UK version, the other the US version, but you can find them on Amazon in India.

[@nidhinthomas2497]

@@everybodyhasabrain kk thanks

[@Helloacx]

@@everybodyhasabrain ordered just now- really lucky to see this video tonight - as someone who just had Egodystonic thoughts - very early stage~ good to know I’m Saveable :)

[@sebastianvelandia373]

I have these kind of thoughts since i was 10 year old helping my grandma washing the dishes.. i was scared to death to stab her.. i become scared of knives and till this day i have the same thoughts with my wife to the point that i rather not touch at all the knifes and i often hide them.. im absolutely uncapable of do what these intrusive thoughts and images show me but i defitently feel irritated with them. 😅 its funny to find out that other people experience same things

[@shafaquefirdausfiza1688]

Thank you..for healing 🥰

[@everybodyhasabrain]

:)

[@peabrane8067]

That biting down on a butter knife and break my teeth part is exactly what I used to obsess over!

[@everybodyhasabrain]

Brains!

[@rkle8958]

Hi i thought i was crazy , alone. after not having a good sleep for almost everyday [3-5h A Day] for 6 months my brain finally say STOP and i had the most first extreme anxiety attack and my first intrusive thoughts appeared, it was about stabbing or hurting people with knife.. im on meds and my good sleep everyday help me improve my brain significantly, my intrusive thoughts slowly dissapear even thou it comes back sometimes like 1% rather than 100% like before.. now i feel so so great.. remember guys you are the big boss not your thoughts.. your mind tell you things that you dont like and you dont need to do it.. just let it pass.. remember to sleep well

[@hueso5071]

Thank you. Great to hear you’re recovering. ❤️

[@KyndalTheMeister]

Watching cooking shows and the knife making show is a good one. Sometimes I don’t know what I feel like watching so maybe I’ll watch that

[@KaptainKash100]

What am I supposed to do when my Existential OCD keeps bringing up Determinism and how I technically don’t have the power to make decisions and that I’m not in control of anything at all?

[@billyharriton7130]

Can you make a video on anhedonia. I feel like this is never talked about..

[@mr.knowitall8598]

Is there a way I could reach out to you in any way at all? I’m in the middle of the video but I wanted to ask a personal question I know this was made awhile ago or could maybe someone with a degree in something involving mental illness help me out?

[@everybodyhasabrain]

Looking for a random person online with a degree in something mental health related does not sound like a good idea. Working with a skilled professional that can help you explore the context around your question will be much more helpful.

[@homestead.hippie]

I Am cutting vegtables for stirfry.& laughing at all the funny things you said in this video lol love your videos. You give hope of recovery to many people suffering with this. Thankyou 🙏

[@everybodyhasabrain]

:) Enjoy that wonderful meal!

[@natedawg3855]

One thing I don't understand about ERP is how do you face certain fears? Like I used to have a fear as a Christian about becoming possessed, but I wouldn't want to become possessed, so how does one use ERP for something like that???

[@everybodyhasabrain]

ERP is about cutting out compulsions. A common misconception people get tripped up on is thinking it's just about doing a thing that makes them afraid. So that's why it can help to identify the things you want to do, like I was explaining in the video re: cooking, and then do those things. Somebody with fears around becoming possessed might have compulsions where they avoid places or people, they might be checking how they're feeling and trying to judge that and compare it to previous feelings, they might be trying to remember things that happened perfectly so they can reassure themselves they weren't possessed and just don't remember it, etc. But all of those compulsions could easily be about ANYTHING else. The topic is irrelevant. It's the compulsions that are the issue. Somebody else might engage in the exact same compulsions but they'll say it's about a fear of psychosis. The work on overcoming either of those will be the same: doing the things that person values and not engaging in the checking/avoiding/controlling behaviors. They might even see that their fears are getting in the way of nourishing themselves because the nearest grocery store is beside cemetery so they don't go to it. It would be useful to go, though! So this week their exercise might be to walk to the grocery store and go inside and just appreciate all of the wonderful things in there AND not do any compulsions after the visit but instead go to see friends or go on a date (which isn't something they would've done in the past because they had compulsions around the fear of contaminating others or hurting others while possessed--so they'll cut that out, too). And then the next week they could level up on that exercise by going to the same grocery store but this time buying food and cooking it. And then the next week they could level up again by going to the store, buying food, cooking it, and inviting friends over to eat it--and the whole time they can agree with their brain that, not only are they themselves possessed now, but they've also possessed all of their friends with demons by feeding them the demon food from the demon grocery store! At least they can enjoy this one last meal together before they lose all control over themselves. And then the next week...

