I shared this in another post but I think it's something important to know. We think we are what the intrusive thoughts say. But you know what I have discovered talking to people? Everyone deals with intrusive thoughts that they wish they didn't have. That made me realize that the problem is not the thoughts that come and go but our emotional reaction to them. When I fall victim to my thoughts and compulsions is because of the meaning that I start giving them. And you know what? I'm learning to fire the interpreter. I sometimes laugh to the thoughts and say: "yeah right". We are not our thoughts. We are not anxiety. We are the individual that decides what to focus on. That's where our power lies. Not in controlling or getting rid of thoughts but in the decision to focus on something else even when OCD is screaming at us. We are and will be ok. It takes practice, time and patience but it gets better.