Now I feel like the thoughts are easier for me to accept but the feelings for me out hard? I keep like scanning my body or thinking things purposefully to see how it makes me feel, sad, happy. Anybody else struggle with this? Is the treatment sitting with it?
Hi, the things you are doing (scanning your body, purposely thinking things and gauging your reaction) are compulsions. I used to do the same things until my therapist explained this to me. It’s just another trick OCD uses to keep us engaged. I learned to stop checking in with myself to see how I felt, when I had that urge, I treated it the same way I treat all uncertainty, I allow it to be there while I go do something I value. No matter how I feel or how many times the thoughts/feelings pop into my head. Hope this helps.
@VGH Thank you!!!! This really does help
I struggle so bad with intrusive thoughts. They can be so bad that I'll cry because I KNOW that's not how I feel or want to do. (Too embarrassed to say what they're about) I'll constantly try to figure out why I have them, and constantly figure out what they mean, causing me to constantly circle around and around. I had to get on anxeity meds, which helped a little but the thoughts still happen. How do you help yourself with this? How do you know that you're just not some physcopath? 😅
Does anyone have any advice for how to know the difference between ocd and real feelings/thoughts? Sometimes an intrusive thought will come in and I immediately know it’s ridiculous and I can just leave it alone and it won’t bother me but other times I really really don’t know. It’s when ocd hijacks and twists my real feelings and thoughts and tries to manipulate me into believing they’re something they’re not or something that doesn’t align with my true morals or intentions. But since it’s twisting and mixing with real feelings I get so confused and scared. Everything gets jumbled and I feel like I can’t trust myself or my own mind. Yet other times and other topics I can laugh off and push away just fine. Make it make sense. And then I start to think well maybe I don’t have ocd at all and I’m just in denial because I don’t want to accept that these scary/concerning things are true about myself. Or maybe that’s just the ocd talking.
I am new to this and exploring the community chat. Is it normal to have anxiety reading the posts? I keep looking for something that I can relate to, but I have hot “zings” going through my chest and down my torso while reading. I have been scrolling for over 30 minutes, which I guess is a sign of my newly diagnosed OCD. I am having a hard time verbalizing any “fears” - any advice to begin this journey?
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