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.” Although I don't think he is mentioned in Imp of the Mind, the deeply religious John Bunyan of the 17th century, famed for his spirituality and the writing of thematically Christian books, undeniably suffered from OCD and blasphemous obsessions, in a time period where the threat of stake burnings if such thoughts were openly admitted was very likely. Lee Baer and other OCD writers almost invariably mention him. Baer comments in Imp of the Mind: This book delves into the Imp of the Mind, that thing that makes people think of the worst possible thing they could do. Similar to driving down the road and having that intrusive thought of driving your car into incoming traffic. Most people who think that can think, "wow, that's a bit of a crazy thought", then just go on with their day. Others, especially those suffering from other mental issues put a lot of value or weight on this thought and start to obsess about it. And as this book teaches through examples, these thoughts don't define us. They are simply just a bad thought but the more you obsess about it, the more you try to repress the thought the more powerful the thought becomes. 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. Skim the surface of the OCD community and you’ll see this terrifying reality clearly: there are people with OCD all around us who don’t know they have OCD. They live in secret, terrified to tell anyone about the intrusive thoughts they hate. And this is due in large part to how media presents OCD: at best shallow and quirky and at worst downright incorrect.

It explored the fact that all people have these thoughts and while the majority of people can just let the thoughts pass and not worry about it, some people can not. These people usually spurned on OCD or postpartum depression, to PTSD and so on can latch onto these thoughts and obsess over them, thinking they are evil people. 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. An innate and primitive principle of human action, a paradoxical something, which we may call Perverseness, for want of a more characteristic term.... Through its promptings we act, for the reason that we should not. In theory, no reason can be unreasonable: But, in fact, there is none more strong. With certain minds, under certain conditions, it becomes absolutely irresistible. I am not more certain that I breathe, than that the assurance of the wrong word or error of any action is often the one unconquerable force which impels us, and alone impels us to its prosecution. Nor will this overwhelming tendency to do wrong for the wrong's sake, admit of analysis, or resolution into ulterior elements. It is a radical, a primitive impulse-- elementary.... If you have or suspect you have OCD, especially if it is primarily obsessional, this book may give you a lot of comfort and is a must read. Baer's book focuses on the patient tormented by "bad thoughts" and living in fear of carrying these out. What is not clear is where the boundary lies between "bad thoughts" and "obsessive" thoughts . When does an "obsessive" thought become a "bad thought" and who decides this and when can an "obsessive" thought be simply and safely labelled a "special interest " and therefore not something to be concerned about... In this sense Baer is in fact helping his patients to relabel their thoughts... These then become less scary, cease to be wrong or bad and regain their proper place in the pantheon of thought.

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My own first experience of OCD involved near-constant intrusive images of hanging and shooting myself, and it was extremely confusing both to myself and everyone around me why I was experiencing this while 1) unequivocally not wanting to die and 2) being constantly terrified of myself as if I really, really did and would do it if ever left alone with a weapon. Hearing that these thoughts were diagnostic of anxiety and not suicidality (and in fact, that these thoughts meant I was /unlikely/ to kill myself) could have saved me three years of tremendous emotional pain, and many more of profound self-distrust and self-contempt.

Some TV shows and films have dabbled in OCD storylines over the years, to varying degrees of prominence and accuracy. These range from the surprisingly good (Michael J Fox in Scrubs), to the unsurprisingly bad (Monk), to the questionable (Hoarders), to the totally fictional and outright saccharine (As Good As It Gets). The interesting thing about how the author (who, incidentally, is also a psychiatrist and researcher, making this so much better) looks at the problem is that he takes a look at a condition, obsessive thoughts, as the main problem of the individual themselves, and then helps them come to an understanding of why they are obsessing over those thoughts. Of course, Lee also refers to the work of Elaine Aron, author of The Highly Sensitive Person. Lee argues that many people who struggle with intrusive thoughts may also be ‘highly sensitive.’ The argument is not supported empirically and could potentially further pathologize those that identify as highly sensitive.

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I was hospitalized when I was 18. My first two roommates were suicides that were caught in time - accidentally (they fully wanted to do it). I have known suicides all my life, some who are gone and some who are still struggle and a few who are free of their depression. I have never known one that was afraid they would somehow get to be suicidal against their will, or have it somehow creep up on them. 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. 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.

In 2019, the UK Channel 4’s comedy series Pure gave first-person insight into someone with extreme obsessional fears – not about germs or neatness, but sex. The importance of this landmark show to someone with invisible OCD can’t be overstated. Pure was the first time I’d seen OCD represented correctly on screen, maybe ever. It will have changed people’s lives.

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urn:lcp:impofmind00leeb:epub:2976469a-5040-44a8-9bbf-989bf3668b47 Foldoutcount 0 Identifier impofmind00leeb Identifier-ark ark:/13960/t4dn58j4g Isbn 0525945628 What I found most interesting is how Lee described his collaboration with religious leaders to help manage symptoms of religious OCD symptoms. I began to attempt to reach out to religious leaders in my community who have experience working with OCD patients, but I have yet to find any. All of Part 1 of his text, The Problem of Bad Thoughts – This is an excellent resource to initially introduce patients to OCD treatment. I would recommend all of Part 1. This is also a great supplemental resource.