Reader’s Question

I am a 17-year-old boy with OCD. I am in my junior year of high school and lately I have been experiencing almost constant intrusive thoughts about ripping my eyes out. Please help me. I feel slightly compelled to carry this action out even though it terrifies me and I don’t want to. What can I do to control these thoughts?

Our Clinical Psychologist’s Reply

As you know, obsessive thoughts are part of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Low levels of the neurotransmitter Serotonin have been linked with both Depression and OCD. Obsessive thoughts in OCD are often irritating and instrusive, but when OCD is combined with Depression features, the obsessive thoughts become torture…as in your situation. The combination of Depression and OCD prompts the brain to create very disturbing images and thoughts. I’ve heard clients talk about the thought of ripping eyes out before, and some even worse.

I’d recommend:

• Recognize that the intrusive thoughts are a symptom of your OCD and not a command or required behavior…just a symptom.
• Discuss the situation with your parents or another trusted adult. If you are not already under medical care for your OCD, obtaining treatment would be very important. You can be helped tremendously by the current medications available that treat both the OCD and Depression.
• With the help of your parents, seek counseling to develop coping strategies for both your OCD and stress level. As you’ve seen, as your stress increases, so do your OCD symptoms. Managing stress better will prevent an increase in OCD urges and intrusive thoughts.