Lightbulb Moment

That I can live a full life with OCD, I don’t have to fully conquer it to start living. I can live as I conquer

That googling, library researching and the related subtleties, were feeding my OCD.

That the things I found so scary a week ago aren’t so scary this week. The brain literally can change!!

When I overcame physical compulsions and discovered all of the mental compulsions I was doing. That was life changing!!

Intrusive thoughts are opposite of me

That trauma can occur even if the person didn't have the intention to harm you

When I finally grasped that I didn't need to know or be sure, that I could be fine with "this is my best guess, and I'm going to take it"

That feelings don’t last forever

That the subtypes don't really matter... it's all OCD. Working on one area of obsession and doing ERP for it has helped me be able to do unrelated things like travel again, spend time with family and be in the moment/have fun without being consumed by intrusive thoughts & fear.

Underneath OCD is a huge love of my life and the people in it and thats what makes OCD so hard

that discomfort is not inherently dangerous. I *can* tolerate the anxiety and discomfort without compulsing. this has allowed me to move on from obsessions so much faster, and the fear becomes so much less intense over time.

That once the anxiety left, I realized guilt was the ocd feeling that I needed to apply ERP to. Was the feeling I have always run from.

That the content of the thoughts don’t matter really. It’s about just accepting the uncertainty and not giving the thoughts the power OCD wants. Also that I can move forward and make decisions without knowing everything or being totally sure - this is still a work in process though!

That, no matter how much I might try or even think I can, I cannot control the thoughts or actions of others and I’m therefore not responsible for the thoughts or actions of others.

...never came

that the content of the thought doesn’t matter, that stimulants often worsen OCD, that OCD is a massive coping mechanism

That I don't have to have a perfect answer. I can make a decision not knowing everything and live with the consequences and Learn that way instead of ruminating about it and never doing anything out of fear.

Also, that I am not my thoughts.

That instead of running from the feeling, you can prove to yourself that u actually can just sit with it

When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, they inmediately felt afraid and they hid from God; fear begun there. That was a lightbulb for me.

The problem is not the problem (Mark DeJesus). It's how I relate to the thoughts, God, myself.

That I don't have to fear OCD !

when I realized I wasn’t being honest in therapy. I was going through the motions. Wasting money and time acting a role instead of doing the actual work. I changed my therapist and started over, authentically this time!

Ocd is a faulty alarm system. For people with ocd things that are a possibility are a probability and I realized how much of my life I've spent in a warped reality. That what I perceive/assume people are thinking/feeling/doing is not necessarily the truth at all. 🥴 That was huge for me.

That the content of your ocd doesn’t matter, it all comes down to not being able to tolerate uncertainty

That my own brain can, does, and continues to lie to me on a daily basis as part of this disorder. It was a little scary to learn to second-guess my thoughts and beliefs (if I can't trust me, who can I trust?) but by doing so, I've learned that OCD, for me at least, is more or less my brain telling me something must be urgently dealt with/checked/reassured, when it doesn't. OCD may plant negative seeds, but I am not obligated to water them.

My negativity loops in my mind/compulsive rumination are echoes of child/parental harm and it’s hurtful, but familiar.

OCD try’s to keep you anxious even when you see through its lies. That’s when mental compulsions and reassurance comes in but giving in gives OCD credibility it doesn’t deserve.

If ruminating worked, I would have an answer by now.

That ruminating about things in real life affects rumination in OCD land.

That something I thought was an everyday part of life I had to go through wasOCD causing me distress.

Recovery is not really about learning tips and tricks, but naming your fears, exposing yourself to them, and then quieting your mind for long enough for you to learn that you are not in danger

That even though I can’t control my thoughts, i can control my actions

That the same thing that brings me temporary comfort is the same thing that brings me pain, agony, and suffering.

Other people's wellbeing is not my responsibility

I posted this earlier in a regular post but thought I would post it here as well. "ERP is medicine for our brain. It's a hard pill to swallow, but take it anyway."