[@JanetSmith900]

Nathan Knipp I would suggest you watch some videos by dr phillipson here on KZbin. He is amazing and talks about using erp for pure o. Maybe outing a picture of a demon on your phone. So when you look at it, it invoked the fear of being possessed, and then you have to sit with the discomfort of that feeling, over and over. I am not a doctor or therapist, so don’t take my word for it. Mark’s videos are amazing. And the phillipson videos are very informative and very helpful in hearing, from a professional, the support and encouragement for these issues.

[@natedawg3855]

@@everybodyhasabrain Thanks for your thorough response Mark, I appreciate it... I see what you mean it's all about mitigating the fear...

[@everybodyhasabrain]

@@natedawg3855 you're welcome!

[@MegaCat-pj8gt]

Horror movies and violent movies make my OCD go brr..

[@matthiasboettcher8844]

dude, i cant tell you how much this vid helps me. i also stopped using knives and cooking altogether. I used to work as a chef and cooking means the world to me. Also i have knives worth thousands of euros. For example I own a sushi knive as long as 27 cm blade length. Can you imagine how i feel having these kind of knives around and not being able to use them?? Guess I need to get cooking again..... damn I am scared

[@everybodyhasabrain]

Those sound like great knives, Matthias! Enjoy getting back into cooking again. It is so useful to use curiosity and exploring cooking to guide us through this and take the brain on adventure. It's a bit like approaching the brain as a little kid that's afraid of cooking and knives and making a mistake and fires and all of that. How can you get your brain excited about cooking like it's the first time?

[@matthiasboettcher8844]

@@everybodyhasabrain Sounds great Mark. Unfortunately I am not there yet. The intrusive thoughts have become somewhat smaller but are still there. I will have to make baby steps. I cant wait till I can get cooking again. Have you really managed to become anxiety-free? I so wish to become "normal" again. How long did it take you?

[@everybodyhasabrain]

@@matthiasboettcher8844 Oh, so I'd see that as backwards. It's like becoming strong. You don't become strong BEFORE going to the gym. Seeing the thoughts as a problem to fix BEFORE doing the thing that's useful is the compulsion. Likewise, wanting to be "normal" again is something I learned to see as a big part of the problem. It's like somebody that doesn't exercise, so now they get told by a doctor they need to do things differently, and they just complain about that and want to go back to the way things were. But "normal" caused the problem. I find it's so important not to go back to normal. You can see exactly what that old normal led to. Hating on thoughts, wanting to get rid of emotions, avoiding life to chase stuff in our heads--that's what creates the problems. It's like somebody that wants to avoid lifting heavy things--of course they end up struggling to lift anything. A more useful approach is to want to lift the heavy things. The biggest support to no longer struggling with anxiety was to WANT to experience anxiety. If I want to be awesome at it, then it's not an issue. But if I was still spending time hating on it and trying to avoid it, then of course it would be a problem.

[@matthiasboettcher8844]

@@everybodyhasabrain I get the point I will have to embrace it and start from where I am now. You are totally right, my "normal" brought me to where I am today. I also see this as an opportunity to grow and become even stronger. I am also trying the mindful based stress reduction approach. I think it helps a bit with things. Still at times it is so difficult to power through this with the feelings that I constantly have.

