OCD: Stress about racism

Theoretic Chaos

Theoretic Chaos

Member
Hey, well, I'm new here, so hey, but that's not the point.

Anyway, I have OCD too.
Now, I am the least racist, least discriminatory guy in the world and I hate discrimination of all kinds, but a couple of days ago my friend was telling a bunch of racist jokes in history class, and don't get me wrong, I thought the jokes were pretty mean, but they were kind of funny too. Then our teacher started teaching a lesson on Asia, and I don't know why, but right there I got a thought in my head kind of like "Eh.. Asia...", and right after I got that thought in my head I got extremely stressed out worrying that I'm racist.
I'm not racist, I never have been, and I never will be, but no matter how many times I keep telling myself that I can't quit worrying, and now everytime I think of race or something, there's this thought in my head similar to the one I described. I just want this gone. I will never be a racist, I would rather die than be racist, but I can't get this fear out of my head that I'm a racist.

HALP!
 
DontSleepOnMe

DontSleepOnMe

Banned
WOW, Dont have much experience with what to do about OCD, Reading this made me think like wow that's weird that someone can worry about stuff like that, but on the other my OCD like everything has to be in perfect geometrical shape or I will loose it might sound weird too.

This makes me think about how irrational my OCD is and that I should stop this craziness somehow. I heard you should let the thougths be there that come up in your mind but not act upon them, like in my case if something is not straight like my keyboard on the table I should let it be
 
Theoretic Chaos

Theoretic Chaos

Member
DontSleepOnMe said:
WOW, Dont have much experience with what to do about OCD, Reading this made me think like wow that's weird that someone can worry about stuff like that, but on the other my OCD like everything has to be in perfect geometrical shape or I will loose it might sound weird too.

This makes me think about how irrational my OCD is and that I should stop this craziness somehow. I heard you should let the thougths be there that come up in your mind but not act upon them, like in my case if something is not straight like my keyboard on the table I should let it be
Click to expand...

I know, but it still feels really wrong to have racist thoughts in my head. Like I said, I hate racism, and discrimination of all kinds, and I just can't have racist thoughts. There not my thoughts, it's like there from some outside voice that I can't get to shut up and it's brainwashing me.
 
dottie

dottie

Well-known member
when you have these thoughts in your head just recognize them for what they are: intrusive thoughts caused by ocd and nothing more. they have no power. no one can read your mind. you know deep down you aren't racist and you would never act it out. everyone has unspeakable thoughts that pop up every now and then. when these thougths happen, just recognize it as silliness, let it go, and then find something else to focus on instead.
 
pjc104

pjc104

Member
haha.... reading this makes me realize how many different forms of OCD come in, it pretty much makes you obsess over anything that you find offensive and completely unacceptable, and the fact that you are adamant against racism alone and so disgusted by it is a good indication that you are not racist... just attempt to conquer this thought, it takes time
 
NormanBates

NormanBates

Well-known member
Racist jokes might be funny sometimes, but you just have to have the sense to know that they're fiction. A stereotype might seem true, but if you investigated deeply enough you would be able to see past the joke.
 
madmike

madmike

Well-known member
I used to have obsessive insestual thoughts, which i found extremely disturbing and disgusting. But the more disturbing and disgusting i found them, the harder it was to get rid of them. It was really upsetting, i think i even cried a few times because they wouldn't let me sleep lol. But eventually i just stopped being so scared and disgusted by the thoughts and even allowed them, and that's when they just sort of faded and stopped.

Maybe you just need to relax about the whole issue a bit. You're obviously not a racist, it's this society which is so politically correct... everyone's constantly paranoid about saying the wrong things. I'm half-caste and i worry about it sometimes :p
 
Argamemnon

Argamemnon

Well-known member
When I was about 17, I used to believe I was gay. I cried all the time, but they were just thoughts. I never became gay.
 
pandamonium77

pandamonium77

Well-known member
Im getting bad racist OCD too this week, i look around and half of my school is mexican, and I'm thinking "Wow, thats loud and obnoxious, annoying too... " and they just happen to be mexican and an intrusive thought intrudes: "... because they're mexican!!!"
and Im not racist, Im the most non-prejudice, non-racist, non-judging, non-discriminative person in the entire school.. its very very very anxiety provoking so i avoid talking to a lot of people in fear that Im going to blurt out stuff like that
disturbing, to say the least :/
 
Fairy001

Fairy001

Well-known member
I have all sort of thoughts I don't wish to own. I recite songs or chants in my head to block them out, it is pretty grim though.

Peace
 
I_Walk_Alone

I_Walk_Alone

Well-known member
lol

Yeah, I used to get those feelings (I actually was a little adolf, hated "asians" and fags with a passion (and no, I wasnt a clost homo lol), certainly didn't pick it up from my mum (although she was religious so she migfht of hated fags, but then again she had her own hippie-psychotic version of Christianity, which made just as much sense, but I personally knew the cast of characters), and my dad was more of a "couldn't give a **** about your race mate" type of personality, although I have no doubt he would use racist remarks if he wanted to **** with someones head. Like me!

