Obsessing Over Jail - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Message Board

BadMalibu · 10-25-2006, 08:16 PM

Hey All-

Does anyone ever have this obsession. Being in prison for the rest of your life and what it would be like. Basically my intrusive thoughts make me think that I would get locked up in prison. I think about it and how all my freedoms would be taken away and how I would have no life and how horrible it would be.

Any comments?

Psychobabble · 10-25-2006, 09:29 PM

Hi BadMalibu,

Yes, I can relate to jail obsessions. When I used to have harm obsessions, they would give me so much anxiety and guilt I often had the urge to 'turn myself in' before I could ever do anything involved in those thoughts (even though I knew deep down that OCDers NEVER act on their obsessions). It used to scare me to death to think about being in prison but at the same time my mind kept telling me that that is where I belong and that is the life I deserve since I could even have the thoughts that I had. I too thought about how horrible it would be to be in jail (losing freedom, being looked down upon).

My psychiatrist also told me that many people with OCD fear going to jail (some even are afraid that the police will come and take them away because of the thought that they 'might have' done something wrong) so you're definitely not alone in this!

Hope this helps you feel a little better knowing you arent alone about this current obession.

BadMalibu · 10-26-2006, 11:23 AM

Psycho B-

Thanks for the post. What you said made sense about having a fear about being in prison. What happens is my intrusive thoughts are triggered by something, so I have an intrusive thought, then think to myself, if I did hurt someone, I would go to prison, and my life would be over. It might be that I have a fear of being in prison, but I only think about being in prison after I have an intrusive thought.

Basically I have the fear of acting on an intrusive thought and going to prison, not actually a fear of prison itself. Although maybe that's how my mind is connecting the two things together. Maybe my fear of prison really triggers my intrusive thoughts..hmm...go figure.

Mel26 · 10-26-2006, 03:15 PM

BADMALIBU,

I HAVE THE EXACTLY THE SAME OBSESSIONS.. I WILL HAVE AN INTRUSIVE THOUGHT. THEN I WILL FEEL LIKE I NEED TO BE LOCKED UP OR SOMETHING, AND THEN I WILL THINK ABOUT HOW TERRIBLE IT WOULD BE TO BE THERE. I KNOW EXACTLY HOW U FEEL.. SOMETIMES I HIT MYSELF, SO THE THOUGHT WILL STOP AND I WILL FEEL PAIN INSTEAD?? CAN ANYONE ELSE RELATE TO THIS????

Psychobabble · 10-26-2006, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BadMalibu

Basically I have the fear of acting on an intrusive thought and going to prison, not actually a fear of prison itself. Although maybe that's how my mind is connecting the two things together. Maybe my fear of prison really triggers my intrusive thoughts..hmm...go figure.

Hi BadMalibu,

Yes, this is what I can relate to. I'll have a harm thought and then feel guilty about having it (or fear acting on it) and then that's when the prison obsession comes in (leading to an 'urge' to turn myself in). However, I'm not sure of the directionality either! Either way, it is not fun..haha.