[@Helloacx]

@@everybodyhasabrain You are on the way to be a master👍

[@brianbales1855]

Super helpful!!! Thanks so much for the vids!

[@amandawaggoner5971]

Hi Mark, Your videos have been immensely helpful. Three years ago, I began watching you when I started noticing harm OCD thoughts about hurting my loved ones and then getting scared. They started happening again recently and I've been saying to myself, "I am in the present moment," and choosing not to engage in the thoughts. However, I keep ruminating on that mantra over-and-over again - I keep rewatching videos to help and I feel as if I'm still doing this as a way to "check" if the thoughts have stopped. It's hard for me to focus on the present moment, and I've been meditating to learn how to shift my focus back to the present. Do you have any tips or things that you would suggest to help? Thanks so, so much.

[@everybodyhasabrain]

Hi Amanda, it's great you're noticing how things like that mantra are turning into compulsions. One thing that I'd look at is the compulsions outside of the ones related to harm that are troubling you. It's never just the compulsions around harm. It's often that those are the ones that trouble us but it helped me to see that they naturally develop from lots of other compulsions we engage in that we see as "normal". So we could look at the harm thoughts as like a type of pain. Focusing on trying to find solutions to that pain doesn't address the things that are causing it. If I'm hitting myself in the face with a frying pan, I can try to take things to make that pain go away, I can do mantras to deal with the pain, or any number of things, but really I need to stop hitting myself in the face with the frying pan. For example, often with fears about harming others, if we explore why that upsets us, we discover that it's really about other fears. And then if we look throughout our lives, we see that we react to that other fear constantly throughout the day. Somebody might actually be afraid of being judged by others, for instance. And when they look at how they get dressed, what they choose to eat for lunch, how they brush their teeth, how they email, what they do in meetings, what they focus on at work--it's all about reacting to the fear of being judged and they see all of that as "normal". The brain just learned from that: "Oh, you want to control what people think about you... well, I'll help you with that by thinking up other things people might judge you for..." and then that person would experience lots of thoughts about harming people. But it began with how they were doing simple things like getting dressed, communicating at work, etc. So it's that other simple stuff where there are opportunities for change.

[@amandawaggoner5971]

@@everybodyhasabrain thanks so much!

[@everybodyhasabrain]

You're welcome!

[@mounikachakriofficial]

Hi i am feeling the same now .did you get better..if that so how did you get out of it.. please help me

[@amandawaggoner5971]

@Mounika Devi Hi Mounika, I ended up getting a therapist who also helped me with my thoughts. The biggest thing is realizing that these thoughts are just thoughts, in my opinion. They truly don't mean anything. Like Mark has said in previous videos, the problem is when we begin to attach meaning to the thoughts. My biggest suggestion is to be compassionate to yourself and let the thoughts just exist; they will pass and they don't mean anything. I'm sorry you're struggling and hope you feel better soon.

[@EXPLORINGANOTHERPLANET]

Can you open the CC ( subtitle)on your channel because I'm foreigners? thank you!

[@everybodyhasabrain]

The captions are enabled and they show in the subtitles section of KZbin Studio. They're the automatically generated ones, so maybe KZbin is having an issue at the moment. Sorry about that.

[@EXPLORINGANOTHERPLANET]

@@everybodyhasabrain thanks for answer, I can understand almost,just make sure 100% . thanks for your videos. I'm struggling with my instrusive thought now. Hope I can find the happy life again!

[@throwaway-ih4rz]

Holy shit this is can be a symptom of ocd????? I have diagnosed ocd and every time i pick up a knife i get a strong intrusive thought and urge to stab myself, others, animals, etc... There is not really any fear that comes along with those intrusive thoughts, but I do logically understand why i need to resist the urge to commit violent acts. I don't want to hurt myself or anyone else. How can I get help coping with my intrusive thoughts? Its good to know that i'm not destined to be a serial killer because that has been something I have obsessed about in the semi-distant past.

