Written and clinically reviewed By Dr Elaine Ryan Chartered Psychologist specialising in OCD and anxiety disorders, with over 20 years’ clinical experience.
Updated on
Dr Elaine Ryan
If you feel that you are a bad person for having intrusive thoughts, I will help clear that up for you. Feeling like you are a bad person, or getting stuck in your head trying to rationalise if you are bad or not, is something I hear many people have intrusive thoughts about. I am … Read more
I’m guessing that you’ve landed on this page as you have just taken my test on HOCD. I am going to outline what options are open to you if you are serious about overcoming HOCD. If you are not sure who I am, my name is Elaine, and I am the psychologist behind MoodSmith. I … Read more
This is something I hear a lot; if my HOCD thoughts feel real, does that mean that they are true, that they mean something? Why do I get HOCD thoughts? You get them because you are human and the way the mind works. Everyone, including me, gets random thoughts every day, all days. You can check … Read more
If you have HOCD (also called Sexual Orientation OCD, SO-OCD) and notice arousal or sensations in your groin, this is not proof your thoughts are true. It’s a common OCD loop: intrusive thoughts → attention to the body → normal sensations → misinterpretation → more checking. For the wider picture, see the HOCD (SO-OCD) overview Feeling aroused down there – … Read more
Stop fighting wars Lots of times, we plan for the worst. That’s not always bad, but we can get ahead of ourselves and do something guaranteed to rain anxiety down on our heads: fight imaginary wars. It’s a bit hard to describe, but hang with me, and let’s see if you have this joy-robbing, anxiety-feeding … Read more
Do you feel like a fraud and know that one day you will be ‘caught out?’ Was landing your new job just a ‘fluke?’ You could well have imposter syndrome. You might not know it, but you will possibly recognize yourself with what I am about to say if you read on. “I still believe … Read more