That the “response prevention” part of ERP should not have hidden “neutralizers”, eg. “This is just OCD”, “The likelihood of a bad outcome is low”. Rather, the EXPOSURE needs to be TO THE FEAR; eg. “Yes, the unchecked stove could possibly ignite a fire and harm my family, and it would be all my fault”.

Disturbing thought is still just a thought. You don’t have to act on it if you don’t want to.

That acceptance does not mean agreement 👍

When I had the thought during an exposure, "maybe I will, maybe I won't (XYZ)" and my anxiety actually went down massively. Accepting uncertainty and even embracing it was so helpful, it really was a lightbulb moment!

To sit with uncertainty

This wasn't in therapy, but rather with a friend (who studied psychology): She said that, while you're very upset, it's very hard to remember that life can and did feel much better at other points. I took that as a reminder that even when things feel horrible, that feeling is not permanent, cannot be permanent, will not be permanent.

That we can’t have an answer to everything. That there’s no certainty that an intrusive thought or image won’t happen or can happen. Learning to accept things as they are without the need to investigate. That rumination is 100 percent in my control I can choose what I care about and what I value That I can let go and start my day again at any given time of the day. That thoughts are just thoughts and that I can still be an awesome mother ❤️

Actually feeling CALM. Not just relieved.

That I CAN do it!!

That I’m not going to die from panic.

That you actually have to practice ERP

Feelings aren’t facts. And we don’t have to assign meaning to them.

O.C.D isn’t who I am, it is my past trying to control my present.

if it can get worse, then it can get better. change is change.

To not just use “maybe, maybe not” and other acceptance messages to feel better, but rather to truly accept the possibility and uncertainty

That I'm not alone!

That sometimes it’s ok to ask yourself how you are and understand intrusive thoughts are just intrusive thoughts. You are ok and you are alive. Love yourself a little more.

That I literally don’t have to do compulsions. That I can have the urge to do a compulsion and not give into it and be fine.

That no matter how many compulsions I do it will never be enough to satisfy ocd so I might as well just stop doing them now. Ocd says “just one more time” but that’s a lie and it’s never actually true

That the alarm system of OCD is noise (a false alarm), not a signal

That I can learn to tolerate the intense feelings, thoughts and anxiety without having to react to them or figure them out

That being persistent with some of the ERP-exercises helped to aleviate a great deal of my OCD opposed to all the years that I've tried to research, rationalize, over-explain, avoid, ruminate and think "logically". By doing the response prevention (which is for the most part a behavioral component for me) everything seemd to change. A second thing is that relapse will occur and that it can feel "horrible", but that it is nothing different from doing my regular exposures in the first place. That makes the relapse last really short even though it felt like I was completely back into the old state.

It's not my fault & I don't need to feel ashamed

Not engaging with the thoughts doesn't mean running away or denial.

I have many lightbulb moments, but then they turn out to be wrong. So I haven’t gotten the right one yet. Waiting….. 💡

That I can work through my feelings and the anxiety doesn’t last forever. That my brain is not the bad guy and my OCD is an over protective friend who for now is taking the backseat while I drive! It’s still hard, but life is still going!

That what I thought was the right safe thing to think is really just fear speaking and I don’t need to listen to it

I now have a better understanding of why I try to control my situations and everything and everyone around my situation to conform to my needs. I had no idea this is a form of OCD. It's very hard maintaining relationships which I am now working through.

When I was told to keep living by my values and do what makes me happy instead of avoiding things my OCD says I should

“OCD lives in the imagination “

You can ride the waves of OCD, meaning you can let the thoughts and feelings come and go without having to feed to compulsive behavior and or thoughts. You CAN handle feeling uncomfortable!!!!

Also if you are not feeling better you are unconsciously still doing some compulsion which you are yet to spot. And second, you have to cut down compulsions at smallest level like resisting reaching out for you phone when you know you don't need to, resisting re-reading a sentence to ensure you understood it right, resisting that extra cookie when you already had one. Spoting compulsions at such miniscule level that go unnoticed is also recovery work....so don't get obsessed with the "theme" of the day as it's not.

