It’s all about sitting with the discomfort of uncertainty until that habit becomes natural and it no longer feels uncomfortable. Through this technique, now when I get a “what if” thought, I tell myself “maybe it’s true, maybe it’s not.” And I don’t give the thought any weight. I acknowledge it, give it a little wave and let it pass through. That’s the only way forward. You can’t run from the thoughts, you can’t hold onto them and try to seek resolution, you just have to accept them. Don’t ask yourself “what does this mean?” “Is this really how I feel and what I want?” Acknowledge the thought, sit with the discomfort and try to resist giving it power. The goal is to let it pass through you. It’s ok if it keeps popping back up – just don’t give it any weight. When I get an OCD thought, I acknowledge it and in my head say “maybe, maybe not.” If you do this, most of the time you’ll find that the worry and guilt passes. It’s when you participate in rituals that you actually give the thoughts weight. I never thought I’d get to the place I’m at today, but I did by using these techniques. And this can be your future too!!! You’re not crazy, you just have OCD. Sending love and strength your way <3 IT REALLY DOES GET BETTER
Thank you so much !!!!!!!! That really did help put me back into perspective but i guess its just because sometimes i actually have the physical symptoms of like feeling crazy and unreal basically it feels like im high 24/7 like high on weed or smtg and it really sucks but i get what ure saying and ill push through!!!
Get some meds they are miraculous. You are not crazy your mind is just running too much. In the summer I didn't exist because of ocd I was a different person I had severe ocd depression to the point of thinking I was schizophrenic. Don't leave it untreated! Take meds and trust me one day you LL wake up in the morning and you LL be able to smile
i got advised to start taking prozac but i told them i wanna wait abit more longer to see if i can rather just manage with other techniques but i do understand that meds make alot of difference!!! Its just so hard and scary for me. If u dont mind me asking.. what meds are u on ?
@BHDK You have no idea how much terrified I was but I won't tell you because I don't want you to imitate me 😂 I was going crazy and I was super scared!!!!! And my sick mind was sure that what I needed was Zoloft. And my doc prescribed Zoloft (sertraline).150 mg. One day I woke up and smiled! I was in a very very dark place. Take meds!! You deserve it! ♥️
@BHDK Oh I remember yelling at my friends who were dragging me to the psychiatrist's office that I need time and I could maybe do sth else to combat my ocd. But guess what. It was a fake defense mechanism that made me think that I could get over ocd all bymyself. And that because I was sooooo scared to take meds. But I had hit rock bottom. I was sick. My mind was lying all the time. I knew I needed meds and you know it too. It's not in our hands, it's biochemistry in our brains and We can't control it it's a disease. Take meds !Don't leave it more eat your life ! One day you LL wake up happy again I promise
@BHDK Oh and another thing. You may need to wait for a few weeks to notice any improvement or maybe the specific Medicine might not suit you. Before Zoloft I was taking a different medicine which didn't help a lot and I was also allergic to it. So don't get disappointed if something won't suit you and you may need to change meds. Trust science. It will help you so much!
I always thought if you don't give in to the unwanted thoughts and emotions, you won't build up a tolerance to them. And often, if I don't give the thoughts any weight, they come back stronger which makes me think they're true, since not giving that weight causes temporary reassurance.
i relate!!!!! my thoughts become 10x stronger when i try to say stuff like maybe maybe not and thats when i feel defeated and feel like the ocd is taking over me. And sometimes i get extreme physical symptoms too like the world turning around me and i just feel absolutely unreal. But i learnt the only way to truly get out of this is to hold on and dont give in no matter how strong the thoughts are and i know more than anything that, thats easier said than done but id love to give u some encouraging words!!! hold on! Ull get there one day theres always light at the end of the tunnel :)
I’m not advocating for or against medication – I’m just telling you things from my perspective. I used to be on Zoloft for 8 years and it didn’t do anything for me. The only answer I found to combat my OCD was seeing a CBT therapist specializing in OCD who taught me exposure therapy. Medication for OCD can probably work wonders for certain people depending on their circumstances. But I’d imagine it would have to be paired with cognitive behavioral therapy. And if you ever wanted to go off of medication one day, you’ll have developed habits to help combat your OCD on your own. Which is such an amazing feeling. I also sometimes feel like I’m going crazy during a panic attack and I’ll experience detealization – that feeling of being high you described. It sucks and it’s so terrifying. But the more you obsess about it and worry it will happen, the more likely you are to bring it on. The fear for me was “what if this is permanent? What if I can’t fall back into my reality again?” Easier said than done, but you have to accept these situations and trust that you’ll come out on the other side.
Good feedback. Why are our brains programmed to be cruel? That's the only way to describe it, I think. I mean, the more we try to push away an unwanted thought or emotion, the stronger it gets. That's cruelty. My brain hates me, basically 🙃