Fear of disfigurement... is this even OCD?

Hey everyone,

For some odd reason since the thought of disfigurement popped up in my head, and how getting severely disfigured would ruin my dream to be a respected and admired person and actor, for a long time I could not get it out of my head. 
Every time I think about taking steps to pursue my career, I think: yes, but what if I get disfigured? That would ruin everything! 

This thought makes me scared, and I just can't get it out of my head. It's totally stopping me from following my dreams. 
The thing I don't understand is WHY this thought makes me so scared. It's a total irrational fear, there are a million bad things that could happen to me and I'm not scared of those. I've never had these kind of obsessive thoughts! It could be anxiety but I just cannot find anyone with a similar fear! This one came out of nowhere...

It doesn't fit the description of any anxiety disorder... I don't think it's a phobia either because I'm not scared I'll get disfigured per se, the fear is only present when I think of pursuing a career as an actor, or how it would be like to be successfull. The thought of how getting disfigured would ruin that just pops up in my head. So now I'm thinking could this be OCD? I don't have any compulsions, neither physical or mental, but it does seem I'm obsessed with the possibility of getting disfigured. It's just so different from the symptoms most people have. You might call these thoughts about disfigurement "intrusive" but when I look up the definition of intrusive thoughts, they're thoughts about harming others or yourself, not thoughts about something bad happening to yourself...

Do you or do you know someone that has a fear similar to this one? Just out of the blue, totally irrational, that doesn't fit the description of any anxiety disorder?


Take care

Anyone?

hi tobturn,

After suffering OCD for nearly three decades I have learned that there isn't any thought that is out of bounds for OCD.

If we (our brains) are going to create an intrusive thought that is going to be obsessive it is natural that that thought will be relevant to something important in our lives (though it doesn't always have to be this way). During the most intense times with Bipolar Disorder and OCD I sought to find some peace in the time I spent with my girlfriend. Since I was suffering OCD the thoughts I would get would attack that sense of peace I sought because I was suffering OCD. Does that make sense?

I can't say what caused your anxiety or intrusive thoughts, but yes, intrusive thoughts can be created to put fear into the one thing you have high expectations for.

If it's really weighing you down, see someone to help you though this, and give you some insight as to what and why this is happening.

good luck,

Otter.

Thank you so much for your answer! After the first week of suffering from this fear I started to try and find out WHY I couldn't shake this thought, because I knew it was irrational. And since I'm religious the possibility of it being a premonition popped up in my head and made me even more terrified - what if I get disfigured if I try to become an actor? That's why I'm seeking assurance that intrusive thoughts can be aboit anything - to debunk the theory that this fear is a premonition.