OCD Feelings And Urges Versus OCD Thoughts - OCD Recovery

OCD Recovery Podcast with Ali Greymond

Episode: OCD Feelings And Urges Versus OCD Thoughts
Date: November 14, 2025
Host: Ali Greymond

Episode Overview

In this episode, Ali Greymond explores the relationship between OCD thoughts, urges, and feelings, emphasizing their interconnectedness and the importance of treating them as one unified “OCD package.” Drawing on her personal experience and coaching expertise, Ali aims to dispel confusion and anxiety that arises from trying to differentiate between intrusive thoughts, uncomfortable feelings, and urges. The episode encourages listeners to stop analyzing these experiences and begin viewing them as symptoms of OCD, advising them to disengage from compulsive rumination and analysis.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. No Difference Between OCD Thoughts, Urges, and Feelings (00:00–01:20)

Ali debunks the idea that there’s a meaningful difference between intrusive thoughts, uncomfortable feelings, and urges generated by OCD.
Quote:
“The difference is that there is no difference. You have to treat it as the same thing. Doesn't matter how your brain sends you the thought... The only reason [your brain] sends it to you in different ways, is to create this full experience of actually scaring you, basically into a rumination.” — Ali Greymond (00:06)
Examples of how OCD can fixate on any content, from irrational fears (e.g., “red balloon”) to taboo thoughts (e.g., “what if I want to kill someone”)—OCD mimics the content you are most fearful of.

2. OCD as an “Experience Package” (01:21–02:40)

Ali introduces the concept of the “OCD package,” which may include intrusive thoughts, vivid images, urges, and feelings—but all serve the same compulsive cycle.
Quote:
“OCD mimics whatever it is that you're afraid of in terms of feelings. They're not true feelings, they're not true urges... It's just mimicking to get you to do rumination or compulsions.” (00:37)
Trying to dissect or categorize the experiences is unhelpful and increases rumination.
Ali urges listeners to “choose not to analyze” and stop putting their experiences into boxes.

3. Core Principle: Disregard and Refuse Reaction (02:41–04:10)

Regardless of whether the experience presents as a thought, feeling, or urge, the solution is the same: disengage and refuse to react.
Quote:
“So if you're getting an urge, say like you feel like you have an urge to do something bad. Nice try. I will see you disregarding. Then you have just a feeling that you could potentially do something. Still disregarding... However it comes in, whether it comes in as ‘What if?’ or ‘I feel like I want to,’ or ‘It feels so real...’ — it's all part of the same thing. Don’t buy into it, don't dissect, don't try to figure it out.” (01:30)
The urge to analyze is itself a compulsion—resist it.
Focus on actively refusing to engage, regardless of how convincing or ‘real’ the feeling seems.

4. Common Doubts and Reassurance (04:11–05:30)

Many listeners worry, “Why would I have an image or urge like this? Does this make me a bad person?”
Quote:
“No, it makes you a person who has OCD. Which is true. You have OCD. This is how OCD behaves as a package. So try to look at it this way.” (02:16)
The content is irrelevant; these are symptoms, not reflections of character.

5. Closing Encouragement & Listener Engagement (05:31–07:00)

Ali reaffirms that OCD is “selling you a lie,” and though it feels real, it is not the truth.
Quote:
“You’re worrying about it for nothing. It’s selling you a lie. But the lie seems very real. But it’s still a lie.” (02:44)
Reminds listeners to submit questions or topic requests via comments, emphasizing community support and her commitment to ongoing daily content.

