Feeling pretty weak right now. I did a great job of not doing any compulsions last night. I've already done assurance seeking with my mom and brother. It worked temporarily but the thought came back. I feel if I get assurance from my psychiatrist on Thursday I could finally move past this obsession
But the assurance seeking IS a compulsion. That’s the problem.
Totally hear you! I am also a compulsive assurance-seeker. Did a little Googling last night myself. I tried to remind myself that I can't get the certainty I want by doing that assurance seeking, and that the average lifespan of an emotion is only 90 seconds. It's ok to sit in that discomfort and feel it out without acting on it! It'll ebb away, I promise ❤️ Sending you strength for your day. You got this!
@thewileyseven That 90 second part is really interesting!
@Mamabug34 Right??? I learned that recently and it blew my mind!
I’m often caught in this cycle of reassurance too. It’s not fun I know. But here’s the thing. Reassurance doesn’t work, it didn’t with your mom and brother and it won’t with your psychiatrist. I spent a good deal of my time running different scenarios by my therapist or asking “how should I handle” and that was a “sneaky” way of doing compulsions. Just saying my fears out loud was a compulsion because I felt better that someone knew my fear. In my mind I would rationalize, even though they didn’t give me reassurance the fact that they heard my fear and didn’t advise me in any way, it must be ok. I had to learn to trust myself. It is hard, but keep trying to resist❤️
People who have experienced ROCD- I had a rough day yesterday with my boyfriend due to acting on some compulsions. My compulsion is to seek reassurance. It was just not a good night because he was getting impatient, I was getting sensitive.. just not good. Anyway, we’re good now, but I just feel uneasy. My OCD always continues because after I complete a compulsion, I feel guilty and then I get more irrational thoughts that my boyfriend will leave me... thus I seek more reassurance. How do I get out of this insecure space in my head WITHOUT seeking reassurance again? Does this last a long time?
Hi ask in in the middle of an argument with a friend. And I'm having a major urge to seek reassurance. Like chest pain amount is anxiety level. I have failed my ERP today by trying to get reassurance but both people are aware of my OCD and rightly answered may or may not. Anyone have tips on how to get through this? I thought I was on the other side of this but OCD is raring up.
Sometimes I am triggered so badly that if I don’t receive automatic reassurance or consolation it feels like the OCD attack will linger until I ultimately seek out the compulsion (typically confessing to my mother or a therapist.) How do you go about your day when something so huge is nagging you? I need to go on a drive and visit my father but what I really want right now is for someone (usually an authority figure) to tell me that it is all OK.
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