Intrusive Thoughts/Compulsive Behavior/Audible Thoughts/Stimming

[The Autistic girl]

I have ocd like compulsive behaviours like pacing up and down 20 times to get rid of voices (Audible thoughts) and repeating phrases over and over like I would say "Nothing is" and other phrases over and over to get rid of audible unpleasant thoughts. Never been diagnosed with OCD but I do have generalized anxiety disorder.

Is this common with autistic repetitive behaviours without having OCD?.

 

[The Autistic girl]

It is common!!. What do you think about this?.

 

[Judge]

Is this common with autistic repetitive behaviours without having OCD?.

Dirt-common, I'd say. - But in a different context.

Repetitive behaviors in themselves as a method for self-calming are quite common for autistic people. - Particularly stimming. Pacing back and forth and swaying while remaining stationary are my primary stims. And that stims reflect a positive way of autistic people dealing with things. Conversely there's nothing particularly positive about OCD as a comorbid condition to autism.

I was diagnosed with social anxiety, OCD and chronic clinical depression in 1982. I look at my OCD behaviors as most definitely not something related to stimming, or any other perceived method of self-calming. That they do quite the opposite. Involving negative thoughts, reactions and rituals that inevitably occur and reoccur over and over. And that for some, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) work to help one to alleviate overcome such things. For others like myself, CBT simply failed.

As for "hearing voices", I see that as something apart from basic considerations of autism or OCD. Something that I have never experienced, such as schizophrenia.

https://www.verywellmind.com/the-relationship-between-autism-and-schizophrenia-6748936

 

[tree]

@The Autistic girl

Can you say a little more about these "voices (Audible thoughts) and repeating phrases over and over" ?

Do you mean that you repeat phrases over and over to get rid of voices that you hear?
Or do you mean that the voices repeat phrases over and over and it feels necessary
to pace back and forth to get rid of the voices?

Or what?

 

[WiffingWaffles]

I have ocd like compulsive behaviours like pacing up and down 20 times to get rid of voices (Audible thoughts) and repeating phrases over and over like I would say "Nothing is" and other phrases over and over to get rid of audible unpleasant thoughts. Never been diagnosed with OCD but I do have generalized anxiety disorder.

Is this common with autistic repetitive behaviours without having OCD?.

I think it might be.
Do you have a tendency to over investigate things, too?
Or make negative conclusions over and over again, despite the fact that the evidence says otherwise?

 

[The Autistic girl]

@The Autistic girl

Can you say a little more about these "voices (Audible thoughts) and repeating phrases over and over" ?

Do you mean that you repeat phrases over and over to get rid of voices that you hear?
Or do you mean that the voices repeat phrases over and over and it feels necessary
to pace back and forth to get rid of the voices?

Or what?

I repeat phrases over and over to get rid of thoughts. There more like ("intrusive thoughts") than anything else.

 

[Judge]

I think it might be.
Do you have a tendency to over investigate things, too?
Or make negative conclusions over and over again, despite the fact that the evidence says otherwise?

That's the interesting aspect of it all. Trying to determine the ifs, whats and wheres of how OCD may overlap with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

 

[The Autistic girl]

I think it might be.
Do you have a tendency to over investigate things, too?
Or make negative conclusions over and over again, despite the fact that the evidence says otherwise?

Yes I over investigate things too and overthink things as well. But I'd say it's a bit of both.

 

[The Autistic girl]

Dirt-common, I'd say. - But in a different context.

Repetitive behaviors in themselves as a method for self-calming are quite common for autistic people. - Particularly stimming. Pacing back and forth and swaying while remaining stationary are my primary stims. And that stims reflect a positive way of autistic people dealing with things. Conversely there's nothing particularly positive about OCD as a comorbid condition to autism.

