What does acceptance look like if it feels so difficult to achieve?

@VGH thank u so much!

@VGH Acceptance is difficult. Been having better luck. Could be my Clomiphramine, which I’m on max dose.

@Matthew L. Glad to hear!

@VGH I guess I feel accepted because people talk to me. Also I’m not afraid to engage in conversation with people I don’t know.

@The names Adelbert how were u able to deal with this? any advice :(?

@stutisharma Radical acceptance & the hope that it won’t always feel this intense. I think back to a peaceful point in my past where OCD wasn’t at the forefront & what I was doing back then, for me it was lots of time in nature & surfing, life was still hard but it felt easier when I did the things that I love and kept that fire ignited in me. I also go to treatment right now, it’s all about your personal story & how you overcome.

@The names Adelbert thank u so much :))

@Matthew L. rooting for you!

@stutisharma Thank you.

@Anonymous that sounds really hard, im so proud of you. this gave me a lot of hope

@stutisharma It doesn’t stay feeling terrible. The acceptance gets easier

@Anonymous I used to feel like the worst human being around. However I’ve thought less of that.

@Anonymous Thank you for sharing this example of what acceptance looks/feels like. I always thought I had to feel good to move on, after therapy I realized the action (moving on) has to come first then the feelings will follow. Sometimes moving on through tears and shaking and all the feelings is what we have to do while we focus on what’s right in front of us.

@VGH Exactly, it’s supposed to feel wrong and terrible, but over time the discomfort does become less. It just takes a lot of work

@Anonymous Good way to describe acceptance. I’m able to engage in conversation with people I don’t know. I enjoy it when someone else starts a conversation with me. I feel more accepted.

@Matthew L. I still have a hard time with self acceptance, however when others seem to accept me, it feels good.

@Matthew L. In the end though, only you accepting you matters

@Anonymous Right, but I still have trouble accepting myself. I’d like to reach this plateau.

@Matthew L. I some days I’ve reached it and other days it goes back to where I started. Just remember, even that bad feelings come and go

@Anonymous I still have bad days with symptoms of my OCD, where I’m mentally exhausted and can’t do anything. I don’t accept myself because I feel I should be handling things better than I am.

@Matthew L. Hi, remember recovery work is difficult and it’s normal to feel tired and exhausted while you are creating new patterns of behavior. That’s why it’s important to do some self care. Make sure you take some time for yourself, do something you enjoy. You are working hard, it’s not easy to resist compulsions. It’s important we are not too hard on ourselves. So while we are being kind to ourselves, understanding that recovery work is exhausting, the acceptance we are talking about is more of an acceptance of the intrusive thoughts, urges and feelings. We accept them, it doesn’t mean we believe that they are true. We allow them to be there while we live our lives doing things we value. As we live our lives we acknowledge that we are doing the hard work of recovery and we are kind to ourselves❤️