Cos you see folks, anglo-celtic people are not actually superior to any other race.

In fact, if I had to pick a master race, it would be the sub-sahran africans, since even though their no smater than anyone else, they do seem to be physically superior. And if not them, my old arch nemesis the "mongoloids" since they seem to have evolved quicker than the rest of the species, as evidenced by their more child-like appearences. For me, the east asians are the most interesting, since I just cant seem to put my finger on them. Same with the native Australians and their melanesian relatives.

So dont go hatin' on me just cos i'm white mo'fos. My breed is just as intelligent as the next breed.

Its all about culture baby. And the west is by far the best (that includes Japan and S Korea ofcourse).
 
W

wmw

Guest
Stop stressing! Think about this... Remember what your veiws on race really is. Your not a racist person right? you know that. and just because you laphed at a racist joke doesnt make you a bad person. Sure what that person said was innapropreate but its not like you commited a crime by laphing. The next time you think about it ... you should switch your brain from thinking about racist remarks to thinking about great things about colored people maybe you need to go find a friend in your school or work that may be a diffrent race and that will prove to yourself that your not racist. Anytime you think about your racist thoughts go listen to music or read a book to take your mind off of it. If its really bad sit yourself infront of the mirror and list off all of the positive things about being colored and then tell yourslef how silly it was that you let one little remark take over your whole thought proccess. Pretty much you just need to take your mind off the situation hanging with friends or doing somthing productive so you dont give yourself a chance to think about it. From what i have read people with OCD over time slowly issolated themselves from society becase they think they are a lost cause when maybe what you need to do is face your fears and then get over it by occupying yourslelf. Keeps telling yourself everytime you have a compulive thought say... " i have control over my thoughts and i wont let my mind defeat me" You are a strong person so when you have a bad thought replace it with a good one. I hope the best for you but if you start to get more thoughts about diffrent situations or topics you should see a doctor dont be embaressed its nothing to be embaressed about the main thing is to get your mind healthy. I think maybe your just worrying to much and if you worry to much you will blow it so out of preportion that you will convince yourself you have OCD when in reallity it could just be a one time thing deep breaths calm me down when i worry maybe it will work for you too... best of luck -whit
 
M

makemeunderstand

Guest
Hey, my names whitney, I dont suffer with this disorder but latly i have been watching that show "obsessed" with people that have OCD and see what extreme things they can do and it got me really intreaged soi have been researching it alotover the last couple of days but i have been reading this forum for the last couple of hours and i noticed you seem to have a pretty good head on your sholders but this last comment you left i think you solved the answer right there. People with OCD obsesse about things they are completly against which makes me have my oppinion. You turn your problems into a fear, and then obsess about it to the max until your mind cant take it anymore like there is this demon in your head making it so your not able to control your thoughts. But you can think properly too right? like you dont obsess about everything . You can hold normal convorsations andprobably think about anything you want addition to what your anxiety tells you lots of the time so tell me this why cant when you start to worry about somthing or "obsess" about somthing why dont you try not to talk to yourslef in your head about how you know you wouldnt do or think the things you do but instead contiously switch the topic or idea completly. because everybody thinks almost all the time but Is your brain not strong enough to switch it? Like you should try everytime you get a thought like the ones you do try to listen to your IPOd and sing the words in your head or even outloud at least that way you will take your mind off whats worrying you most. Maybe try to get out with friends and socialize so you dont give yourself a chance to think . It probably takes alot of effort but if you want to get better and you beleive your strong enough to get through it why not give it a shot? anywho maybe you can make another post when you get this i would be intrested on hearing what you have to say or even helping me better understand the disorder. I do have to say i feel like once and a while i find myself worrying about insidance that happen when i have to face consinquences i worry about it until i am faced with the situation and then its not as bad as i thought it was in the first place so i completly relax about it. anywho ttyl -whit
 
pufferfish

pufferfish

Active member
i have the same thought processes as you. not about racism though... just realize this.
those thoughts are simply that; thoughts. they aren't reality. just because you think something, doesn't make it real. imagine this.
you are a dragon.
now; you know you aren't a dragon, right? look in the mirror. do you see a dragon? no. do you feel like one? no.
now... you are a racist. you think that. but that doesn't make it so. you can think and worry and chew on something for so long that it makes your chest cave in from all the anxiety, and it won't make it true.

that thought is stressful to you because you know it isn't true... your body and brain are so addicted to the stress response that it continually provokes your body to produce that stress response; and now it's found a great method of it. making you think something that makes you upset.

just remember that it's nothing but a thought; a fleeting moment that you continue to dwell on simply because it isn't true, and you know it isn't. try and just float by the idea that you are a racist the next time it comes up. "im a racist? yeah likely story. not." joke with it, it isn't really true.

hopefully that helped. it helps me sometimes. if you come up with any more methods for dealing with intrusive thoughts, let me know.
 
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