I can choose to live my life the way I want, ocd doesn’t have to dictate.

That thoughts are just thoughts. Seems like such a simple revelation but it has been life-changing!

Probably not in the cards for me.

You get as much out of it as you put into it. Keep working hard!

When i realize i have OCD all my life

OCD can and will attach to anything

The way we perceive and react to our thoughts is what matters

When I know that this will never go away but I CAN manage it, and live life.

That recovery isn’t a clear “point A to point B.” The steps reveal themselves as I go. And to help myself find the next steps, I need trustworthy advisors (a straight-talking therapist, knowledgeable resources, community, etc) and trust in my own ability to learn, evolve, and grow (even when I’m not looking).

Knowing I wasn’t alone .

That hypervigilance to spot 'that's OCD' is also OCD.

When I learnt how to respond to intrusive thoughts. This didn’t make the anxiety go fully, but it stopped me from feeding my obsessions and gave me so much freedom. Hoping EARP can help me even more ❤️❤️

When I got diagnosed.. everything after that made sense . I was still having intrusive thoughts & anxiety but now I know why .. 💜

Haven’t gotten it yet as I just got diagnosed, but I’m feeling really hopeful that it will come :)

When I finally felt motivated to try ERP for a bit and was actually able to see how it was helping me

“The problem isn’t the problem” -Mark DeJesus

My erp therapist told me just because I think it or feel it doesn’t make it so

That the less I do it, the less I do it.

To put just as much time if not more into your values and what you enjoy as ERP

That I am the master of my soul.

I kept having intrusive thoughts telling me to do extreme things or lie in order to get people to pity me. I walked through what my day had been like with my therapist and we made a discovery. I got angry at not being able to do a task the day before and I never told anybody I was feeling bad, so the feeling intensified after not being resolved. I felt better after realizing what had happened.

The harder I force myself to do something, the less likely I am to do it, and the less I’ll grow.

ERP therapist said to me point blank - “The reality is that the only way this compulsion is going to get better is if you do these exposures.” I respond well to blunt matter of fact statements like that, and it really helped

The diagnosis. Just knowing it's not "just" run of the mill anxiety. I thought "my God so many ppl have anxiety am I just being a big baby about it?".

Telling myself to stop ruminating is one

Is any one available for family counseling right this moment? Please advise

My mind, will and emotions

My light bulb moment is this: The only time OCD games come around, is when I try to sleep. The only time I feel panic or anxiety, is when I’m worried I won’t sleep. I’m not even sure I have true anxiety or OCD. I think I have a regular phobia. A fear of not sleeping. That’s it. How do I know.. Well, if sleep didn’t exist and it wasn’t a necessity, I would have no anxiety, panic, or OCD. Life would be wonderful if we only didn’t need sleep. And it wouldn’t be on my mind 99.9% of the time.

I focused too much on how I'm perceived, how others can or cannot read me. Lost contact with myself and who I am, what I actually want. Getting it back now.

Finally someone who speaks my language

@Cody1984. Love it!

@asully. Yes it will!

PRIDE IS TO BE HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED. THE PRIDE WE SHOULDN'T HAVE IS TO THINK WE ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS. AND NOTWHAT WE HAVE

How do I access the group sessions?

When my therapist put it as me trying to take on too much responsibility for things out of my control. Other people have bad things happen that isn’t their responsibility or fault so why am I any different

That I need to just wait and the anxiety will pass

That my OCD comes up in all kinds of different ways, not just the main genres of the time. Then learning to recognize the difference between my OCD voice and my regular voice.

Yes, I really understand trying to recognize the difference between the two voices.

Hi everyone, What do you do with a constant ruminating thoughts? I find them, I rebuke them I try to think of something else but the same thought always keeps coming back. Sometimes I don’t realize that I am thinking it until all of a sudden I realize I am concentrating on that thought. It’s usually something that I can’t have or some thing that I’ve done wrong and it just keeps playing over and over in my head. I just need some peace for this. Constant thinking. Thank you so much for being kind enough to listen..💕