Magical Thinking OCD: What It Is and How to Deal With It
You have to tap the light switch four times, or something bad will happen to your mom. You know logically that a light switch can't protect anyone. You tap it anyway, because what if? That could be magical thinking OCD.
By Nathan Peterson, LCSW, OCD therapistMagical thinking OCD: what is it?
Magical thinking OCD is OCD where the obsessions say that your thoughts, words, or small actions can cause or prevent something bad. The compulsions are rituals meant to keep it from happening, like counting, tapping, repeating, or avoiding certain numbers.
A big part of it is something called thought-action fusion. That's the feeling that thinking about something makes it more likely, or that having a bad thought is almost as bad as doing the bad thing. So a random thought like "what if my brother gets in a car crash" suddenly feels like it needs to be undone.
You probably know the ritual doesn't make sense. That's the frustrating part. Knowing it doesn't stop the "but what if it does?"
How does magical thinking OCD show up?
Common obsessions
- If I don't do this ritual, someone I love will get hurt or die
- Thinking a bad thought will make it come true
- Certain numbers, colors, or words are unlucky or dangerous
- If I step on a crack or skip a step, something bad will happen
- A "bad" thought has to be canceled out with a "good" one
- If I don't finish something the right way, the day will go wrong
Common compulsions
- Tapping, touching, or switching things on and off a set number of times
- Counting, or doing things in "safe" numbers
- Repeating an action until it feels "right"
- Saying a phrase, prayer, or word to cancel a thought
- Replacing a bad thought with a good image
- Avoiding unlucky numbers, words, clothes, or places
- Redoing a routine if you got interrupted
If this sounds familiar, it could be magical thinking OCD. A therapist who treats OCD can tell you for sure, and the free OCD test is a quick place to start.
Magical thinking vs. superstition
Knocking on wood or wearing a lucky shirt to a game is normal, and you forget about it a minute later. Magical thinking OCD is different. The ritual feels required, skipping it brings dread, and it takes time out of your day. It also tends to grow. One tap becomes four, and four has to be done perfectly.
How can you deal with magical thinking OCD?
The treatment with the most research behind it for OCD is exposure and response prevention, or ERP. It's a type of CBT made for OCD.
In ERP you face the fear on purpose and skip the ritual. That might mean touching the switch once and walking away. It might mean writing down an "unlucky" number, or thinking the scary thought on purpose without canceling it. The anxiety comes along. You let it be there, and over time your brain learns the ritual was never keeping anyone safe.
I know, skipping the ritual feels like you're gambling with someone's life. That feeling is the OCD. You can feel it and still not tap.
Why arguing with the thought backfires
Telling yourself "that's silly, tapping can't protect anyone" seems like it should work. With OCD it usually doesn't, because you already know that. OCD isn't asking for logic. It's asking for certainty, and there's no ritual that gives you that. You can answer the thought with "maybe, maybe not" and go on with your day.
Medication
Medications called SSRIs are often prescribed for OCD, sometimes alongside ERP. That's a conversation to have with your doctor or psychiatrist.
Pick your smallest ritual and do it one time less today. Three taps instead of four. Notice the "what if" and let it sit there. (Nothing bad happened? OCD will say you got lucky. Let it say that too.)
If you want help building the whole plan, that's what Master Your OCD is for.
Common questions about magical thinking OCD
Is magical thinking OCD a real type of OCD?
It isn't a separate diagnosis, but it's a common way OCD shows up. It's OCD where the compulsions are superstitious rituals meant to stop something bad from happening, and the treatment is the same ERP used for other types.
What is thought-action fusion?
It's the feeling that thinking something makes it more likely to happen, or that thinking about something bad is almost as bad as doing it. It's a big part of magical thinking OCD, and it's why a random thought can feel so urgent.
Is magical thinking OCD the same as superstition?
Not quite. Knocking on wood and forgetting about it is normal. With OCD, the ritual feels required, it takes up time, and skipping it brings real dread. People with magical thinking OCD usually know it doesn't make sense. They do it anyway because the "what if" feels too big.
Do kids get magical thinking OCD?
Yes. Kids might need to touch things a certain number of times, say goodnight in a certain way, or avoid certain numbers or colors so something bad won't happen to a parent. Kids Master OCD walks kids and parents through treatment together.
