Tricks and Cheats of OCD from I-CBT

OCD is a sneaky bastard. It doesn’t always show up like the stereotype of someone checking a lock or washing their hands over and over. Sometimes it’s way more subtle. It hijacks your brain, pulls you into doubt, and convinces you to do all kinds of mental gymnastics just to feel “sure” or “safe.”

If you’re familiar with I-CBT (Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), you know it looks at how OCD tricks you into believing the obsession in the first place. This is allllll about doubt. And once that doubt sets in, OCD pulls out its bag of dirty tricks.

Let’s break down some of the common “tricks and cheats” OCD uses to trap you in the loop, with examples to make it all feel a little more real.

11 Tricks & Cheats

1. Mismatching

This one’s like, “Well, it happened somewhere, so that means it could happen here too.”

• My neighbor once left their garage open and got robbed. I could do that too.

• People have died in their sleep before. What if I go to bed and never wake up?

OCD loves to use other people’s stories, or even your own past, to convince you the same thing will happen again, even when the context is totally different.

2. Reverse Reasoning

OCD starts with a basic fact, then jumps to a wild-ass conclusion.

• Lots of people have eaten at this table, therefore, it’s dirty.

• I had a dream about someone else. That must mean I don’t love my partner.

• My heart is racing, so I must be having a panic attack or something is wrong with me.

It takes something small and twists it into meaning something scary or moral.

3. Out of Context Facts

This is OCD cherry-picking facts that sound convincing but don’t actually apply.

• Germs can be airborne, so it’s possible I’m dirty.

• There are serial killers out there. What if I’m one of them?

The fact might be true in general, but the application is way off. You’re not a walking CDC warning or a secret sociopath just because a scary fact exists.

4. Going Deep

This is when OCD convinces you that if you just think harder or research more, you’ll finally get clarity.

• What if my water is contaminated? Maybe I should get it tested.

• I feel weird. Maybe I’m dissociating. I’ll Google every symptom of psychosis to find out.

Instead of getting answers, you spiral deeper into your imagination. It feels productive, but it's a trap.

5. Living the Fear

OCD gets so convincing, you actually feel it in your body.

• What if I’m sick? Now my throat feels scratchy and I feel nauseous. It must be true.

• I think I might be a terrible person. I’m so anxious, that must mean I did something wrong.

The emotion becomes evidence. But feelings aren’t facts, even when they scream really loudly.

6. Let's Discuss It (aka Rumination)

If OCD had a favorite pastime, it would be rumination. It loves long internal debates.

• If I think about it more, I can figure this out.

• Am I in love? Let me analyze every moment of our relationship right now.

• What if I don’t actually have OCD and I’m just making this up? Time to review all my symptoms again.

You’re not “discussing” to get clarity. You’re trying to feel certain and OCD knows it.

7. Maybe This Time

OCD: “Sure, I’ve been wrong before. But THIS time... yeah, this time I’m probably right.”

• This door might actually be unlocked, for real.

• I’ve never hit someone with my car, but what if this time I did and didn’t realize it?

It always feels like this doubt is different and deserves more attention. It’s not.

8. Maybe Later

This is OCD’s time-delayed threat.

• If I don’t do this ritual, something bad might happen… maybe not now, but in the future.

• I didn’t double-check the car lock. What if someone breaks in next week?

The consequence is always waiting just around the corner. It’s like future-you is always being threatened.

9. Double Jeopardy

This one sucks you into a compulsive loop. You do what OCD asks... and then OCD says, “Oops, you messed it up. Try again.”

• I checked the oven, but what if I bumped the knob and turned it on? Better check again.

• I told my partner “I love you,” but what if I sounded unsure? I should say it again just right.

You’re stuck in a cycle of trying to get it perfect, but perfect never comes.

10. Testing It Out

This is when OCD dares you to “prove” you’re safe... and then uses the test against you.

• I’m not sure I’m attracted to women. Let me stare at pictures to check my reaction.

• I had a violent thought. Let me hold a knife and see how I feel.

You think you’re getting evidence to disprove the fear, but OCD turns even the test into more doubt.

11. Distrusting the Senses

This is the heart of OCD. It makes you stop trusting your eyes, ears, gut, and sometimes even your memory.

• I can see the coffee maker is off, but what if I didn’t look right?

• I know I’m not attracted to that person, but what if I will be later?

• It looks fine, but what if I missed something offensive in that message?

When you can’t trust your own perception, everything becomes up for debate and OCD looooooves that.

Final Thoughts

These tricks don’t always look like fear, they look like logic, curiosity, safety, even responsibility. But they all come from doubt. That’s the core of OCD. I-CBT helps you name these tricks for what they are.

Once you see them, you can say, “Oh, I know this move. I see you, OCD.” And instead of falling for the story again, you can choose to step out of the loop. Awareness is the first step. The next step? Practice. You’ll mess up sometimes. That’s okay, just do it anyway.

**Information adapted from: icbt.online and O’Connor, K., & Aardema, F. (2012). Clinician’s handbook for obsessive compulsive disorder: Inference-based therapy. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.