Unable to gauge whether I'm experiencing distress.

Sounds stupid, but I'm going somewhere with this.

I am considering seeking treatment, because, regardless of whether I have OCD, I am aware that I have an "unwanted thought -> action taken -> momentary relief -> thought comes back -> more action taken -> momentary relief -> thought comes BACK" cycle. However, everything I see about OCD keeps talking about "distress". I don't understand what this means or how this is supposed to be felt? If the distress isn't there, is this just normal thought? To illustrate, some examples from my daily life.

ONE: There is a historically significant landmark in my city where many people died. I try to avoid this place, because it causes me great anxiety. When I am there, I feel as though people are blaming me for it. I feel the strong need to say "I didn't do it". This is stupid, because it is physically impossible for me to have done it. Nevertheless, I have to say it. NOT saying it keeps me on edge, enough that police officers in the area have looked at me strangely. I have found workarounds, like constructing elaborate phone conversations where my roommate is blaming me for something, and I get to respond "That's not my fault, I didn't do it" over and over without raising suspicion. So it works, mostly. Helps that I do not have to be around the place very often.

TWO: I am walking around in public. I get a thought of something that proves I'm a bad person. I say, out loud, no idea why "I'm a bad person". This continues, sometimes. This actually mirrors something my father would do for my whole life, where he would randomly wince and say "Shame on you! Shame on you!". So that is possibly just natural behavior.

THREE: I am living my life. I get graphic illegal evil thought. This thought may or may not be my fault. I really don't know. Not knowing bothers me, and I either say "I'm a bad person" and try to accept that I am an evil person, or I try to find ways to "prove" the thought isn't mine. This happens regularly but it really doesn't disrupt my schedule. This is just a part of life.

As you can see, the "distress" really isn't there, even though the cycle exists. But does the fact that the cycle exists NECESSARILY imply distress? I am just confused, because I keep reading about "distress" while looking up treatment, and I do not understand how to proceed if the distress is not there. Am I misreading the term?