Harm OCD: Tips & Resources to Help Move You Past Intrusive Thought OCD
Debra Kissen, Ph.D, M.H.S.A
Ashley Kendall, Ph.D
Michelle Lozano, AMFT
Download Harm OCD eBook (Sections 1-24)
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Why am I having such horrific thoughts?
If you are reading this eBook, chances are you have wrestled with thoughts such as “What is wrong with me? What kind of person has such disturbing thoughts? What do these thoughts say about me? Why would I be having these thoughts unless on some level I wanted these disturbing things to happen? Am I safe to be around? Could I harm myself or loved ones?”
The fact that you are struggling with these questions, and that you find your intrusive thoughts distressing— as opposed to enjoyable— lends support that you A) are not a monster, and B) have harm OCD. Not to mention the fact that you are spending precious moments of your life reading and engaging in this workbook seeking relief.
To offer some foreshadowing into the material we will cover in later chapters, we cannot guarantee that you will not engage in some disturbing act in the future, just as we cannot guarantee that we will not engage in a reprehensible behavior in the future.
Another way to assess if you are experiencing disturbing thoughts due to A) being a monster, or B) you have Harm OCD is to assess the behaviors you have engaged in over the course of your life. The old saying “the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior,” is quite accurate. So, look at each of your harm OCD thoughts and ask yourself how many times in your life have you so far engaged in the feared behavior.
Example 1. Harm thought: “I am going to lose control and stab my spouse.”
A) Assessment of prior behaviors in line with obsession: How many times in your life have you stabbed your spouse? ______
B) How many times have you had the thought that you stabbed your spouse? ______
Example 2. Harm thought: “I am going to lose control and harm myself.”
A) Assessment of prior behaviors in line with obsession: How many times in your life have you lost control and harmed yourself?” ______
B) How many times have you had the thought that you stabbed your spouse? ______
If you have answered 1 or more to questions A) above, this may not be the right treatment approach. We recommend you review your responses with a trained mental health provider to create the most effective treatment plan.
Note: Some people experiencing harm OCD will answer affirmatively to the questions above because they cannot perfectly prove to themselves that a past behavior was not in some way harm to self or others. If this is the case for you, we recommend you continue reading. When one engages in a true harm-related behavior, it is quite clear and not a murky matter.
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