I was diagnosed with social anxiety, OCD and chronic clinical depression in 1982. I look at my OCD behaviors as most definitely not something related to stimming, or any other perceived method of self-calming. That they do quite the opposite. Involving negative thoughts, reactions and rituals that inevitably occur and reoccur over and over. And that for some, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) work to help one to alleviate overcome such things. For others like myself, CBT simply failed.

As for "hearing voices", I see that as something apart from basic considerations of autism or OCD. Something that I have never experienced, such as schizophrenia.

https://www.verywellmind.com/the-relationship-between-autism-and-schizophrenia-6748936

They are NOT like voices that you would hear in schizophrenia there (more like intrusive thoughts!!)

 

[Judge]

They are NOT like voices that you would hear in schizophrenia there (more like intrusive thoughts!!)

Yeah, I got that in one of your later posts. Not literal "voices", just your own negative thoughts. I have them too in that regard. And always focusing on the worst-case scenario rather than a more predicable outcome of things, if any at all. It's a maddening way to live.

Like when I step outside of a store and stare into the parking lot and cannot find my car. That it's been stolen- again. But after a few rapid heartbeats I find my car wedged between two SUVs. But no matter how many times it happens, I still experience it again and again. But then I really did have the first car I ever owned and cherished stolen for real and never recovered.

Or when I'm inside my apartment and feel compelled over and over to check to see that I locked my front door. Even when I'm certain I locked it! Ugh...

 

[The Autistic girl]

I get intrusive thoughts during certain times of the day and before going to sleep at night and I have alot of anxiety about these thoughts and I do Stimming as a calming technique for the thoughts and anxiety. I like when I do these behaviours. They are NOT disturbing to me. They get rid of intrusive thoughts and calm the anxiety. I have Asperger's and generalized anxiety disorder.

The repetitive behaviours are:

Pacing back and forth 20 times
Rocking back and forth
Scrunch my fingers in a certain way
flap my hands
move my shoulders in a circular motion
repeat certain phrases like "Nothing is" over and over
repeat certain noises over and over
tap my fingers
snap my fingers
Repeating intrusive thoughts out loud

 

[Judge]

I just have always been personally amused by my own stims of pacing, usually while mulling over some deep thoughts, or swaying back and forth (always in front of a tv set).

Often where I don't seem to notice that I'm doing it. Just comes naturally to me.

A "calming technique" indeed.

BTW- My nickname "Judge" based on a name a friend of my father gave me as a little boy, pacing back and forth like a sober and serious judge might do. My autistic stim, not having anything to do with the law.

 

[Aspychata]

I walk alot, l pace, especially if l don't have patience to be on the phone with loved one, it's their love language, so l can't disregard them, they need that contact. I stopped my talking to myself, though if stressed, l talk to calm myself down. Like @Judge , l go out to parking lot, and think somebody stole my car, however, it's a beach car, therefore nobody truly would steal it. Lol. During the last hurricane, l was pacing. Now l am on hurricane 3, due for touchdown Wed. So l don't know what to do. I am kinda of paralyzed helplessness, l know there are things l am supposed to do, but l don't want to do them. I took care of three major tasks, so l feel l should be exempt from hurricanes yet clearly the weather bureau has different ideas.

 

[Aspychata]

Sorry that you have those voices, does listening to music thru ear bud's or headphones help? Have you tried this? @The Autistic girl ?

 

[tazz]

I have ocd like compulsive behaviours like pacing up and down 20 times to get rid of voices (Audible thoughts) and repeating phrases over and over like I would say "Nothing is" and other phrases over and over to get rid of audible unpleasant thoughts. Never been diagnosed with OCD but I do have generalized anxiety disorder.

Is this common with autistic repetitive behaviours without having OCD?.

Pacing back and forth 20 times
Rocking back and forth
Scrunch my fingers in a certain way
flap my hands
move my shoulders in a circular motion
repeat certain phrases like "Nothing is" over and over
repeat certain noises over and over
tap my fingers
snap my fingers
Repeating intrusive thoughts out loud

My understanding is that these type of repetitive behaviours are common in autistic people without OCD.

