Why am i incapable of comprehending logic?
So, i just seen a post talking about why logic doesnt work? But really why doesnt it? why cant i just say hey thats not true that doesnt even work? is this just another effect of ocd? The inability to understand the true logic behind it so it can hind the fear?
Your OCD (which lives in your cortex, the logical part of your brain) triggers the "fight/flight/freeze" defense response deep within your within your amygdala. This defense mechanism causes your body to release adrenaline and/or cortisol into your bloodstream (in an attempt to keep you alert/awake/aware of danger), which is the anxiety you feel. The strength of this physiological response is precisely why your amygdala does not respond to logic at all...You can't reverse this chemical response once it's triggered, so you just have to let the anxiety run it's course. Those of us with OCD, mistakenly assume that compulsions will alleviate the anxiety, but the compulsions only provide a temporary release while simultaneously making these random bouts of anxiety more frequent and stronger.
im having trouble with this too, i would really like to know why this is happening because this is what’s keeping me stuck.
It's also worth noting that trying to reason with yourself while in the midst of an OCD flare-up can be a mental compulsions (i.e. a form of self-reassurance), which makes the anxiety worse. When OCD triggers my anxiety, I try to practice the R.I.D.E. method. RECOGNIZE that the OCD triggered my anxiety, INSIST that I am in control, DEFY my OCD by doing the opposite of what it wants me to do, and ENJOY the relief that comes by NOT acting compulsively and give myself a reward to celebrate my small victory. Easier said than done, but it works! The anxiety attacks are actually surprisingly shorter than I expect them to be when I RIDE them out without acting/thinking compulsively. I hope this helps!
I know right??? Like I can find the answer to almost anything my OCD throws at me and yet when I present the logic to it, nothing happens.
Or ocd usually comes up with another line to back up its argument
I think logic can answer questions but only with probability, it can't eliminate "what if's".....logic doesn't provide certainty.
Hello everyone! I’m hoping to get some advice here because I’m worried that my OCD therapist might be steering me in the wrong direction. I started having doubts when she would give me reassurance/logical “explanations” to neutralize my thoughts while we worked through CBT (ex: I would be afraid of becoming schizophrenic, and she would help me list out evidence against that thought, and reassure me that I’m not at risk of psychosis). However, we recently started ERP and now I’m even more concerned. I’ve been doing a lot of research lately, and the biggest thing that’s come up is that you cannot fight OCD with logic, and that the cycle must be broken at the compulsion level. I have pure O, so lately, whenever I catch myself start to ruminate on an intrusive thought or try to use logic to neutralize it, I’ll say something like “I don’t need to answer that question, I don’t need to know this for certain, etc” and try to move on. I’ve found it’s been helping. While doing some ERP today with my therapist, I told her that I caught myself doing a compulsion. For context, I was working on my suicidal OCD fears by reading an article on suicide rates and OCD, and I said out loud “I just caught myself trying to engage in a compulsion by telling myself that since other mental illnesses have higher suicide rates than OCD, I shouldn’t be worried (this is something I researched while deep in rumination about this thought a while back), but I know this is a compulsion and that I’m trying to neutralize the anxiety, and I need to sit with the uncertainty instead”. However, my therapist then denied that this was a compulsion at all - she told me that it was just thinking logically, and that it is normal and a good sign to push back against OCD fears using logic to beat them. Now I am wholeheartedly confused. Is this normal? I thought that logic was not the answer with OCD, but rather, sitting with the anxiety and uncertainty is the right way to go. However, my therapist now has me questioning everything, and this has honestly led to even more anxiety on my part (ex: why does logic not work against all my OCD fears? Does that mean some of them are real?). Could anyone tell me what the right answer is in this situation? Is my therapist right, or should I be looking for a new one? I thought I was on the right track, but now I’m so confused!
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