The Imp of The Mind by Lee Baer was a key book for me in dealing with obsessive scary thoughts. In late 2001 I got a really scary thought of hurting my wife. This began my journey in the hell of being a Pure-O, a person who suffers entirely or almost entirely from the obsessional side of a anxiety called OCD, obsessive-compulsive disorder. For the rest of 2001 and well into 2002, I searched online and in bookstores for info on OCD. I found many excellent and helpful books dealing with both aspects of OCD: the obsessions (or thoughts) and the compulsions (the post-obsession actions done to lessen the anxiety of having the thought.) But I hoped to find a book exclusively on the obsessions. My persistence (and being a pain-in-the-a$$ who wanted to get another book on OCD)

My persistence paid off. Lee Baer, a P.h.D and psychologist dealing only with Pure-O's, helped me put my mind at ease. He presents a more narrowly focused work that concentrates on those whose primary problem is disturbing thoughts. When he stated that he wasn't worried about a patient speaking of regret for having repeated violent thoughts, I became less worried. The book helped me realize that everyone has weird, violent, etc. thoughts pa$$ through their mind. The difference, for me, was that my distaste for the thought(s) caused the thought to be repeatedly played in mind.

I have copied and pasted the following from Barnes and Noble's web site because it echoes my viewpoint on this book. I say, "Buy it."

From Our Editors
The Barnes & Noble Review
Inappropriate thoughts occur to all of us. We imagine laughing at the graveside, hooting in the library, or smacking children who won't be stilled. But for some folks, these ideas emerge repeatedly, and they bring with them anguish and horror. "Bad thoughts may be about violence or sex or blasphemy and may bombard [patients] every waking hour," writes Lee Baer, Ph.D. "These bad thoughts...may cost people the most important things in their lives: Some cannot bear to be around their own children; others cannot have relationships; and others are so paralyzed they cannot perform simple everyday activities." When a person's shameful thoughts obscure the world, he or she needs help.
For example, Baer describes Father Jack, a priest beset by sexual longings. "The priest found himself staring at a woman's breasts as she walked toward him on the street," Baer writes. "He tried to avert his gaze, but...the more he tried, the more he was aware of her." Father Jack's naughty thoughts may seem like an old tale -- the priest with lust under his robes -- but, Baer explains, they are actually a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In The Imp of the Mind, Baer details the psychology underpinning these thoughts: He shows us how we become trapped by our minds and how we can be freed.

According to Baer, bad thoughts become obsessions precisely because they seem bad to us. We fear these thoughts and so suppress them too vigorously. "When [patients] first experience violent, sexual, or blasphemous thoughts, they believe there is deep down in them...an evil murderer or molester." But when patients fearfully try to vanquish their ideas, these ideas become increasingly potent. Baer notes: "Anytime we try to force ourselves not to think a particular thought, the thought is paradoxically given more energy. Further, not only are we unable to suppress the thought, but our attempt backfires by producing a rebound effect, in which the thought occurs more frequently." By running from these fiendish ideas -- these "imps of the mind," as Baer calls them -- we empower them.

The solution, then, is to face the fiends. Baer explains that his patients often cure themselves by focusing (gradually) on their most hated images. He prescribes this remedy to all his readers: "Expose yourself to the thing that most triggers your fear or discomfort for one to two hours at a time, without leaving the situation, or doing anything else to distract or comfort you." When patients face their bad thoughts straight on, Baer suggests, they often find these thoughts less threatening than they'd feared. Father Jack, for example, eased his mind simply by experiencing his sexual feelings without judgment. And Baer's other patients, too, find relief through the methods outlined in this book. The gentle, serious help in this book could work for hundreds of others who struggle with thoughts that seem out of control.

Baer's look at obsessive bad thoughts is both illuminating and useful. For those who struggle with obsessions, The Imp of the Mind provides revelations and guidance.

--Jesse Gale


From the Publisher
In The Imp of the Mind, a leading expert on obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) explores a hidden epidemic that afflicts millions of Americans. In the first book to fully examine obsessive bad thoughts, Dr. Lee Baer combines the latest research with his own extensive experience in treating this widespread syndrome. Drawing on information ranging from new advances in brain technology to pervasive social taboos, Dr. Baer explores the root causes of bad thoughts, why they can spiral out of control, and how to recognize the crucial difference between harmless and dangerous bad thoughts.


From The Critics
Publisher's Weekly
Specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder, psychologist Baer (an associate professor at Harvard) turns the spotlight on a little-known but common form of obsession, "bad thoughts." According to Baer, these "intrusive" thoughts fall into a few basic types: violent, sexual and blasphemous words, and images of a religious nature. Borrowing from Edgar Allan Poe, Baer blames such mental torment on "the imp of the perverse," that little devil inhabiting all human minds, cross-culturally and across time, "who makes you think the most inappropriate thoughts at the most inappropriate times." For most people, the imp proves no more than a "fleeting annoyance" most of the time, but for Baer's patients, these impish thoughts create extreme fear, guilt and worry. Attempting to suppress them only makes them stronger, leading the afflicted to avoid places, people and situations that provoke them. A new mother who obsessively thinks about harming her infant, for example, may increasingly avoid daily caretaking activities. Tending to be perfectionist and "overly conscientious," these people are highly unlikely ever to act on their bad thoughts, Baer explains. The most successful treatment, he says, involves desensitizing individuals by increasingly (and safely) exposing them to the situations that provoke their "bad thoughts"; cognitive therapy is also helpful for many patients. Finally, such prescription drugs as serotonin reuptake inhibitors, like Prozac, have also proved highly effective in the treatment of this disorder. With an easy-to-read style, Baer offers a comprehensive and accessible look at this fascinating topic. (Jan. 15) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Informatio

You know...I've never read this book! Although I have overcome my obsessions....I would still love to read this....Thanks for bringing it up!
I will check my library..

I would love to get this book.
It seems that all anxieties can be dealt with in the same way, by facing our scary thoughts and by not trying to run from them.
All of us on this forum have particular thoughts that scare us. And what I am learning is that the more attention we give to these thoughts, the longer they remain alive in our minds. It is so true that we reinforce our fears when we give them creedence.
I know I have told you before about the blasphemous thoughts that have run through my mind. I was so horrified by these thoughts, that they were imprinted into my mind to where they were impossible to extinguish. I used to ask God to forgive me everytime they went through my mind. Before I could finish my prayer, the thought would flash again and I would feel compelled to confess it again. It was a living hell.
Finally, I just had to let it go. I no longer ask forgiveness. It just doesn't matter anymore. The fear has lessened, and I dont feel controlled by the thoughts anymore. Ther are many other thoughts that scare me still, and I know that I can use the same principle to get past these.
Extinction of the fear by not REACTING.
Thanks,
Joe

Sunset34,
Glad you find this interesting.

Thiefonthecross,
Here is the link at Barnes and Noble for the book.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=2Y8Y0MF2 CV&isbn=0452283078&itm=2

I remember you telling me about the blasphemous thoughts.

quote:

Finally, I just had to let it go. I no longer ask forgiveness. It just doesn't matter anymore. The fear has lessened, and I dont feel controlled by the thoughts anymore. Ther are many other thoughts that scare me still, and I know that I can use the same principle to get past these.

This is such wonderful news! I am truly so for you.

By the way: You did a great job in "The Passion." LOL.

Thanks 2 Cor.,
Yea, I guess the only diff. between me and the real thief is that he said "Remember me" once,
While I have said ten thousand times, "Oh please God, forgive me just this one more time, and I promise I will try to be good enough to be saved by grace".
Thanks.....
Joe...the faux thief

Thief,

quote:

Joe...the faux thief