Notable Quotes

“The only reason [your brain] sends it to you in different ways is to create this full experience of actually scaring you, basically into a rumination.” — Ali Greymond (00:08)
“OCD package can come with thoughts, with images, with feelings, with urges. It is all part of the same thing.” (00:55)
“The urge to figure it out is just OCD. Don’t do it, don’t get into it. That’s your job in all of this, is that when these thoughts come in, you are actively refusing reaction, no matter how real it feels.” (01:55)
“No, it makes you a person who has OCD. This is how OCD behaves as a package of OCD. So try to look at it this way. Don’t buy into what it’s trying to sell you. It’s selling you a lie.” (02:16)

Segment Timestamps

00:00–01:20: Introduction — Debunking the difference between feelings, urges, and thoughts in OCD
01:21–02:40: The “OCD package” concept and why analyzing doesn’t help
02:41–04:10: The principle of disregarding all intrusive content, regardless of its form
04:11–05:30: Addressing listener doubts and normalizing symptoms
05:31–07:00: Final encouragements, community engagement, and wrap-up

Summary Takeaway

Ali Greymond’s core message is clear: Whether your OCD presents as thoughts, urges, or feelings, all forms serve the same OCD mechanism and should be treated with the same strategy—disengagement and refusing to react or analyze. By embracing the idea of the “OCD package” and refusing to dissect or personalize intrusive experiences, listeners can make meaningful progress toward recovery.

Transcript

A (0:00)

Hi, everyone, I'm Ali Graymond. Today I wanted to talk to you about the difference between OCD thoughts versus OCD urges, OCD feelings. And really the difference is that there is no difference. You have to treat it as the same thing. Doesn't matter how your brain sends you the thought, the only difference, the only reason sends it to you in different ways, is to create this full experience of actually scaring you, basically into a rumination. So it creates the storyline that you told it to create. So if you said, I'm afraid of a red balloon, you're going to get all the feelings that are associated with it. If you're saying, I'm afraid of what? If I want to kill someone, it's going to give you all the urges, as if you want to go and kill someone. All the thoughts, urges, feelings. I feel like I actually want to do this. I feel the urge to do this. So OCD mimics whatever it is that you're afraid of in terms of feelings. They're not true feelings, they're not true urges, they're not. None of this is true. It's just mimicking to get you to do rumination or compulsions. That's all it's trying to do. So you have to look at it as, this is an OCD package. OCD package can come with thoughts, with images, with feelings, with urges. It is all part of the same thing. I will choose not to analyze, I will choose not to try to dissect which thoughts are mine, which feelings are mine, which are not. Let me put this in this box. Let me put that. Enough. It's all the same thing. So if you're getting an urge, say like you feel like you have an urge to do something bad. Nice try. I will see you disregarding. Then you have just a feeling that you could potentially do something. Still disregarding. What if I could do something, I could physically do something. Still disregarding. However it comes in, whether it comes in is what if? Or I feel like I want to, or I actually. It feels so real, like I really feel like I want to. It's all part of the same thing. Don't buy into it, don't dissect, don't try to figure it out. That urge to figure it out is just ocd. Don't do it, don't get into it. That's your job in all of this, is that when these thoughts come in, you are actively refusing reaction, no matter how real it feels. And again, in any way, it can come in as an image, it can come in as a dream. It doesn't matter. Well, why would I have an image like this? Why would I have an urge like this? Doesn't this make me a bad person? No, it makes you a person who has ocd. Which is true. You have ocd. This is how OCD behaves as a package of ocd. So try to look at it this way. Don't buy into what it's trying to sell you. It's selling you a lie. You're worrying about it for nothing. It's selling you a lie. But the lie seems very real. But it's still a lie. I hope you find my videos helpful. Thank you so much for listening. I will be back tomorrow and it would be tomorrow is going to be the last video of 2019. Thank you so much for sticking around all year. I will be definitely doing more videos of course every single day and I'm back on track with that next year. So if you have actually any topics you would like me to specifically mention, please always leave them in the comments and and I will pick them up. I do read the comments. I can't get to all of them, but I do read them and I do pick my topics a lot from there. So if you have any topics you want me to talk about more, please mention them below. If you would like to do the recovery program I am actually working through this holiday season. I always work through holiday seasons. You can sign up as always online on youn have OCD.com thank you for watching. I will see you tomorrow.