[@rohsh780]

I am all normal i do hangout with my friends, advising them have party with them i do fun things with them... all normal but I don’t know what is wrong or what going inside my brain that I always have a bad thought like accidental thoughts ... like if i riding bike then i have thought like i may fall and big accident happen and if i carrying something i thought like I would may break it ... many more thigs ...... always negative I don’t know what is wrong...

[@rozlundquist1106]

Hey! I've been suffering with OCD (I believe) for about 10 months. Recently we learned about a school shooting in school, and now I am terrified that I'll become a school shooter. I just couldn't let it go. It used to cause me much more anxiety, but now the thoughts don't cause me as much anxiety, which makes me more afraid because I worry that it's actually me feeling this, and then I ruminate foreverrr. I'm worried that I actually want to do these things, and when I try to tell myself that it's not me, ocd is like "are you sure??" and then i worry more. Sorry, this got long, but please respond. Please. I need some reassurance or something idk bro lol

[@everybodyhasabrain]

Checking for reassurance is actually the kind of compulsion that makes the brain worry even more! So with getting over this stuff and building better mental health, it actually helped to cut out compulsions like that. Checking for reassurance just fuels more ruminating. It can really help to cut out ruminating. You can see how it creates anxiety. Here's a video on cutting out ruminating: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKOwimCMe8SNe9E

[@lilianao5354]

It’s so weird because a week ago , a person from 5 years ago popped up my head and he had killed his whole family and I watched a video and ever since then I’ve been getting these like I’ve been more depressed and everyone I watch something that has to do with murder I think so much more about it and I picture even without holding something but I hate it I try not to think about but I can’t stop but I’m getting therapy, will that help?

[@UNBOUNDMUSIC_]

Thanks I thought I was insane😅 I just got a big relief

[@bb8m822]

So recently my intrusive thoughts have been targeting family members most recently for the last week its been on my sister. Horrible thoughts that i was going to kill her. Then the other day i heard my mum say youll be babysitting saturday night. Immediately thoughts went through is that the night im going to murder her? Oh god im gunna murder her? I then began saying in my head over and over again protect ellie all day. Then other things like im going up to chill and protect her. Then mad thoughts like im going upto kill her. I broke down a couple times saying nothing is going to happen. But this thing is horrible it says what's stopping you? And things like well if u think you must want to do it. I cried to my nan yesterday saying i cant go up to look after everytime my sister speaks horrible thoughts like this will be the last time you see her or this is why your going to hurt her im scared to angry its horrible. I immediately start saying in my head fuck off or id never hurt her leave me alone. I looked after all summer holidays for the last 7 years. Its grim and looking at forums doesn't help becuase i overthink and sentences get stook in my head. In my head at the minute is kill myself to protect ellie. So yesterday i planned on going out to kill myself. Then i thought well im not going to do it because i love her and id never hurt her. Then last night mum cancelled plans and i wont be looking after her then i felt relieved and happy but then this thing strikes again. I was only angry i couldn't prove these thoughts to be wrong by relaxing and watching tv with the sister. But then this thing questions and goes your angry because you cant hurt her? And your really angry arent u? When i wasnt even angry. Also to add I was told by a health worker i have intrusive thoughts on Tuesday. And since December 2nd I had a month and a half thinking i was gay when im not. Then before this harm thoughts i had thoughts like am i a pedo? Can any1 relate to these thoughts?

[@matthewhayden6505]

Not sure if this is something you are still struggling with but either way I can tell you that your not alone. About two years ago I began having thoughts that I might kill my parents which obviously scared the hell out of me because I’m not a bad person and I would never do that. For the most part I have gotten over this fear after struggling for about 7 months with it. What you need to take into consideration is the fact that these thoughts bother you and make you scared shows that you are completely okay, people who actually want to hurt people are not bothered by these thoughts and think it’s fine. People with harm ocd are no more likely to act on impulse than any other human so you would be just as likely to hurt someone as any body else around you. Harm ocd doesn’t have to ruin your life I know how awful it is to have these evil thoughts flood your brain and that sense of panic strike you and put you in fear but just know this is your brain playing games with you. I hope this can at least help you or if not I hope you have already gotten over this🙂🙂(I’ve spoken to many people who have had the same fear so we definitely aren’t alone)

