Ughlmao
- Date posted
- 3y
MaximumCarnageMaximumCarnage
- Date posted
- 3y
It won’t always be like this. I graduated this month and feel like I didn’t deserve my degree but I know in the future that I’ll be proud of my hard work. With the “this doesn’t matter” thoughts I just tell myself “well I’m stuck here anyway so I’m gonna have fun” and that’s the best thing I’ve taught myself. My ocd has gotten a lot better but it took years for me to get to this point. Just remember to take care of yourself, someday you will realize it’s all ok and worth it. You are worth it ans I’m proud of you for getting into your first choice! That’s sick!
UghlmaoUghlmao
- Date posted
- 3y
Thank you so much, this has really helped. I’m just so tired of these thoughts :(
CaptainKierkegaardCaptainKierk...
- Date posted
- 3y
Are you in ERP therapy? I can tell you that the only way to nip this is to practice not ruminating. I had a similar obsession about determinism for a while and then, when my views changed, I was terrified of the freedom and agency that I felt I had and that I was making the wrong choices. No matter your philosophy, OCD will make it all suck. Remember that and it will help you address the OCD and not the obsession. Your rumination compulsion is the reason these things intrude on you living your life.
UghlmaoUghlmao
- Date posted
- 3y
Thank you sm. I am in ERP therapy but idk if it’s just not working or I’m just not putting in the effort for exposure. We’re starting small but If an exposure ends up involving me reading things like “proof that free will does not exist” or “proof that there is no life after death” I don’t think I could handle it.
CaptainKierkegaardCaptainKierk...
- Date posted
- 3y
@Ughlmao It can be really tough. I have an exposure coming up that I’m worried about. Talk to your therapist and be honest if you don’t feel ready for something. But the same tools you use for the smaller fears work for the bigger ones, but you have to keep at it. If I may, though, rumination is a little unlike the other compulsions because it’s incredibly easy and standard ERP messaging can even initiate rumination. I have found that Michael Greenberg’s approach helps the most: https://drmichaeljgreenberg.com/how-to-stop-ruminating/ But if you are caught in a rut with ruminating, you can use standard ERP messaging, e.g. “maybe there is no free will” and try and let that be the final word on it. I also find that when you’re already stuck in a rumination, ACT approaches can help. This involves what are called thought defusion exercises which reframe the thought with a different emotional subtext. An example would be putting your thoughts into a single sentence and singing that sentence to the tune of happy birthday in your head. Then you practice being mindful of the thought and accepting that you are having it. The last step is that you take some valued action. Do something that matters to you. The goal is to stop all compulsions, so I would beware of using that too much (Michael Greenberg doesn’t like ACT because he sees it as liable to become compulsion), but I have really found it to help at times. The best medicine is really just to stop ruminating, but sometimes that’s very difficult and it takes practice.
UghlmaoUghlmao
- Date posted
- 3y
@CaptainKierkegaard For sure, thank you so incredibly much for this, it’s so helpful. I will definitely talk to my therapist about it. :)
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- Date posted
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- Date posted
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