Colorful analogies aside, many people find it tremendously reassuring (and surprising) just to recognize that these thoughts can be a form of OCD. my favorite book for patients is this one by Lee Baer, a bit outdated on the science but the clinical discussion is right on: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0452283078

Yes! Exposure-response therapy [1] has been by far the best treatment I have received. It's scary and painful, because it literally forces you to draw the anxiety out and face your darkest fears head-on without compulsions, but it's the only evidence-based treatment for OCD currently out there. I'm already noticing I'm getting my "mind" back, learning that scary thoughts are just thoughts, and I don't need to battle with them for hours.

There's definitely an element of learning mindfulness that's key too. Learning to accept the uncertainty of random "terrible" thoughts that pop into your head, learning to not engage with them and letting them pass, etc.

I recommend two books: The Imp of the Mind by Dr. Lee Baer [2] and The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD by Jon Hershfield and Tom Corboy [3]

[1] https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/treatment/erp/

[2] https://www.amazon.com/Imp-Mind-Exploring-Epidemic-Obsessive...

[3] https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Workbook-OCD-Overcoming-C...

There is a book about this: The Imp of the Mind

http://www.amazon.com/Imp-Mind-Exploring-Epidemic-Obsessive/...