[@trixs90able]

Ive had this fear. Ive always been afraid of being alone with my son but since now Im close to quitting my job and work on my business full time, my thoughts and anxiety about this has gotten worse. My son is currently with his dad and Im excited to have him home as I miss him so much. But my excitement has been overshadowed by my fear of being alone with him. I hate this so much. Ive had like 5-6 panic attacks in less than 72hrs. Its horrible

[@nottobecompared4099]

Claggz Yes. I’m dealing with this now. Had a rough past few months dealing with mental health issues, taking medication which I think made me situation worse but that’s another story. I’ve been having these weird thoughts lately about harming others & I really don’t want to. It’s hard at times but I’m fighting through it. I’m doing good so far but I just don’t want to skip up one day & potentially act on these thoughts. I don’t think I would but I’m doing some techniques that are helpful so hopefully this will past.

[@thereaderonthehills8295]

Oh, me. I struggled with that when I was 10, and then it stopped about 3 years (reading helped a lot), but these weeks they’ve come back and here I am fighting them AGAIN. While I had midterms in a few days. And my patents don’t even know about it. I just cry silently in the night, and hold everything together during day.

[@thereaderonthehills8295]

I’m so glad I’m not alone!!

[@drose6815]

Amazing video! One question: When you said "I don't do the compulsions --- physical or mental to try and reassure." What do you mean?

[@everybodyhasabrain]

Thanks! We often do compulsions to reassure ourselves that something bad didn't happen. Like I would look at my fingers, or make a fist. And I would also do lots of compulsions in my head: telling myself everything is ok, I wouldn't do that, trying to remember what I did, etc.

[@francievdeerden2242]

Hello, for me its more the toughts itself.. i am scared to think that i wanne hurd somebody. I know for sure that i dont want to do that. The most around my son. I dont know how i have to stop do the overthinking. Can you tell me how i have to do that?

[@everybodyhasabrain]

The topic of the uncertainty doesn't matter. It's an uncertainty about a thing happening you judge as bad. It's still about noticing it as an uncertainty and then doing the actions you value. Looking throughout your life, it could be useful to notice where you practice judging things and attaching meaning to people. If we practice lots of judgments about other people, and even see ourselves as somebody who is a "good judge of character", it's very natural that we then struggle with compulsions around attaching meaning to our own identity. So it helps to tackle those compulsions to judge that we see as "normal", too.

[@funwithjennica8267]

Thanks man! I'm working through it

[@everybodyhasabrain]

You got this!

[@traceycrowther9354]

You are so helpful. Thank You.

[@everybodyhasabrain]

You're welcome, Tracey!

[@maikcolle3041]

9:15 what is the difference between designing experiments and between designing experiments around the stuff in your head? I don't see a clear didference. Thank you.

[@everybodyhasabrain]

Sorry, I don't understand what you mean by "designing experiments". What experiments are you referring to?

[@maikcolle3041]

@@everybodyhasabrain hi Mark, thanks so much for your service :). A question/remark about something else. You state that emotions are not a good indicator for improvements in mental health. But for me, I notice more happiness/calmness now that I am more aware of compulsions and actually choose to not do them, and focus on something I want to do (sports, being with friends, loving myself, walks in nature). I do totally agree that fighting against 'bad' thoughts and emotions is unhelpful, but enjoying the increased happiness/acceptance for me sure is a barometer for increased mental fitness.

[@vijayarajedixit4155]

Sir I have some medical complications that can be corrected by the surgery, some are so minor that my doc says no need do it. But because of my medical complications I can't concentrate in my studies. Also now I can't go out because of lockdown. I want to do my own minor surgery. It's very uncertain that any doc will accept my request because the complication is not a big issue but my mind thinks it should be sorted out than I will study please help. Please tell which of your video will help me in this topic.

