How the Choice to Act on a Harm Related Thought is Influenced by Need, Desire, and Value

Many OCD sufferers experience difficulties with harm-related thoughts. The content of these thoughts revolves around questions about whether they will someday ‘lose control’ or ‘snap’ and do something horrible to someone they know or a stranger. As Dr. Jonathon Grayson, author of Freedom From OCD, would often say- if you can imagine it then it is possible. Of course, any one of us could lose control and kill our family. We would have no control over this situation, but would have to manage after we return to consciousness. However, there is one important factor to consider- you have no control. Many OCD sufferers fear a complete loss of control. Those with harm and pedophilic thoughts have a belief that their thoughts will challenge both their values and desires and force them to act. I write this article to give further insight on how thoughts do not influence choice and choice is largely influenced by desire, value and need.

As mentioned above we are all at risk of suddenly having a psychotic break and doing something horrible to the people around us. What is important to note is that the episode is influenced by a loss of control. There isn’t a choice to be made in losing control- it happens and then we are left picking up the pieces after the fact. Very similarly, many people could lose control of their car, kill many people and are left having to deal with what would come after that. Bad things happen to good people sometimes. When it comes to thoughts pertaining to the loss of control as mentioned above it can happen without consciousness but it’s important to note that within consciousness it requires a choice. Your thoughts no matter how intrusive do not influence a choice. Your choice, in my professional opinion, is guided by desire, value and need. If you were to perform an action it would have to satisfy either a desire, value or need. This means that harm-related thoughts and a sudden choice to act would have to satisfy a desire to do so. Desire is defined as a wish, want or relishing. Many people who have harm-related thoughts do not want to act on them therefore it would be hard to make a choice to act in a harmful way that would satisfy desire. Value needs also to be considered when it comes to making a choice as well. Value is defined as a person’s principles or standards of behaviour. They are abstract ideals that we all consider important such as freedom, equality, helpfulness, security, and peace (Maio 2016). When it comes to need, we often make choices that go against our desires and values to satisfy some need. The choice to kill or act may come down to a need which may not be something that you desire or value. Harm-related thoughts do not influence a need or change a person's need to want to harm. Most often a person's need to harm are often related to security (i.e, war)- not because of the thought.

To summarize, for a person to act on an intrusive thought it would have to satisfy one of either desire, value or need- absent of an episode that is influenced by an actual loss of consciousness. The choice is always something you have control over and consciousness and evaluation of both desire, value and need determines your choice to act- not the harm-related thought.

Maio, G. R. (2016). The Psychology of Human Values. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis.