The Imp of the Mind: Exploring the Silent Epidemic of Obsessive Bad Thoughts

Product Information

Well that's the thing. I don't think these are intrusive thoughts caused by OCD. I am in not really scared of these thoughts. They're almost comforting... and that's what scares me. What if my harm thoughts are not caused by OCD? What if I'm truly having these thoughts but fighting them because of my moral upbringing? What if one day I give in? That's what scares me. I just don't want there to be a link. I pray to God that my harm thoughts are from OCD. The Imp of Perverse visits every one of us from time to time, with two possible outcomes: (1) We give the thoughts little attention and no credence and go on with our lives, or (2) we are strongly affected by the bad thoughts, so that the thoughts occur frequently during the day and interfere with our functioning socially or at work.” So my question is: When she says get immediate help, does the author say so because she thinks that suicidal ideation can eventually lead to homicidal ideation? That's my fear here. Or does she say so because of those with suicidal intrusive thoughts? not only are these bad thoughts universal among all humans today, but they have almost certainly always been a part of the human condition, at least since man first developed language and then rules to govern appropriate behavior in groups."

I am sorry for what you are suffering. I have suffered even more irrational and illogical worries. All of them seem real. This book by a psychologist who helped developed some of the therapy used for OCD actually seems a bit dated now, but it was only published five years ago (in 2001). Anyway, Baer focuses on the obsessive part of OCD (that's the imp, from Edgar Allen Poe's "Imp of the Perverse"). Baer likes his classic quotes and has many, which add a bit of historical interest and depth to his book.The first part of the book is devoted to The Problem of Bad Thoughts. Recognizing the subjective isolation that almost everyone with disturbing thoughts feels, the author makes liberal use of case examples to convey the essential message that the reader who may be having disturbing thoughts and impulses is not unique. He parallels this with the admonition that individuals should not fear to seek help or even to attempt self-help because a great deal is understood about their condition and it is eminently treatable. This simple exposition in itself should go a long way toward motivating the concerned reader to stop trying (futilely) to suppress such thoughts, thereby exacerbating his or her subjective distress. In the first book to fully examine obsessive bad thoughts, Dr. Lee Baer combines the latest research with his own extensive experience in treating this widespread syndrome. Drawing on information ranging from new advances in brain technology to pervasive social taboos, Dr. Baer explores the root causes of bad thoughts, why they can spiral out of control, and how to recognize the crucial difference between harmless and dangerous bad thoughts. The Imp of Perverse will try to torment you with thoughts of whatever it is you consider to be the most inappropriate or awful thing you could do.” All those sentences are full of fear. You are scared. This is how anxiety screws up logic in the thought process. I t creates an internal dialogue that is full of contradictions, so it can end up with the perfect kind of fear.

A useful resource, though I think the author should have made an effort to distinguish more between OCD and "pure O", where the former is accompanied by a compulsive action often unrelated to the nature of the obsession, i.e. the seemingly nonsensical repetition of flipping a light switch on-and-off to prevent someone's family member from getting into a car accident, and where "pure O" is limited to intrusive thoughts without the accompanying compulsion to perform a specific action to rid oneself of such thoughts. With my encouragement, Ginny told her husband about the thoughts. She was relieved that his reaction was "he just couldn't even believe what he was hearing - he knew I'd never do these things, they were just bad thoughts." When I asked Ginny why she thought he has so much faith in her, she replied, "Because he sees me with people daily. He said he fell in love with me because I am kind. For example, he reminded me of a time when we were together in a cabin, and I noticed a bee trapped behind a screen and I told him I didn't want the bee to die, so he spent the first hour of our first weekend together undoing the screen to free the bee. He asked me, does that sound like someone who would kill her grandchildren? He also reminded me that I am soft and warm and very loving, and he would never worry about me doing the awful things I was thinking of." Needless to say, Ginny was relieved by her husband's reaction, since she had feared he would think she was crazy.” This means that, despite the fact you should never say this to someone with it, we actually are all “a little bit OCD”. Some of this book was very interesting to me as I have suffered from obsessive thoughts. I don't know if I'll ever read it cover to cover as it is a bit too detailed and scientific for me. I don't mind a little science but a little goes a long way for me. But I love to learn new things, and I learned something I never knew before about obsessive thoughts. When a person is having obsessive thoughts, the frontal lobe of his/her brain is extremely active. On the contrary, the brain activity of a person about to commit a criminal act slows down. I've read quite a bit about the obsession component of OCD but never remember reading this before.Suicidal intrusive thoughts are one of the very few OCD "themes" I have never had. Still, I think it would be very hard for an intrusive thought to force you to commit suicide against your will. At that point in my illness I was devouring every bit of vaguely “OCD” media I could find: documentaries, news reports, reality TV, celebrity interviews, standup comedy, even specials about psych wards in general – anything that gave me some insight into the humanity of a person with mental illness. In the second season of Sex Education, Otis gets teased for obsessively asking for consent every 10 seconds while losing his virginity; in I May Destroy You, a sexual assault victim has an intrusive thought of his own rape while having sex, but imagining himself as the perpetrator; in this year’s It’s A Sin, a character goes to obsessive lengths to protect herself after learning a friend has Aids. The description of the control and need for certainty by those who feel disempowered may certainly resonate with the imagery of the Imp disturbance. Sufferers may also find comfort with Lee’s efforts to help individuals learn to tolerate each thought and challenge themselves to face their fears- in this case the creature that torments them. Of course, those practicing acceptance and commitment therapy may not appreciate Lee’s imagery of the Imp and in fact challenge the Imp as simply an entity that could be simply protecting oneself from their ultimate fear (in other words, how could you hate something trying to protect you).