Finding it impossible to sit with thoughts

I find it very difficult to sit with thoughts or just let them be there especially when my OCD is purely based on mental rituals. For example, if I try to let a thought (that is causing me stress) come into my mind it’s almost impossible for me to let it sit there without my brain automatically trying to solve it or gain relief. It’s as though my brain does this without me really realising - probably from years of training it to do this - I’m just wondering if anyone knows of any other things I could try? I think this is why I find ERP quite difficult as I really try to let the thought sit there but my brain automatically tries to solve it no matter how much I’m trying…

Username: Brendan =]Brendan =]

Date posted: 1y ago

I’m going through the same exact thing and it sucks. I’ve been in ERP therapy since August (and I’m cash pay and unemployed) and my progress is minimal. Over $3,000 later and months of work and I’m a little better but still struggling so much. It’s so frustrating. I’d love advice because I need it, too. My best guess as to what advice would be, and what I’ve been telling myself is to try and catch the relief-intended compulsions as quickly as possible and bring yourself back to the here and now without judgement. Work on training yourself to notice when you’re feeling better and finding the compulsion that you used if you did so you can spot it faster next time. Also, I’m training myself to catch myself faster when I’m ruminating and trying to get better at noticing and stopping it before I get anywhere. That’s what I’ve come up with and what I’m going to work on. Sitting with thoughts and getting triggered is so difficult because of these almost subconscious stupid compulsions.

Username: Anom321Anom321

Date posted: 1y ago

@Brendan =] Thanks for taking the time to reply. Sorry to hear how much money & time you have spent while still struggling :( What you said about trying to catch yourself faster when ruminating and trying to get better at noticing is really good advice (as hard as it is to do that we can only try). You also hit the nail on the head when you said ‘subconscious compulsions’ that’s what it feels like so it is extremely difficult to let the thoughts sit. Here’s to hoping for some more advice that can help us.

Username: Todd James Todd James

Date posted: 1y ago

Hey, I can relate to this as I am constantly problem solving all the doubts in my head. If you think about it from an OCD pattern point of view then the compulsion is mentally solving something that can't be solved. This is a good time to respond with "maybe, maybe not" "I leave this unresolved" "I choose to leave this unresolved/disregarded" After doing this what I have been doing is taking the attention off of myself and asking myself who I can help right now. Is there someone else I can help? By doing this we are teaching the brain that the problem must not be that important. Eventually with time, the anxiety related to each topic will subside

Username: OCDMMOCDMM

Date posted: 1y ago

@Todd James This is really great advice

Username: shehanshehan

Date posted: 1y ago

Very well said that’s what I’m going through with I have mainly pure o Ocd

Username: Matthew L.Matthew L.

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y ago

I can relate. My mind does mental rituals to try and gain relief, but it doesn’t always work.

Username: Cakez

Date posted: 3y ago

How do you practice ERP on mental compulsions? I don’t understand. So I’m having an intrusive thought which mine are usually not about me doing something but something being done to someone else. Then thought sticks and becomes more intense the more I try to push it away or replace it etc.. am I supposed to force my self to have the thought and have anxiety. Is telling myself it’s just a thought, a compulsion? How do you sit with your thought? And what happens when you do? Will the thought go away? I don’t understand

Username: seanferguson13

Date posted: 3y ago

I have severe Pure O. It’s around my OCD thoughts themselves (OCD about OCD). I can’t stop noticing my thoughts - 24/7 - and it brings me deep anxiety. I fear my life is to be lost to this looping existence and the longer this goes on the more evidence accumulate that this is true. My compulsions include deep rumination about the problem, Googling, buying books on OCD and well, doing posts like this. I’m with an OCD specialist who specialises in ERP. I’ve done a lot of the E but I think I’ve been struggling with the RP. I’ve reduced the active/positive compulsions but I really cannot stop my brain looping and ruminating - which is by far the worst of it. In a situation like this - do I (a) try and stop the thinking/rumination or (b) learn to accept that thinking/rumination? Because I find it almost impossible to do (a) - it tends to get worse when I try and stop it. Any help folks can give would be gratefully received.

Username: Anonymous

Date posted: 2y ago

ERP question

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?

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Finding it impossible to sit with thoughts

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