Hi all! I’m fairly new to ERP (October 2021) & I’ve realized that and starting therapy is making this relapse last longer than the previous. My question is, does anyone monitor their thought process throughout the day to avoid ruminating? If so, is that a compulsion? I don’t know how to undo that but that’s how I can limit or stop ruminating. Thanks!

Thank you for your support and answers! I hope your recovery journey is going well :)

Hi! I mainly struggle with SOOCD and then developed ROCD, after I started therapy (because I read into it and was aware of the theme).

Thanks! I do plan on asking her today :) just wondering how others are dealing when it come to managing their rumination.

@WhyMe? I find it hard to deal with ruminating because I often don't notice I'm doing it. What did you mean with "monitoring your thought process)?

@k-low Rumination is definitely hard to catch & it’s definitely the biggest compulsion I have. Hmm it’s kinda hard to explain so let me try my best. It feels like I’m living inside my head, watching all of my thoughts. I notice all of my thoughts, from morning to night. There are very brief moments of my day when I don’t remember my OCD, hence those normal thoughts comes and goes. Since therapy I just notice my thoughts more, I remember my subtypes/OCD and that causes me to be on the lookout to not ruminate. It’s hard to explain and because of that, I’m not sure if anyone else also experiences it.

Can you explain on what you mean by “but it could also mean that you’re giving in to them more than you thought you are”?

@WhyMe? Hmn I feel like watching out for them can also be tricky. Are you doing specific exposures aswell? Like I'll sit down with my worst thoughts and full on agree with it. Sit down and wait until I don't feel anxious anymore. And then do it again. Maybe noticing is a Form of compulsion for you? Maybe start agreeing with them? (but talk to your therapist!) Sometimes what I do is when I notice a thought is coming i try to stop myself before i finished the thought. So when the feeling of a thought comes i just stop mid sentence and try to move on.

@WhyMe? I feel like maybe monitoring and noticing might be a form of compulsion, especially if you're noticing and then reacting to the noticing with anxiety.

@k-low It is definitely tricky! I am doing exposures & even have the worst case loop tape. I think my problem is not being able to agree with those thoughts because I know it’s untrue. I suffer from SOOCD :/ Ooh I also stop myself mid sentence too! I feel those thoughts or questions coming & stopping them. That shouldn’t be a compulsion because you’re stopping yourself from ruminating. I’ll definitely ask my therapist tonight. It might be my last session and I’m nervous 😬

@k-low My anxiety is definitely low or it’s less frequent compared to before. My therapist did say monitoring is a compulsion but I seriously don’t know how to stop that because to stop means I have stop looking for answers.. which I’m guilty of being unable to do.

@WhyMe? Ahhh there you have it. You're monitoring because you're trying to find answers. Then stop monitoring. Do absolutely nothing when it comes. Don't agree, don't avoid, don't monitor... Nothing. Allow it to be as scary as it wants to be, and continue doing whatever u were doing. But yeah, again ask your therapist pls!