Do thoughts of harming someone frighten you, however much you'd never want to?
Almost everyone has thoughts that feel shocking or out of character, and they say nothing about who you are. When they bring a lot of anxiety and you spend hours checking, avoiding or seeking reassurance, it might be harm OCD, which responds well to treatment. This free check helps you make sense of it.
Does any of this sound like you?
- You hide the knives, or avoid holding a baby, in case the thought comes back
- You go over what you did, or ask someone, until it feels settled
- The more a thought horrifies you, the more it seems to stick
Shocking thoughts and harm OCD
Almost everyone has thoughts that feel shocking or out of character, and they say nothing about who you are. In harm OCD, a thought about hurting someone feels so wrong that you push it away, check or avoid, and the effort makes it stick.
People with harm OCD are no more likely to act on their thoughts than anyone else. Other common themes include sexual thoughts that horrify you and religious or moral fears, which the intrusive thoughts check looks at. ERP helps many people take their time back.
If your thoughts are about hurting yourself, that is different, and you deserve support today. Samaritans are free on 116 123, day or night.
What you'll be asked
What do you do to feel better?
- Avoid knives or sharp things
- Check I haven't hurt anyone
- Ask for reassurance
- Go over it in my head
- Stay away from certain people
- Search online about it
How hard is each of these without doing anything to make the feeling go away?
- Letting a thought be there without going over it
- Chopping vegetables with someone nearby
- Holding a kitchen knife
- Standing near the edge of a train platform
- Driving past people on the pavement
- Reading a news story about a crime
- Watching a film with a violent scene
- Looking after a baby or young child
- Being alone with someone I love
Six quick questions about the last month
- How much does this affect your day-to-day life?
- How much do you avoid places, plans or situations because of it?
- How much does it affect your work, studies or caring for others?
- How much does it affect your social life, relationships or family?
- How much of your day do the thoughts and rituals take up?
- How much distress do you feel when you think about a thought about harm coming back?
What you get at the end
Your result and what it means for everyday life, plus a starting ladder built from your own answers: the steps, easiest first, a therapist would use to help you. It's saved to a free ReOCD account, so you can come back, retake the check and see what changes.
Common questions
- Is this a diagnosis?
- No. It is a free self-check to help you understand how much this affects your life. Only a qualified professional can assess you properly.
- Do I have to say what my thoughts are about?
- No. You only choose broad kinds of thoughts. You never need to describe them here.
- Does having these thoughts mean I'm dangerous?
- No. Harm thoughts are one of the most common OCD themes. They feel so upsetting because they go against who you are, and people with them are no more likely to act on them than anyone else.
- Why do you ask for my email?
- Your results are saved to a free account, so you can come back to them, retake the check and see what has changed. You confirm your email with a code, then choose a password.
- Who can see my answers?
- You can. ReOCD keeps them to show you your results. Nothing is shared with a therapist unless you choose to send a request, and nothing is sold or used for advertising.