[@everybodyhasabrain]

It can really help to see that it isn't preventing you from concentrating on your studies. Avoiding studies is the compulsion. The brain can throw up thoughts and feelings but those are just experiences. We get to choose what we give our attention to. The practice is to then give your attention to the things you care about instead of giving it up to random brain indigestion. Here is a video on How to Deal with Intrusive Thoughts: kzbin.info/www/bejne/opLIiqRrZriMd5I and here is a video on Intrusive Thoughts vs Thinking: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJ-npI2JfryIerc

[@lm_8480]

I beat my hypochondria but now the anxiety kinda developed into this type of OCD i don't know if i always had both and i never noticed until now because of this quarantine

[@everybodyhasabrain]

I would approach those as the same thing. It can really help to tackle compulsions. The topic doesn't really matter. Reacting to a fear around illness is the same as reacting to any other fear.

[@marieelisa1]

Well I don't have OCD but when I have this kind of thoughts I own them and stat to believe they are 100% mine and that I might be for real a violent murderer. This also happen with sexually violent thoughts, I start to believe for months on end that I'm most likely a violent predator. And had dreams about all this all the time. Until one I realize that I'm really incapable of such things, only then the thoughts and dreams stop. I have no idea why all this happens to me.

[@backtothebooks9201]

Hi, you are literally describing OCD. I would really suggest watching more of Mark's videos as well as looking into resources like the OCD stories podcast (especially episodes by Stephen Phillipson, Steve Hayes, and Jonathan Grayson) and Kate D'ath - all here on KZbin, so you can get a better idea of what's happening in these thought cycles, and how to manage your situation, and if you are able to do consider looking for an OCD trained therapist.

[@everybodyhasabrain]

I didn't mention OCD or any other diagnostic label in this video because I don't see them as that useful. Somebody might have these exact same compulsions and pick up a variety of different mental illness diagnosis labels or none. But if we want to change these types of situations, that's very doable. So regardless of labels, we can all build mental health in the same way.

[@dianavale3450]

Is it also normal for your brain to randomly start thinking everything around you looks like something that would be in a murder scene. When i got my Intrusive thoughts for the first time the environment around me changed. When i drove past the woods i would imagine myself doing something violent. But before my IT'S it just looked like normal woods yk?and i get urges. I also got the things you described. :) also thank u for this video it rlly helped.

[@KyndalTheMeister]

Forged in fire is the name of that show. It’s actually really interesting

[@stevenwinterhill3623]

Sometimes it can be depressing if won't go away 😢

[@luh4682]

@mark freeman how about sleep insomnia from it when mind is racing with thoughts and images before sleep & won't let you dose off

[@everybodyhasabrain]

What I find most useful to look at with sleep is what we're doing in our heads during the day. When we've been doing lots of compulsions in our heads all day, then it's only natural for the brain to keep on doing that at the end of the day. It helped me to recognize that my brain is like a dog. So training it for sleep starts in the morning, not at the end of the day.

[@user-sf1ns7js4h]

So i saw some real gore videos when i was younger and now when i got harm ocd i see those violent gory videos in my mind and sometimes i see myself doing those things on my loved ones i had homosexual ocd before but i overcome it but this one is hard the harm one is really difficult i became depressed and numb bc of it and i know its just thoughts but its hard to live with it

[@queenz0909]

Very true my ocd intrusive thoughts had me having the belief that I want this because it kept coming into my head and it’s about working at that belief

[@samesquivel7093]

Do u have the constantly?

[@queenz0909]

@@samesquivel7093 not anymore

[@samesquivel7093]

I still get it and it scares me cuz i have kids?how did u over come it?

[@samesquivel7093]

How was your thoughts?

