Obsessive thoughts

Obsessive thoughts are repeated thoughts, urges, or mental images that are intrusive, unwanted, and make most people anxious.

Common obsessions include:
1. Fear of germs or contamination.
2. Fear of forgetting, losing, or misplacing something.
3. Fear of losing control over one’s behavior.
4. Aggressive thoughts toward others or oneself.
5. Unwanted, forbidden, or taboo thoughts involving sex, religion, or harm.
6. Desire to have things symmetrical or in perfect order.
When obsessive thoughts occur with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), patients are less able to ignore the unpleasant thoughts and may pay undue attention to them,
causing the thoughts to become more frequent and distressing. Attempting to suppress intrusive thoughts often cause these same thoughts to become more intense
and persistent. The thoughts may become obsessions that are paralyzing, severe, and constantly present, these might involve topics such as violence, sex, or religious
blasphemy, among others. Distinguishing them from normal intrusive thoughts experienced by many people, the intrusive thoughts associated with OCD may be
anxiety provoking, irrepressible, and persistent.