Imagine you're in a quiet room. Everything seems calm. But suddenly, a voice appears. A fleeting, absurd, disturbing thought: “What if I push that person onto the subway tracks?” “What if I did something terrible and don’t remember it?” “What if I don’t really love my partner?” Your heart races. You don’t know where the thought came from, but it terrifies you. You try to shake it off, distract yourself, think of something else… but it returns. Again and again.
This is the daily life of many people living with OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder). And no, it’s not about being a “perfectionist” or having “quirks.” It’s a deeply distressing, lonely, and misunderstood experience. A mental labyrinth where the person becomes trapped in their own attempt to escape.
What Are Obsessive Thoughts? A Storm Disguised as an Idea
We all have strange, uncomfortable, or senseless thoughts. The human mind is creative, chaotic, and sometimes quite unsettling. But most people let them pass like clouds in the sky. In OCD, however, the person gets hooked on that thought. They can’t help but wonder: “What if this means something terrible about me? What if I lose control? What if I’m capable of doing something awful?”
As clinical psychologist Manuel Hernández Pacheco explains, obsessive thoughts are intrusive, automatic, and involuntary mental events that appear without warning and generate intense anxiety. But the real issue is not the thought itself, but the interpretation the person gives it.
The content can vary (moral, religious, sexual, harm-related, contamination, order, existential doubt...), but the mechanism is the same: the thought appears, the person panics, tries to neutralize it… and unintentionally fuels the vicious cycle.
OCD Is Not What It Seems: Debunking Myths
In popular culture, OCD is often associated with people who clean excessively, arrange books by color, or check the door multiple times. But OCD is not a personality trait—it's an anxiety disorder that can take much more invisible forms.
Some people with OCD perform no visible compulsions. Instead, they mentally repeat phrases, seek reassurance, review memories, avoid situations, pray, or constantly consult their partner or therapist. This is sometimes referred to as “Pure-O” or mental OCD, though, as Hernández Pacheco notes, there is no OCD without compulsion—some just happen internally.
And most importantly: OCD has nothing to do with a person’s actual morality. In fact, people who suffer from it are often deeply responsible, ethical, and sensitive, tormented by thoughts that, paradoxically, horrify them.
The OCD Cycle: Trying to Escape the Suffering Only Makes It Worse
- An intrusive thought appears.
- It’s interpreted as threatening or revealing.
- Anxiety increases along with the urge to control it.
- Compulsions or avoidances are performed.
- Temporary relief reinforces the compulsive behavior.
- The thought returns stronger, closing the loop.
It’s like trying to put out a fire with gasoline. The more you fight the thought, the more power it gains.
Why Does This Happen? A Mind That Protects... Too Much
Hernández Pacheco offers a deeply compassionate view of OCD. From his perspective, the mind acts like an overactive alarm system. When it senses even the slightest potential threat, it sends a warning: “Something’s wrong—check, make sure, avoid!” Not to sabotage you, but to protect you. It's just doing so in a misguided way.
At its core, OCD is a desperate attempt to find certainty in a world that doesn’t offer it. The person with OCD can’t tolerate even the slightest doubt about whether they acted correctly, feel what they should, or are who they believe they are. So they search for proof, explanations, and absolute certainty… which never comes.
Treatment: Learning to Trust Yourself Again
So how do you break free from this loop? Gently, with support, and with a radical shift in strategy. Hernández Pacheco’s therapeutic approach integrates several tools, with a clear guiding principle: the goal is not to eliminate the thoughts, but to change your relationship with them.
- Psychoeducation: Understanding how OCD works reduces fear and challenges mistaken beliefs.
- Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP): Gradually confronting feared thoughts and situations without engaging in compulsions.
- Acceptance of uncertainty: Learning to live with reasonable doubt, without seeking absolute guarantees.
- Emotional and values-based work: Exploring deeper emotional wounds and reconnecting with what truly matters.
A Message for Those Living with OCD
If you’re reading this and you recognize yourself, here’s something important: you’re not alone. You’re not crazy. You’re not dangerous. What you’re experiencing has a name, an explanation, and treatment.
And even if it feels impossible right now to imagine life without this mental torment, that life does exist. A life where thoughts may appear… but you’re not trapped by them. A life where you trust your intuition, your judgment, your goodness. Where you live without constantly checking whether you’re “doing it right.”
As Hernández Pacheco would say, OCD is a “control trap” we fall into out of fear—and escape through trust.
Frequently Asked Questions About Obsessive Thoughts and OCD
Do all people have obsessive thoughts? When does it become OCD?
Yes, everyone experiences strange or unwanted thoughts. OCD appears when these thoughts cause significant anxiety, lead to compulsions or avoidance, and interfere with daily life.
Why are obsessive thoughts so violent or opposite to my values?
Exactly because they go against what matters most to you. OCD clings to your deepest fears. These thoughts don’t define you—they reflect anxiety, not desire.
Does this mean I’m a bad person?
No. People with OCD are often deeply moral and conscientious. Having a thought doesn’t mean you want it. OCD is about fear, not intent.
Why can’t I just ignore the thoughts?
Because OCD activates a false alarm that says ignoring the thought is risky. But the attempt to control or suppress it is what keeps it alive. Learning not to react is key to recovery.
Can OCD be cured? Can I live without obsessive thoughts?
Yes—many people see significant improvement or full recovery with treatment. The goal isn’t to eliminate all thoughts but to live freely regardless of them.
What’s the most effective treatment for OCD?
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), combined with cognitive-behavioral therapy and newer approaches like acceptance and values-based work, is highly effective.
Do I need medication?
In some cases, yes—especially if anxiety or depression is severe. Medication should always be evaluated by a licensed mental health professional.
What should I do if I think I have OCD?
Seek out a specialist in OCD. Don’t try to manage it alone. Avoid compulsive reassurance-seeking. Learn, get support, and be patient with yourself. Recovery is possible.