[@queenz0909]

@@samesquivel7093 my advice would be to seek professional help a qualified therapist, I still get intrusive thoughts and I’ll always have OCD but you learn the skills and tools to cope, nothing is linear there will be bumps in the road, mistakes, etc but you’ve got this

[@jerryscary]

Ok, so I been having this anxiety for a bit. All of a sudden I had an intrusive thought of hurting someone and that was the catalyst. I was so terrified and I was just so scared. And what terrified me was the urge and it felt so real and it scares me like REALLY bad. And I'm terrified of myself around my family members since I could overpower them. I know I don't wanna do it but I keeps happening and it makes me overthink and im in a constant loop. Your thoughts Mark?

[@everybodyhasabrain]

You're describing a bunch of compulsions. And writing it all out to check for reassurance about it is also a compulsion that'll just teach the brain to give you more experiences to check for reassurance about. If you want to work on building mental health skills, it'll be useful to cut out compulsions. Grabbing a good workbook or working with a skilled professional could be ways to start learning some new skills

[@obitohawks1305]

We're together bro, I'm dealing with it too... It's unbearable seriously

[@milenminchev8905]

Hi Mark, I am in the same situation now. I had hidden all the knives then I got only one small knife. I was in the kitchen and saw the knife.. then I decided to grab it and pointed it at myselft.. just to test myself if I am capable to do such thing. So i am not. Then decided to put the knife on my hand and pushed a little bit and when I felt the hurt I stopped. Is that normal? Now I am thinking that I am going crazy and next time will harm myself or somebody that I love.

[@everybodyhasabrain]

What you're describing is a COMPULSION. It's actually referred to as "testing". Any time you notice yourself "testing", it's guaranteed to only create more uncertainty anxiety and fuel more compulsions, like coming on here to check for reassurance if it's normal. So it can really help to start to cut out compulsions. It's entirely possible to leave these challenges behind but it does require making changes. If you can grab a good workbook or start working with a professional, that can be a great way to get moving on some healthy changes.

[@milenminchev8905]

@@everybodyhasabrain Thank you for the response. Actually yes.. after this "testing" I am feeling more anxios than before. So I instructed my wife to hide all the knifes again... I already found a therapist but we are still at the beginning. I believe that I can return my live back as before...

[@everybodyhasabrain]

That's great you're getting started on therapy and cutting out these compulsions.I wouldn't recommend returning to the way things were before because that's what led to this. Like, you thought it was a good idea to get your wife to hide the knives and she actually enabled your compulsions by doing that. That's the complete opposite of what's healthy here. So when you're working with your therapist, it could be really helpful to not go back to the way things were before, but instead explore new ways of doing things that prevent this from happening again.

[@milenminchev8905]

@@everybodyhasabrain Yes, I completely understand. I meant that I want my live back which I have before the anxiety disorder at all. All started 1 week ago. On the third day I decided to find a therapist.

[@Butterfrog7]

Yeah i have fear of knife and everytime i hold a knife bits the feeling that I'm going to stab my heart or cut my self it's like suicidal things i hope you understand

[@everybodyhasabrain]

This video is all about cutting out those compulsions!

[@veronicajimenez5019]

So knives definitely triggers my fear therefore gives me intrusive thoughts, so by what I understand in your video. Exposing myself to just using knifes like usual will eventually reduce the thoughts?

[@everybodyhasabrain]

Trying to avoid/control the thoughts is what gets us into the compulsions to avoid knives. OCD has nothing to do with knives. It's about people attaching importance to brain stuff like thoughts. So it won't be useful to have a goal of reducing thoughts. That goal is what gets us into the problem.

[@veronicajimenez5019]

Got it. Thanks so much for taking the time to answer

[@veronicajimenez5019]

Would you say that having the though and just not fighting it just trying to not give it importance is a good plan to get over it?? Sorry I’m just trying to make sure I have the right attack plan to get out of this loop I’m stuck in

[@everybodyhasabrain]

@@veronicajimenez5019 What do you mean by "get over it"? I find it most useful to build a plan around things I want to be doing in life. So if it was about knives, I wouldn't focus on a thought, I'd focus on learning great cooking skills. Many thoughts could be there or not be there. I'm still going to give my time and energy to learning how to cook. My attack plan is about cooking, not thoughts

[@veronicajimenez5019]

I meant by exposing myself to the fear in this case knives, will the fear decrease or go away?

