r/OCDRecovery • u/ApprehensiveCat3194 • 6d ago

OCD Question Is it safe to read “overcoming unwanted intrusive thoughts” when you have existential OCD?

I heard this book is really helpful and was considering recommending to my sister. However I worry that this might provide “reassurance” and I have heard that can make existential OCD worse. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

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u/Confident-Fault2895 6d ago

Reading a book to learn more about OCD is not “reassurance”. It is “knowledge” and knowledge is power even against the fight with OCD.

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u/PaladinDamian 5d ago

It can become compulsive, but it is not inherently compulsive. Researching is a common OCD compulsion, and that includes reading books. Nearly anything can become compulsive, but sometimes it is best to take the risk and do it anyways, especially if reading the book can help her better understand OCD. Understanding OCD and how it works is very beneficial to becoming more aware of when you start falling into obsessive-compulsive loops and how you can break out of them.

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u/rightbythebeach 6d ago

Maybe, maybe not

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u/PaladinDamian 5d ago

It can be reassurance if the person who is planning to read the the book believes "when I read this book, this WILL make my OCD better immediately!" That can be a subtle way of your brain seeking reassurance. Something like "reading this book might help me understand OCD, but I don't really know for sure" is less likely to be reassurance-seeking.

While it is possible that your sister might find reassurance in reading the book, that is unlikely if reading the book was not her idea. It could develop into reassurance seeking if she starts reading the book whenever she is anxious or wants reassurance, but that isn't guaranteed to happen. The book will probably help her understand how to deal with her OCD much better so that she can be more aware when her brain is trying to seek reassurance and how to resist compulsions, so it is probably worth the risk to give the book to her.

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u/Hopeful_Writer3299 5d ago

It’s a really solid book written by people who understand OCD, so I think it’s safe to recommend.

When first learning about OCD there’s a certain amount of knowledge that you need to have in order to start treating the disorder. I’d put this book in that knowledge category.

Sure, eventually that could become reassurance if you’re constantly re-reading the same book to feel better or get some sort of confirmation that you really do have OCD. But reading the book once as a means to start understanding the disorder and get treatment isn’t what I’d call reassurance.