 

[Rodafina]

The repetitive behaviours are:

Pacing back and forth 20 times
Rocking back and forth
Scrunch my fingers in a certain way
flap my hands
move my shoulders in a circular motion
repeat certain phrases like "Nothing is" over and over
repeat certain noises over and over
tap my fingers
snap my fingers
Repeating intrusive thoughts out loud

These sound a lot like autistic stims. Certainly very much like the ones I have. Intrusive thoughts can be a result of OCD, but they can also be a result of extreme anxiety.

One of the ways that I was taught to make sense of intrusive thoughts is to better understand the fight flight freeze brain response to anxiety. Intrusive thoughts can be our brain’s way of trying to protect us. Some brains can become hyper alert to environmental stressors and overreact a bit by creating terrible scenarios in your mind. It’s a way for the brain to keep you safe, but it is maladaptive because there is no real danger (to our survival) and they can become very distressing.

https://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/signs/intrusive-thoughts
https://www.simplypsychology.org/fight-flight-freeze-fawn.html

 

[Tom]

I have them too (intrusive thoughts). Have GAD (diagnosed) and Autism (undiagnosed). I use similar things to some you mentioned but think I have to shift my approach periodically. Experiment until I find something that works. For me adjusting medications may also be an option to try.

 

[Aspychata]

I remember l use to have very negative thoughts, like beating myself up. So l went thru a period of telling myself all the successful things l accomplished, l finally stopped those thoughts but it took about a month. It was work, l am truthful. The next thing l tackled was repetitive thoughts which are squarely in the intrusive thoughts category, you go thru repetitive/negative voices, thoughts whatever. So l trained myself with the horrible, you are a failure thoughts, you will never get anywhere. But the the repetitive thoughts were still there, they just weren't negative anymore, l just couldn't stop over analyzing. So then l worked on not over thinking. Now that's has finally gone. That has left me with emotional regulation. And that has been my hardest hurdle, especially when stressed. Lol.
But l forgot l had the negative thoughts. My first hurdle l trained myself out of was the over-worrying. That crippled me. The negative thoughts was the second hurdle, the repetitive thoughts was the third hurdle. My hopefully final hurdle is emotional regulation. Of course then l will be dead from old age. Hilarious.

 

[Rogue Princess]

My phrase is "bad things" it's interesting to hear someone else going through this too. "People are (word deleted) " is a more recent one that I'm trying to stop.

I also have an OCD of repeating the same thing 7 times when stressed or overwhelmed. It's usually "Penny" "word deleted" or "(word deleted)" I also either slap my thigh 7 times or hit a table. I have 6 split personalities which is 7 if I include myself so it could have something to do with DID. (My DID isn't really an issue, it's just like having 6 imaginary friends)

I don't really say 'word deleted.' That is done to comply with the forum's language policy.
You'll have to use your imagination.

3 is another number thing I have, I think in trinities and the rule of threes.

I have rituals I'm obsessive compulsive about too, like doing things in the right order. I get upset if I accidentally pour the boiling water in before the milk when making coffee for example. When this happens I just want to pick up my cup and smash it against the wall (I have a tendency to over-react).

I get upset if anyone tries to move or rearrange my furniture. My outfit is also a uniform (I wear the same thing every day).

So these are some ways my autism looks like OCD without me actually having OCD

 

[Jonn]

I have ocd like compulsive behaviours like pacing up and down 20 times to get rid of voices (Audible thoughts) and repeating phrases over and over like I would say "Nothing is" and other phrases over and over to get rid of audible unpleasant thoughts. Never been diagnosed with OCD but I do have generalized anxiety disorder.

Is this common with autistic repetitive behaviours without having OCD?.

I think "Negative Thoughts" are generally common.
I learned about this with a psychologist I was seeing 40 years ago.

Negative thoughts affect emotions directly.
"You are what you think" sort of thing.

The psychologist suggested that I first become fully aware of them consciously and substitute those with positive ones.