[@trrc9276]

Hi Mark great video - buh what if you behave normal and you dont avoid knives - but the thoughts dont go away completely more like pure o ? Thats my problem and cause of rumination - and makes me afraid that i will never recover ....

[@everybodyhasabrain]

It really helped me to see that compulsions inside the head are no different than compulsions outside of the head. They're actions, too. They're how I'm spending my time and energy. So I needed to cut out mental compulsions the same way I was cutting out physical compulsions. And your comment there at the end might be a useful indicator about where to look for other compulsions that might seem "normal". Because if you're afraid that having a particular thought is an indicator of illness and getting rid of the thoughts is a good thing that's a sign of health, then I'd totally expect the very helpful brain to keep checking to make sure that you can get rid of those thoughts, and the only way to do that is to keep having them. When success is about getting rid of enemies, we can't be surprised if we keep finding lots of enemies (because we need them to get rid of them). Here's a video on reacting to the fear of relapse or not recovering that might be useful to check out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/enbQg6yioqx-bbM Another video, on recovery as weakness, might also be useful: kzbin.info/www/bejne/foC2Y6yhesmNmrs I was doing lots of things in my head to thoughts. All of these things I thought I needed to do thoughts and feelings and other experiences were actually the compulsions. I did them to thoughts I liked as much to thoughts I didn't like. So changing how I interacted with all thoughts was key. Enjoy exploring different ways of interacting with thoughts!

[@trrc9276]

@@everybodyhasabrain thank you very very much for this Answer - and that you take the time to explain. It makes perfect sense that my brain is trying to help me. I have never had anything like this only fear of flying - im 38 years old. But 1.5 year ago my sister ran into some serious psychotic disorder which had developed slowly, as i can see it now. It came as a major chock for me and i started to fear that i would be "hit" by the same illness got panic attack on my job and so on. I got more and more sensitized and anxious and then i started analysing my own thoughts to find out if they were normal ore i also could think strange things - and suddenly the thought came to me what if i harmed my children and the thought made my anexiety 10/10. So now im in this proces of healing, and just a bit confused of what to do, to get lasting recovery. I think it all comes from my fear of psychosis.

[@everybodyhasabrain]

That "analysing" of thoughts is a guaranteed way to create more of these types of anxieties and uncertainties. The presence or absence of a thought or feeling has nothing to do with the state of my mental health. Mental health is about how I interact with experiences. So the way you're approaching this right now with the pursuit of "lasting recovery" isn't an approach I'd find helpful. If you can work with a professional on learning how to cut out compulsions and shift the focus to building mental health skills instead of trying to control and avoid fears, that could be a useful support as you take steps on this adventure.

[@trrc9276]

@@everybodyhasabrain again thank you very much!

[@everybodyhasabrain]

@@trrc9276 You're welcome!

[@Shadowknight69-j7p]

I wish there was a way to get rid of those bullshit thoughts completely

[@everybodyhasabrain]

There is. I don't have them anymore at all. BUT that was through welcoming any thought or feeling. When you label them as a bad contamination to get rid of, you just teach the brain to throw them up more so you can clean them away and get the certainty and relief you're looking for.

[@fandeskchair9943]

My guy thank you. People like need more attention.

[@KyndalTheMeister]

This is so hard, but chopping veggies for each meal and cooking classes is a great idea for exposure

[@everybodyhasabrain]

Yes!

[@kris.tina3-m7p]

Great video!! Thanks 😊

[@LeeDaleness]

When around things that disturb, I force myself to be EXTREMELY humble. Humility really seems to help.

[@everybodyhasabrain]

"Help" with what?

[@LeeDaleness]

Help means to me, not obsess, or act on some thought that is wrong. Humility puts me in a place to feel for the person who I could harm. Does that make sense.@@everybodyhasabrain