Is mindfulness harmful for OCD? I was thinking about buying a mindfulness journal book but it talks about writing down how you are feeling a lot. Since OCD sufferers are too obsessed with how we feel, would this be counterproductive?
No, Therapists always suggest mindfulness to get better. You don’t need a mindfulness journal to practice it though because writing stuff down can turn into a compulsion. Practicing mindfulness is about staying in the present moment. Every time you notice you’re drifting away, bring yourself back to the present and whatever you were doing. Thinking about the past or future or “what’s if” do you no good; focusing on the here and now is.
Thank you so much.
I absolutely agree with Nica. You can try to listen to some guided meditations on YT because they often discuss mindfulness too. They really helped me a lot with intrusive thoughts.
Hi there Itsheathersocd. In general, practicing mindfulness is OK. The danger comes in if you are trying to use the mindfulness skills you have learned compulsively. For example, if you are very very anxious that you are sick after touching a dirty doorknob, you would NOT want to engage in a mindfulness meditation exercise to reduce the anxiety, as you want the anxiety to go away with nothing but the passage of time. However, just practicing mindfulness as a general skill can be quite helpful, as it can help you to become more aware of your thoughts (including the intrusive ones). I hope that distinction was clear enough. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have surrounding it.
my therapist recommended i write down an anxiety producing thought and then write a rational counter-statement to that thought. the thing is i fear that wont that only fuel my OCD? i asked my therapist this and they said that i should still try it because i have to teach myself to believe rational thoughts. what should i do? a lot of what i learned about OCD is to not give it power or attention but wont this give it attention?
What do you guys write for journaling? If I write down my ocd thoughts it will act as reassurance and I don’t want that. Any tips?
Hi, is journaling good for OCD? I would love to journal but obviously don’t want to feed into my rumination. Any tips would be helpful, thanks.
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