- Date posted
- 6y ago
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Well, first of all, that really sucks, and I sympathize. :( So I’m no expert, but from what I’ve learned, by trying to push the thought away or engage/argue with it, it’ll only come back even stronger, so even if the thought causes you a lot of distress and anxiety, letting it sit on its own until your mind gets bored of it and it goes away on its own is the way to go. It’s really hard at first, but eventually it’ll stop bothering you as much, or at least that’s been my personal experience. So not arguing with it, or ignoring it, just saying okay... you’re there, I acknowledge you. I hope this helps.
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Of course! For me, accepting the thought as it is and not arguing with it really helps after a while. I just have to remind myself to accept uncertainty.
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Yeah I think my issue in the past was I would always convince myself “you would never do ______”...so whenever the thoughts would come back the anxiety would be just as bad......now I’m trying to say “Hell man there are no guarantees so maybe your thoughts could in some way reflect reality, but it’s the human condition...shit is weird, don’t let it get you down” In the short term it’s not as effective as the compulsions but hopefully the grim acceptance will keep the spikes from coming back so strong
- Date posted
- 6y ago
OCD thought like an obsession, or a specific intrusive thought?
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Specific intrusive thought :(
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Thank you so much. Its hard when its a harm thought towards myself. I know i dont want to do it because i have so much to live for and im so much smarter then these thoughts but its just hard and makes me dizzy from trying to push it away..
- Date posted
- 6y ago
I have no intentions of doing anything so stupid but i just wish my brain would be quiet. Lol
- Date posted
- 6y ago
I'm going to try that and see if i can just coexist with it! Clearly me arguing with it to stop isnt helping lol
- Date posted
- 6y ago
One step at a time..
- Date posted
- 6y ago
You got this!
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Oh, maybe try Headspace too? It’s a meditation app. I thought there was no way it would work for me because of my anxiety but it’s actually really calming most of the time and it helps me with my intrusive thoughts.
Related posts
- Date posted
- 20w ago
When an intrusive thought comes I can’t just say “that’s not true” and just move on. I always feel like I have to disprove the thought and be able to say it with confidence but the problem is that the ocd doesn’t allow me to feel and say it with confidence so I get stuck for hours or even days. How can I stop feeling like I need to do this?
- Date posted
- 12w ago
I started dealing with OCD when I became fixated on health issues, particularly the fear of contracting a life-threatening disease. If I experienced any kind of medical symptom, no matter how small, that even remotely hinted at something potentially fatal, it would drive me crazy, and I couldn’t stop obsessing over it. Then one day, I started having intrusive thoughts about accidentally hitting someone with my car, and I would end up driving in circles to check if I had. Eventually, I found myself overwhelmed by a flood of new obsessive thoughts and compulsions. One day, while I was at the park, a squirrel came near me, and for some reason, I felt like it attacked me. I Googled it and learned that squirrels could carry rabies, which spiraled me into a deep fear of rabies. I became consumed with the thought I received a bite from a squirrel, raccoon, or bat any time I’m in areas that trigger me. It started off only being inside then transferred to even being in my own home. This made me obsess over every physical sensation in my body, compulsively checking to make sure nothing was wrong. One compulsion that I hated the most would to be putting rubbing alcohol on me to make sure that I had no open wounds. Every day feels like I’m walking around in a fog of anxiety, constantly worrying that I won’t even make it to old age. Sometimes, it gets so overwhelming that I just want it all to end. It stresses me so bad at times to where my brain feels like I’ve been studying all day.
- Date posted
- 12w ago
OK, this might sound really dumb, but when you guys get intrusive thoughts, do they just come once and then go away? I’ve heard that repeatedly thinking about an intrusive thought is considered ‘checking,’ but it doesn’t feel like I have any control over how many times it comes up in my head. It’s not like I’m trying to check anything—it just keeps showing up, almost like it’s terrorizing me every time. I can’t seem to stop it from looping, stop remembering it, or prevent it from coming up. Every time it does, I feel horrified, and I already know it’s going to horrify me. I don’t think I’m actively trying to see if my feelings have changed, so is this still considered checking? How do other people get an intrusive thought and just move on? Doesn’t it pop up a million times for them too? I always thought that was normal, but now I’m hearing this could be a compulsion, and I feel really confused, scared, and lost. Is this why my OCD feels so extreme? Because I really don’t feel like I can control how many times the thought pops up.
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