"Why Can’t I Just Stop?" Understanding the Stuck Signal in the OCD Brain

If you are living with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), you likely know the exhaustion of a mind that refuses to quiet down. You might find yourself checking the stove for the tenth time, even though you saw it was off two minutes ago. You might be haunted by an intrusive thought that feels completely alien to who you are, yet it repeats like a broken record.

A common and painful question often follows these moments: "Why can’t I just stop?" 

For many with OCD, this question is laden with shame. You might feel as though you are losing control, or that your inability to "just relax" is a failure of character or willpower. However, the latest clinical research tells a very different story. OCD is not a choice, nor is it a reflection of your values. Instead, it is a neurobiological experience—a "stuck error message" in the brain’s complex communication system.

At Shaw Psychology, our clinical psychologists and counsellors work to help you understand this process, moving from a place of self-blame to a place of agency.

For many, the "stuck signal" of OCD is an invisible but exhausting daily companion.

What drives the "stuck" feeling?

To understand OCD, we have to look at the brain's internal "worry circuit," known formally as the Cortico-Striato-Thalamo-Cortical (CSTC) circuit. In a brain without OCD, this circuit acts like a sophisticated home security system. When the system detects a potential threat (e.g., like a door left unlocked) it sends an alert. Once you check the door and see it is secure, the "all-clear" signal is sent, the alarm turns off, and your brain moves on to the next task.

In a brain with OCD, the "all-clear" signal never quite arrives. The alarm keeps blaring, even when you are looking directly at the locked door. This is what we mean by a stuck signal and others may refer to it as a glitch.

The Three Key Players in Your Brain’s Alarm System

There are three primary areas of the brain involved in this loop:

1. The Orbital Frontal Cortex (The "Mistake Detector"): This area is located just behind your eyes. Its job is to notice when something is wrong. In OCD, this area can become overactive, constantly "pinging" with the message that something is dangerous, dirty, or "not quite right".

   
   

2. The Basal Ganglia (The "Braking System"): This part of the brain is supposed to filter out unnecessary thoughts and stop the alarm once the problem is solved. In OCD, the "brakes" don't always engage properly. It’s as if the "cancel" button on your computer is jammed, leaving the error message frozen on the screen.

   
   

3. The Thalamus (The "Relay Station"): This station receives the signal from the detector and sends it back to the cortex, keeping the thought at the front of your mind until you perform a compulsion to find immediate but increasingly temporary relief.

Understanding the neurobiology of OCD helps move the focus from "character" to "circuitry."

How do we feel when the signal is stuck?

When these brain structures are locked in a loop, it creates an intense sense of "Inflated Responsibility". You might feel that because the obsessive thought is so loud and persistent, it must be true, or that you are personally responsible for preventing a catastrophe.

The stuck signal steals your ability to be present in your life. It interrupts dinner with your family, focus at your job in the CBD, and the simple peace of a quiet evening. The compulsions, the cleaning, the checking, the mental reviewing, are your brain’s desperate attempts to "unstuck" the signal and find safety.

The Role of Neurotransmitters: Serotonin and Glutamate

It isn't just about brain structures; it is also about the chemical messengers that help these areas talk to each other.

• Serotonin is often described as the "calming" messenger. It helps the brain's braking system work effectively.

  
  

• Glutamate is an "excitatory" messenger. In many people with OCD, there may be too much "noise" from glutamate, making the alarm system hyper-reactive.

  
  

This is why certain evidence-based medications, like SSRIs, can be helpful. They aren't "fixing" a broken person; they are providing more chemical "oil" to help the brain's braking system engage more smoothly.

The First Step You Can Take Today: Observing the Signal

While you cannot simply "will" your brain to stop sending these signals, you can change how you relate to them. One of the most powerful skills used in therapy is learning to identify the signal for what it is.

The Reflection Exercise: The next time you feel a surge of OCD-related anxiety and the urge to perform a compulsion, try this:

1. Label the Signal: Instead of saying, "I am in danger," try saying, "My brain is sending a stuck error message," or, "This is a loud, false alarm."

   
   

2. Acknowledge the Discomfort: Notice where you feel the anxiety in your body. Perhaps a racing heart or a tight chest. Tell yourself, "I am feeling the physical effects of an overactive alarm."

   
   

3. Wait for 60 Seconds: Before you do the compulsion (like checking or washing), try to sit with the discomfort for just one minute. Remind yourself that the signal is a neurobiological "glitch," not a command you must follow.

   
   

This small act of observation begins to create "Cognitive Defusion"—a distance between you and the stuck signal.

Fictional Vignette

This is a fictional vignette for illustrative purposes and does not represent a real client.

Liam, a 30-year-old software developer working in Melbourne, spent his days surrounded by code and logic. But his internal world felt increasingly chaotic. He was plagued by "Checking OCD," specifically a fear that he hadn't properly closed his professional emails, leading to a catastrophic security breach.

Liam would spend two hours every night rereading his sent folder. Externally, he looked like a perfectionist; internally; he felt like he was drowning. He knew his behaviour wasn't logical, but the "error message" in his head was so loud it felt impossible to ignore. In therapy, Liam learned about the CSTC circuit. He viewed his intrusive thoughts not as "hidden warnings" he needed to decode, but as a "stuck signal" from an overprotective brain. This shift in perspective didn't stop the thoughts immediately, but it gave him the breathing room to start the hard work of Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).

How Therapy at Shaw Psychology Can Help

Understanding the neurobiology of OCD is the first step toward reclaiming your life. At Shaw Psychology, we use this knowledge to inform an evidence-based approach to treatment.

Our clinical psychologists and counsellors use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) to help you "re-wire" these stuck signals. By gradually facing the things you fear without performing compulsions, you teach your brain's "braking system" that the alarm can be turned off without the compulsions. We provide a safe, non-judgmental space in our Melbourne CBD clinic to support you through this process, focusing on both immediate relief and long-term meaning.

Did you need help with this issue?

If you feel you are trapped in a cycle of "stuck signals" and intrusive thoughts, you do not have to navigate it alone. Our team is experienced in providing focused psychological care for OCD. You can reach out to our reception staff to ask any questions or book an initial consultation with one of our clinicians.

Booking Link: https://links.shawpsychology.com/stuck-signal-ocd-spb