Compulsions, intrusive thoughts, anxiety, and OCD. This week licensed therapist Kati Morton will discuss what compulsions really are, whether our intrusive thoughts can pop up in our dreams, what causes us to develop OCD, and how to better manage the physical symptoms of OCD and anxiety.
Ask Kati Anything ep. 241 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT
Audience questions:
1. Is it possible that my self harm and self sabotaging behaviors are compulsions? I usually tell myself I’m not deserving of help or nothing is actually wrong in less I engage in x behavior. So then I engage in the behavior and feel almost like self validated but also I feel too ashamed to talk about it and guilty because if that was my thought then is it even real and can’t I just stop. And then the cycle continues. It’s like I want to stop but I can’t because then I think I’m not worthy of getting help but I can’t even get help because I think I’m making it all up anyway. It doesn’t make any sense but I don’t know why I keep getting stuck in the cycle and I don’t know how to get out. 00:30
2. Can harm / sexual based ocd intrusive thoughts come up in dreams?? I had a very horrible, sexual based dream and now I’m feeling so much shame. Like what if I like that, what if I’m actually a horrible person. (COMMENT: As an add on. Is the same true for agoraphobia? I dream of getting kidnapped if I go outside or when I am too loud at home alone. However I was also diagnosed with OCD and my compulsions of checking locks is also related to the same fear.) 11:25
3. I had really bad and obvious OCD when I was younger, I think roughly from the age of 5 years old. I didn’t have any traumatic event happening to me. Why would a child this young develop OCD? 18:19
4. If you could talk about harm ocd that would be helpful with intrusive thoughts. 25:47
5. Could you talk a bit about physical anxiety? I struggle with anxiety and I feel it super physical, e.g I am dissociating a lot, heart racing, nausea, and my stomach is upset. I’ve learnt coping skills in therapy how to deal with anxiety but I just feel like the physical part of it is not getting better. I also tried more physical exercises and stuff like that to release the physical energy. I feel physically anxious 24/7 even if there’s no reason to be. I am not taking any medication, I tried it in the past but they made me dissociate so much more. Do you have any advice for me? Thank you so much for your help 30:25
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Ask Kati Anything