Pure O: The OCD type nobody sees

## Pure O: The OCD That Lives Entirely in Your Head Pure O (Pure Obsessional OCD) is like having a terrorist in your brain holding your thoughts hostage while you smile normally on the outside. ### What Pure O Actually Is **The Misconception**: Only obsessions, no compulsions **The Reality**: Compulsions are mental/hidden - Mental review - Internal checking - Thought analysis - Mental compulsions - Reassurance seeking You're doing compulsions constantly - they're just invisible. ### Common Pure O Themes **Harm OCD** - Intrusive thoughts of violence - Fear of snapping - Afraid of losing control - Checking feelings/intentions - Avoiding triggering situations **Relationship OCD (ROCD)** - "Do I really love them?" - Comparing constantly - Checking feelings - Analyzing attraction - Mental review of relationship **Sexual Orientation OCD (SO-OCD)** - Questioning orientation constantly - Checking arousal - Testing responses - Avoiding triggers - Mental analysis **Pedophilia OCD (POCD)** - Fear of being attracted to children - Avoiding kids - Checking for arousal - Mental review of interactions - Constant self-monitoring **Existential OCD** - Nature of reality - Consciousness questions - Life meaning obsessions - Mental philosophy loops - Checking perceptions ### The Hidden Compulsions **Mental Rituals**: - Reviewing past behavior - Analyzing thoughts - Replacing bad thoughts - Counting mentally - Praying specifically - Mantras/phrases **Checking Behaviors**: - Body scanning (arousal/feelings) - Memory reviewing - Intention checking - Emotion monitoring - Thought examining **Reassurance Seeking**: - Google marathons - Asking indirectly - Reddit/forum reading - Comparing to others - Self-reassurance loops **Avoidance**: - People/places/things - Topics of conversation - Media content - Being alone with thoughts - Situations that trigger ### Why It's So Torturous **You Can't Escape Your Mind** - Thoughts always accessible - No break from obsessions - Compulsions anywhere/anytime - Privacy makes it worse - Invisible suffering **The Doubt Disease** - Can never be certain - "What if" endless - Evidence doesn't help - Logic doesn't work - Certainty impossible ### The Pure O Cycle 1. **Intrusive thought** appears 2. **Meaning attached** ("This means I'm...") 3. **Anxiety spike** 4. **Mental compulsion** (analyzing/checking) 5. **Temporary relief** 6. **Doubt returns stronger** 7. **Repeat endlessly** ### Common Misunderstandings **"Just don't think about it"** - Suppression makes it worse - Thoughts become stickier - Impossible advice - Increases frequency **"You'd never do that"** - Reassurance is compulsion - Feeds the cycle - Relief temporary - Makes OCD stronger **"Everyone has weird thoughts"** - True but misses point - OCD thoughts stick - Can't dismiss them - Significance attached ### Treatment Approaches **ERP (Exposure Response Prevention)** - Expose to feared thoughts - Prevent mental compulsions - Hardest part: stopping mental rituals - Accepting uncertainty - Living with doubt **Thought Exposures**: - Write feared thoughts - Say them aloud - Listen to recordings - Imaginal exposures - Worst-case scenarios **Response Prevention**: - No mental checking - No analyzing - No reassurance - No replacing thoughts - Sitting with anxiety ### Daily Management **The Maybe Method** - "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not" - "Could be true" - "I'll never know for certain" - Accepting uncertainty - Not fighting thoughts **Mindfulness Approach** - Notice thought - Label as OCD - Don't engage - Return to present - No judgment **Delaying Compulsions** - Wait 5 minutes - Then 10 - Then 15 - Build tolerance - Break immediacy ### What Makes It Worse - Stress/fatigue - Isolation - Free time - Transitions - Hormonal changes - Caffeine - Sleep deprivation ### The Recovery Reality **What Recovery Looks Like**: - Thoughts still come - But don't stick - No compulsion need - Can dismiss easier - Life not ruled by OCD **Not About**: - Thoughts disappearing - Certainty achieved - Never doubting - Perfect clarity **About**: - Living with uncertainty - Not needing to know - Thoughts just thoughts - Values-based living ### Supporting Someone with Pure O - Don't offer reassurance - Validate suffering - Learn about OCD - Encourage treatment - Understand invisible struggle *Pure O is OCD's cruelest trick - making you fight battles nobody can see, against an enemy that uses your own values against you. Recovery isn't winning the fight; it's refusing to fight.*