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Could a childhood traumatic event cause OCD?
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The title didn't let me fit my entire question. My actual question is, can a traumatic event in your childhood cause OCD to happen?
I think my OCD is trying to switch focus, but I don't know? See, the thing of it is, I was molested by my cousin three times when I was about 6 years old, and my cousin was 17 or 18. I can't exactly remember when my OCD started, but I do remember I've had it ever since I remember anything. Now my "thoughts" (I'd rather call them pests) go to sexually molesting a child, I think. They are in no way as strong as the harm thoughts I've had in the past year. In fact, writing this post is almost making me want to laugh because I have a 3 year old son and it's like "WHAAAT? No way. Doing that to a child?" But it scares me how OCD works, it really does. I look at thoughts as something you control like "Hm. What should I pick up at the grocery store today?" or "I wonder what kind of flowers I should have at my wedding." or something like that. But these uncontrollable little "things" pop into my head, completely involuntary and unwanted. Ugh. Posted on 08/11/12, 01:27 am |
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I've often wondered that too CalliopeK. I believe my mom has both narcissistic personality disorder and borderline personality disorder, and I think my OCD is somewhat related to interacting with her. In other words, at times I think I've internalized her as my own harshest critic. So I do think my OCD is in part a coping mechanism/reaction to being her child, but I also think I'd have some degree of it no matter what.
I think the obsession you mention is perfectly understandable. For one, OCD preys on our deepest fears and makes us think we're capable of horrible things. The truth is though, we don't want to do those things - it's incredibly against our nature, and that's why we obsess over it. I remember even as a child worrying that I'd hurt a kid or drop a baby. Is it because I had a deep-seated desire or inclination to do this? No. It's partly because I doubt myself so much that I doubt I'll be able to refrain from doing something so heinous to me. Good luck to you CK! 
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Those specific types of OCD are actually one of the most common types even in those with no history of abuse so don't worry about them. I do believe yes that OCD can come from traumatic events in your childhood or just a lack of a safe and secure upbringing. There seems to be a lot of guilt and overresponsibility and doubt in OCD that I do think can come from different negative childhood experiences. Good luck, this obsession too shall pass
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I've read lots of times that OCD can occur after a traumatic event. It can also suddenly appear after a traumatic event in adulthood.
I think OCD tends to latch onto whatever you are most scared of / would find most abhorrent, so you having those thoughts most likely just shows how much you wouldn't want to do that to a child. The thoughts are probably even more significant to you because you experienced it happening to you, so you would definitely not ever want your own child to experience it too. The theme of my OCD has switched many times throughout my life and has often changed according to things that have happened in my life.
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Any mental illness can be triggered by a traumatic event. It doesn't necessarily mean this stressful event has caused the mental illness but has triggered the brain chemicals that were laying dormant firing properly so to speak until the trauma hit.
You're obsession unfortunately one of the more common type in OCD and with you could be a manifestation of PTSD reaching into the gamut of OCD. The vast majority of us have traumatic events in childhood and not everyone develops a mental illness. For some of us it does. The childhood abuse would lead to PTSD prior to the OCD. Childhood experiences are important in the structure of our lives, but blaming childhood experiences is rather Freudian in the case of OCD.
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yup may be bcoz of ur past those thoughts are popping up in ur mind... but need not to be afraid since they are just thoughts... they are coming in ur mind bcoz ur are afraid that u might do the same thing to sm1 else n you know that its bad..... you know when sum1 has ocd those thoughts come to ur mind which u dont want to happen....so ur ocd ant force u to do smthng bad.. so chill!! .... and whenever unwanted thoughts come ignore the shit! because you must believe in urslf that nothng in the world can force u to do something.
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