The Imp of the Mind: Exploring the Silent Epidemic of Obsessive Bad Thoughts

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I felt like it was unclear in the description that it was only focused on violent, sexual, and religious thoughts. In his book, The Imp of the Mind, psychologist Lee Baer explains how obsessive intrusive thoughts plague OCD sufferers with recurring images of, “whatever it is you consider to be the most inappropriate or awful thing you could do. An expert on OCD explores the hidden epidemic that afflicts millions of Americans – obsessive bad thoughts. But out of this our cloud upon the precipice's edge, there grows into palpability, a shape, far more terrible than any genie, or any demon of a tale, and yet it is but a thought, although a fearful one, and one which chills the very marrow of our bones with the fierceness of the delight of its horror. One of the questions we tend to want to ask when we hear about a terrible murder is: what was the murderer’s motivation?

The Imp of the Mind - Google Books

Intrusive thoughts are thoughts that are unwanted and distressing and are in opposition to our core values. For instance, if one has little revulsion toward his or her obsessive thoughts, actually has positive feelings attached to them, or has begun the initial stages of acting out such thoughts, the possibility for full-blown behavioral dyscontrol becomes much greater. The idea that ‘we act, for the reason that we should not’ prefigures the idea of negative psychology, but Poe’s story as a whole can be said to foreshadow Sigmund Freud’s description of the role of the id in the unconscious mind.He then tells us that he committed murder by lighting a poisoned candle in the room of the man he murdered, so he could inherit the man’s estate. As someone who struggles with obsessive thoughts, just reading this book gave me the knowledge I needed to take control of the way I treat my obsessions and greatly reduced the stress.

It’s no wonder we still think OCD is a neatness illness – it

Of course, those practicing acceptance and commitment therapy may not appreciate Lee’s imagery of the Imp and in fact challenge the Imp as simply an entity that could be simply protecting oneself from their ultimate fear (in other words, how could you hate something trying to protect you). Before we proceed to a summary and analysis of this story, it might be worth reading ‘The Imp of the Perverse’; you can find it here.This book delves into the Imp of the Mind, that thing that makes people think of the worst possible thing they could do. It honestly strikes me as tragic that intrusive thoughts about harm inevitably target either ourselves or the people closest to us; those we love and most fear harming: Parents, siblings, romantic partners, spouses, children and grandchildren (especially in the case of the many mothers [41% of those with postpartum depression] who experience these thoughts for the first time about their child).