Can anyone share some advice on mental compulsions? I feel like I’m doing them before I notice I’m doing them (comparing, mental reviewing, reassurance, ruminating). I’m just starting ERP but I don’t know how I’m ever gonna get better if I keep doing them before I realize it ughhh help
Not an expert, and I'm starting ERP soon, but I've found stopping them as you notice them is a good step, and I've found the more I interrupt or change the compulsion as I go the less they arise. Not to say it never comes back, but it's impact lessons
As above. Awareness is good and the first step. Try to pay no mind and make light of them. For example I might roll my eyes and say ohhh this again… then carry on with what I’m doing. Or, I might say you’re being creepy, it’s absurd, time to let it go…. A big part of this is actually carrying on with whatever you were doing and allowing your natural calming processes to do their job, and thusly redirecting your thoughts.
I’m not an expert but this may be a question to ask your therapist. As I understand it, If you’re comparing/reviewing/reassuring/ruminating on your thoughts, then those are compulsions. Part of erp is to let the thoughts be and not engage them. Not to offer you reassurance but ruminating can be tricky but not impossible to catch yourself doing. And if you’re just starting, please don’t be hard on yourself. It takes relentless practice, I think even for the veterans. I’m no veteran, I just make a point to practice on daily basis. Hope this helps you. You got this!!!
Thank you guys. This was really helpful!
If I'm understanding ERP correctly, it's not doing ANYTHING that would help soothe you, right? In my case I'll have a thought > usually I'll have my husband check things for me, if no-one is around to check things for me, I'll say to myself (in my head or out-loud) "I would never do xyz" "I didn't even get up from where I was, if I did I would've remembered walking to and from" (just examples). These are all compulsions, right? So I can't even mentally soothe myself. If I'm going to do ERP correctly, how do y'all stop the mental compulsions?
So I’m starting therapy this week but I’ve been trying to use ERP myself, my main compulsion is rumination which I wasn’t even aware was a compulsion. I’m trying to do ERP but when I focus on observing the thought it goes, I dunno if I’m focusing too much on actually how to follow ERP or is this normal? I feel like I might be subconsciously blocking thoughts because I know how bad it is when I go down the rabbit hole, but then I also worry that the anxiety goes too quickly and that I’m finding it too easy to ignore the thought?
Does anyone else here struggle with mental compulsions? I have harm ocd and I have been doing ERP for a while now and I have given up all of my compulsions (on good days) but notice my mental compulsions are almost instant.. so hard to stop. I would say I am about 80% better than when I was in the thick of it (worst ocd spike I’ve ever had in my life). I KNOW I would be in remission by giving them up. Can anyone share some of their mental compulsions and how they stop them? I notice mine are comparing myself to other people saying they don’t have this issue, what would they do if they were alone, thinking my way out of a situation as soon as I am triggered (my biggest compulsion is avoidance), thinking of different safety precautions.. etc. I would love any feedback 🤍
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