Struggling today
Hey guys, I’m really struggling right now. I’m trying to study for a final and then all of the sudden I got hit with intrusive thoughts and now I’m dealing with a lot of compulsions. I’m not doing some of them but it’s getting hard not to. The thoughts won’t stop and it’s getting bad. Any support would be great. Thanks
I believe in you. It’s totally alright to take a step back and just rest for a bit, make sure you’re eating well, exercise or spend time with loved ones. OCD can be draining and during finals we really need to recover before studying. Ofc, while we don’t wanna engage w thoughts or make relaxation techniques a compulsion (as I recently learned), it’s also important to take care of our body when we are in stressful situations so we don’t wear out. Best of luck dear you got this!
@bumblebee_bumbling This was super helpful. Thank you!
Studying and passing probably matters most to you. OCD is taking you away from that goal and it's awesome you're doing your best to resist the compulsions. Notice if you're trying to avoid/escape some anxiety. Can you approach that anxiety a bit and challenge yourself to push through? PS I love @bumblebee_bumbling's idea to take a walk. Sometimes we need to get energy out if sitting too long.
@NOCD Therapist - Alessandra R. Thank you for your support. I appreciate it.
Study as you were, picture the ocd as a dancing lizard or some other funny character in the background making its noise doing its dance, while you keep studying. So when the thoughts come up just let them dance and keep on going. It is a technique in ocd treatment called thought defusion
@Baby999999 This is a great idea. That’s definitely something I’ll need to tackle with my therapist.
On days that full on ritual prevention feels too hard, it's okay to think about ritual reduction or imperfection. Can you scale back on the rituals rather than needing to perfectly resist all of them? Can you shift your focus to re-engage with your values? It sounds like school is very important to you!
@Addie976 If you wanna connect we can!
Thanks everyone for the support. ❤️
How do y’all deal with I’m going to intrusive thoughts? I’m struggling!
Anyone have any tips for intrusive thought and ruminating. Hope everyone is doing good tonight. Keep fighting.
Hey everyone, I’m really struggling with intrusive thoughts and sometimes images. How does everyone cope with this? Is there anything I can try, I’m trying to accept them but each time I do, I feel like terrible person. It’s getting the better of me lately n it’s like I have a massive weight on my chest n all I feel is guilt for having these thoughts. Any help would really be appreciated
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