Everyone has unpleasant and intrusive thoughts, even people that do not have OCD. People without OCD have reported having unwanted thoughts about intentionally harming themselves or others, unintentionally harming themselves or others, being contaminated, bad things happening to other people, something is unsafe, (e.g.; left the house door unlocked, did not turn off the stove), having inappropriate sexual thoughts, losing control, thoughts about failure, doing something impulsively, being homosexual, etc. The issue for people with OCD is not that they have these thoughts, but how they respond to them.
Thought suppression was originally identified in 1987 in a study by Daniel Wegner. In the study, one group initially tried not to think of white bears,while the other group was instructed to think of white bears. Subsequently, he told both groups to think of white bears and found that the group he initially told not to think of them thought of them more.
This is what is happening with OCD. The problem for people with OCD is that when they have intrusive thoughts, they take them seriously, and think that because they thought it they are going to do it, and then try to suppress them. This results in them focusing more on the thoughts, and increasing their frequency and intensity.
People without OCD, believe just because you think something, it does not mean you are going to do it and go on to the next thought without even thinking they need to dismiss it. Consequently, the thoughts do not increase in frequency or intensity and they do not develop OCD.
Wartel Behavioral Services, P. C. 6346 Orchard Lake Rd., Suite 107 West Bloomfield, Michigan 48322 Phone: (248) 626-1330 Fax: (248) 626-9170 E-mail: drwartel@gmail.com
