How do you guys stop the rumination or get past the feeling of wanting to keep obsessing or thinking about the obsession? I feel like this is what is keeping my in the loop rn.
for me, although it's different for everyone, i had to realize my efforts to stop ruminating were really just making it harder to not ruminate. i was still trying to solve the "problem" of my rumination, which is how it started. trying to solve something. really, not ruminating is inaction. it's stepping off a mental treadmill. it should feel like exerting no effort, not even bracing yourself for the thoughts that might pop into your head. does that feel scary? then it'll probably work for you
Learn mindfulness, be aware of your mental decisions and where to put your focus. I highly recommen "The mindfulness workbook for OCD"/ Jon Hershfield, Corboy
Different for everyone I agree with @Estrid mindfullness can be vary helpful. Here a trick I use, when you start ruminating take a moment to sit with yourself close ur eyes and sink into what ur feeling in that moment. Observe the thoughts, acknowledge them and then tell them " your disturbing but you can stay around as long as you like but I'm not gonna try to figure this out right now" then just go about your day. Repeat this process as many times as you need thought they day but don't repeat the phrase compulsively. Just say it once and if the thoughts keep trying to lure you in just repeat it. Like setting boundaries with a four year old lol
To me reading about Metacognitive therapy helped a lot... they say we ruminate, because we have inner believes that "rumination will solve my problem", " if i do not worry about it, i am in danger" and simmilar... MCT therapy teaches you that there are other ways to think about your thoughts (metacognition - cognition is thought, thinking about thought is metacognition)... so check it out...generally they say your mind will heal when you stop using maladaptive thinking patterns (as rumination, in ocd compulsions etc), but first ypu must know these are maladaptive...you do them because inside uou believe these are helpfull - as compulsion, rumination...so first adress your believes about thoughts, emotions, urges, behaviour and then see bad strategies you use... and do good ones... in simple way I adressed my rumination that it doing more damage than good, never aolved anything so i decided it is maladaptive and seen that other thinking-behavorial patterns are more optimal, for example refocusing to your values and present moment (i learned it from ACT therapy) ... and thats how i reduced my rumination...everytime it comes I adress not a thoughts itself, but my false belief, that rumination lead to solution...it is false belief, so MCT do not bother with content of obsessive thoughts, it adress how you relate to them...if you wanna solve or accept...there is a difference...acceptance is a key and comittment to live your life despite fear...not be in false world of your mind, but here and now in real world...ocd lives only in mind...without attention ir is dead...lot of hope for you
Agree! MCT has helped me too.
@Estrid can you tell me more about your use of MCT? Do you had therapist online/offline, or learned it only trought books, seminars?
@drak4 No therapist, too expensive...I have read books, Pia Callesen "Live more, think less", articles and you tube videos also. Something that was easy but very helpful was to use "attention training techniques" on you tube. I have tried to implement this in my daily life in adfition to my ERP, ACT and mindfulness tools.
@Estrid great to know, thanks... yes attention traing in my exprience helps OCD a lot
@Estrid What yputube chanel? That book has poor reviews on amazon...but maybe people donr understanded it...it helped you?
@drak4 I know...maybe people don't understand, but life will for sure be easier if you apply the tools in it, not just for people with anxiety disorders. I borrowed it in the library. You can search for Michael Greenberg OCD, Adrian Wells, Attention training MCT. I don't have the links...
@Estrid I read book from Adrian Wells it was great, but very academic
@drak4 Yes, he is. Then you can check Greenberg.
I ruminated too much this morning and got distressing mental images (and confirmation) which sent me spiraling again. How do I stop thinking about this and how do I get back to myself? I feel destroyed.
I've been doing well the past month in cutting down on compulsions and have been feeling better however, last night I had a set back that carried on into today. I had gotten very poor sleep (4ish hours) and then something triggered my memory. I think with the sudden anxiety spike and lack of sleep I didn't have the strength to ignore my compulsions. Last night and today I've realised I've gone back into rumination and mentally reviewing the event excessively again and comparing my situation to other people's, but most of the times that I start going down these rabbit holes I don't even realise I'm doing it? Also been fixating a bit on the fear that I've ruined my progress and that I will fall back into the deep end of it all again, that I have done so much work getting myself out of, although trying my best to not be too discouraged. Does anyone have any advice on how to deal with rumination more specifically?
Ruminating is such a sneaky compulsion. It feels like the only “reasonable” thing to do in the moment because your brain is screaming at you that something is urgent, important, and absolutely essential. It’s like your mind is sounding sirens, telling you that you have to think it through right now because everything looks so black and white in the moment. The trap is, if I don’t ruminate, it feels like I’m just ignoring reality and living in some magical fantasy world. But the truth is, even when things feel the most logical and crystal clear to me with OCD, they are almost always totally irrational to everyone else. Someone said something on here that stuck with me: “nobody ever ruminated their way to certainty.” And that’s it. Rumination is just an attempt to feel certain, but with OCD there is no such thing as enough certainty. The more you chase it, the longer you stay stuck. The work, as uncomfortable as it is, is learning to sit in the uncertainty and stop feeding the cycle…even when everything in you is screaming to figure it out. That’s the way forward.
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