Any tips on breaking mental compulsions? I’ve been in ERP since January. I have stomped out all my physical compulsions but I’ve really been paying attention and I’m hanging on to some mental compulsions.
@ReadyForImprovement Thank you!
With mental compulsions, you have to accept the intrusive thoughts as it comes. I say accept as if it was easy but it is really hard to sit with discomfort and anxiety that the thought brings. Since you’re doing ERP (with someone licensed?) I think you should talk to them about the specific mental compulsions and target them through tracking.
Yes, I am doing it through NOCD.
Have you done loop tapes?
@AcceptUncertainty Yes!
@Rcope09 What does your mental compulsions look like?
@AcceptUncertainty Thought stopping or literally shaking my head at the intrusive thoughts.
@SunGal716 It can become a compulsion. With OCD compulsions are endless.
@SunGal716 The goal is to stop the compulsions which in return eliminates or reduces the obsession. You want to sit with the uncertainty of thoughts even when they’re uncomfortable. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself in a vicious cycle fighting and/or running from them.
@Rcope09 Whatever the thoughts are, I’d focus on tailoring exposures towards them. I wouldn’t try to stop the thought but rather move towards the thought. In return, you’ll be teaching your brain that you can handle it. Distressing it is but it’s worth it. In return, you’ll gain your peace and freedom back.
@SunGal716 What is the purpose for your counting? Are you relieving distress by counting? Is it in response to an obsession? For instance, I’d have intrusive thoughts and then cry as a compulsion to deal with the unwanted thoughts. Ultimately, I had to end the crying and learned to sit with the uncertainty of my thoughts. The crying was only fuel to the fire. I never could satisfy my OCD and the crying became consistent only temporarily giving relief but took over my life.
@SunGal716 Right!
@SunGal716 Yes, that’s OCD. You need to focus on discontinuing it. I used to do that. I would count and do all sorts of things that I thought was normal in my mind. I had so many rituals. I’m thankful that my career led me to the counseling field. If I weren’t a counselor myself, I wouldn’t have learned about my own diagnosis.
@SunGal716 I actually did some cardio exercises during my sessions with my therapist to intentionally speed my heart rate up. Then I would not count my heartbeats to sit with the uncertainty.
@SunGal716 It could be just a habit that you need to break now & will take some time & effort.
I'd like to know the same thing.
I haven’t started ERP yet. But just curious from others who have, How do you sit with compulsions when they’re mental compulsions? Or just “let them pass”? It seems it’s going to be impossible since none of my compulsions are physical/tangible 😓
Hi! I've been on my OCD healing journey for about half a year and I have seen a lot of success. I'm reaching out for advice, I am very willing to do exposures because I know the more I do them, the more I get better, but I struggle with the response prevention part. I don't know how to control my brain when it comes to facing the fears especially since most of my compulsions are mental. I can tell myself the typical things "I am okay with the uncertainty of this happening", etc. but its like my brain doesn't believe them. I've been stuck in this disconnect for a while and would love advice you have heard from a therapist or learned that has really help you.
My NOCD therapist (who has been awesome) and I are both struggling to identify ways in which I can practice exposure therapy while in-session, because the vast majority of my OCD symptoms are mental compulsions. For example: indecision and inability to commit to a choice; seeking reassurance on decisions from friends and family; mental review of things that have just happened / social situations; over-thinking and catastrophizing. I also have some other hallmark symptoms (contamination fears, moral scrupulosity, etc) but those tend to be inconsistent too. It’s hard to really practice these during my sessions because so many are in the moment and fleeting. By the time I join my session they are no longer active. How can we establish exposure responses during my sessions, if most of my OCD involves mental rumination and overthinking patterns/thought loops that only occur “in the moments - rather than specific or consistent compulsions (such as hand washing)?
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