- Date posted
- 6y
- Date posted
- 6y
I'm still overcoming ocd and make mistakes all the time, but the biggest things I've learnt that have significantly improved my way of life FOR ME ( May not apply to or help others and u can just skip past my comment if it doesn't) with perseverance: — I've learnt accepting uncertainty reduces the threat of fears. And if your worst fear coming true is hard to even imagine and makes you feel sooo anxious and uncomfortable, I try to accept it anyway. You can still feel confident about something not happening whilst also accepting uncertainty that it might. - Headspace app, meditating every morning (I used to think meditation was rly pointless and just a fashionable thing to do but it's genuinely helped out loads) - Learning that my thoughts aren't mine was the biggest thing, that I held no responsibility for them because they just happen without any effort or input from me. - I've learnt/learning to accept that my intrusive thoughts may never go and obsessions may come back because that comes with the uncertainty of life. - I've learnt that the more you fight your intrusive thoughts, you're giving them more attention making them more stressful and anxiety inducing. An intrusive thought loses its power over you slowly if you accept the thought and not react. - lastly I've learnt that reassurance seeking is your enemy when it comes to ocd. ALL OF THE ABOVE are easier said than done and literally took all my effort to understand and remember to practice, I slip up alllllll the time and make mistakes but I try to just carry on. When I get an intrusive thought (I'm having one right now whilst Im writing this: about sounding like I'm boasting/a know it all/annoying because I've learnt all these things hahahaha) but I just try to accept the thought and give it space in my mind to think about it but I try not to engage with it, even if I do engage with it and start wondering what it means, it's not a lost cause and I haven't ruined my whole recovery - I just try and refocus and let all the thoughts I'm experiencing sit in my mind. It can makd you feel sooooo anxious but (a bit like ERP THERAPY) eventually my brain calms itself down and I just try to move on with my day.
- Date posted
- 6y
Yes and no, wouldnt say close but def further than i have been. What i will say helps is reading up on everything and anything on OCD and help. I have so many articles, insta pages, and books that really make a huge difference
- Date posted
- 6y
I’m recovering right now but I’m not fully recovered. But some things I’ve learned are, I think looking stuff up about ocd helped me like learning what ocd is so I can get better (make sure looking stuff up doesn’t become a compulsion) Another thing I do is know that the thoughts aren’t actually what I want, they are just thoughts. I also label my thoughts like a thought will come up and I’ll say, “that’s an obsession” or “that’s a compulsion” If you label it the thought will only become obsessions and compulsions nothing else
- Date posted
- 6y
correction **** I just try to accept the thought and give it space in my mind to EXIST.
- Date posted
- 6y
@ lizard20 thank you so very much for this. I needed to hear all of that
- Date posted
- 6y
@allgood — Thank you for that insight! So on point! Blessings & love to you all ❤️
Related posts
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 19w
As a 20+ year OCD vet and OCD conqueror. I wanted to share some tips and tricks that help me. 1. A thought is not the same as a belief. You can think something, and not believe it in the slightest. 2. Thoughts DO NOT represent ANYTHING. They are not indicators to who we are as people, they are pop up ads for the brains computer. 3. We DO NOT control our thoughts! The average person has about 60,000 ( yes, 4 zeros) a day! NONE of which are controlled. 4. We DO have control over which of those 60k thoughts are important. i.e. thought A. I could murder my entire household- survey says? not important ( because yea, sure, you could, but you probably don't really want to) thought B. i need to do my laundy-survey says? important... unfortunately, i hate laundry. which brings me to number 5. 5. Emotional reasoning ( where you let your feelings impact your decisions) is a COGNITIVE DISTORTION. It is a flawed thought process and should NEVER be used. "wanting to do something" does not mean you SHOULD do it, same and sometimes NOT wanting to do something doesn't mean you shouldn't do it ( picked what is important) my brain might tell me i WANT to break up with my husband, ( unimportant) and it might also say i don't want to get up and go to work in the morning ( important). 6. YOU-ARE-IN-CONTROL. Not to be confused with HAVING control. We don't control our thoughts, we control which ones are important, we don't control our feelings or emotions, but we control how to react (or not react) to them. We don't control our OCD, but we can control how it affects our lives, and that can mean that is has all the power, or none. 7. If the action you want to do ( confess, get reassurance, check, analyze, avoid, re-do) are to gain relief from anxiety, IT IS A COMPULSION. DO NOT DO IT. Sit with the anxiety and train your brain to realize its not dangerous or important with ERP ( this takes time, but practice makes perfect) 8. Know your enemy. NOCD has a HUGE amount of articles and information on ALL subtypes of OCD and how to respond and how to treat them. OCD is MUCH easier to combat when you understand how it works. 9. BE PATIENT. BE KIND to yourself. Prioritize healthy habits, a healthy body is better equipped to handle OCD. Good sleep, whole foods, sunlight, social interaction, exercise ( walking especially). When the mind feels weak, make the body strong. 10. You are not alone. OCD is classified by the World Health Organization as one of the top 10 most distressing disorders. Reach out to people, seek medical help. Medication is not evil, it can be life-saving, TALK to people. Bonus Tips * if the question is " What If" its OCD. * Total certainty does not exist, be content with 99%* *"But this feels different, this feels like its not OCD, that its real*- emotional reasoning... its OCD. Hang in there. You got this. Im here for any advice, questions, or support. Today is a great day to have a GREAT DAY.
- Date posted
- 18w
Hi guys. Hope everyone is okay I just wanted to ask for some ppl to share how they overcame harm ocd completely so that I can get an idea of how to work towards healing. Thank you :)
- Date posted
- 16w
Does anyone have any tips that helped them? Mine is due to a specific person and I work with them so it’s been really difficult. I’ve started ERP which has been reaaalllllly challenging and I would love to hear from anyone else that has gone through any type of contamination ocd and how they have overcome or are fighting their way through it. Thank you!l
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