- Username
- NaggingOCD
- Date posted
- 1y ago
any help please
i'm trying the maybe maybe not method but i keep getting hit back with anxiety and the what ifs š£ what else can i do š¢
i'm trying the maybe maybe not method but i keep getting hit back with anxiety and the what ifs š£ what else can i do š¢
I have heard from my therapist about thoughts diffusion . Maybe you should try it too . It is about learning to step back from thoughts . Cognitive defusion is about: ā looking at thoughts rather than from them ā noticing thoughts rather than get caught up or buying into the thought ā letting thoughts come and go rather than holding onto the thought. It is the overall principle , you could read more in the Internet or ask your psychotherapist . I think that when you will start ERP it will get better . Maybe maybe not method is not always helpful .
@ Liza Dogtieva i just need some help at this point i'm trying my best i thought maybe maybe not was the tool to use when uncertain happens
I have found some techniques for you in the Internet . Hope this helps. External voice Instead of saying "I'm going to fail," say, "I'm having the thought that I'm going to fail", thereby creating some space between you and the thought. Name the story If all these thoughts and feelings were put into a movie titled "the something something story", what would you call it? For example, "the I'm going to fail story" or the "no one likes my story". Type it out Imagine your thought on a computer screen, then play with it by changing the font, colour and formatting. Pop-up mind Imagine that your unhelpful thought is like an internet pop-up ad. Practice closing the pop-up window. Passengers on the bus Imagine yourself driving a bus. Treat difficult thoughts as rowdy / annoying passengers. See if you can keep driving, rather than stopping when they want or trying to kick them off. Can you stay focused on driving your bus safely to your destination? Say it slowly Say the thought in slow motion. What do you notice about the power of the thought now? Is it as painful or uncomfortable as it was before you practiced this strategy? Leaves on a stream When the thought pops up, imagine placing it on a leaf on top of a gentle stream and watching as it disappears. Thanking your mind Next time an unhelpful thought pops into your head, try saying "thanks for that brain." After all, your brain thinks it's helping. Carrying cards Write difficult thoughts on small cards and carry them with you. It helps show you that you can carry your history without losing your ability to control your life.
@ Liza Dogtieva Thank you for sharing these!! Helpful.
@StayGold Thank you . You are welcome !
Hello , Have you tried ERP ?
@ Liza Dogtieva i've just started therapy agaain so only one session done so not yet
You can't use "maybe not" as a mantra. Doesn't work that way. You have to act in line with the words, like you don't care. Like it doesn't matter what thoughts you have or if the anxiety is present or not. Search treatment if possible.
@Estrid what do you mean act in line? i am in treatment but only just started
@NaggingOCD I am glad to hear that you are in treatment! I mean that many people just use the words, say them out loud and then continue to ruminate and struggle with the anxiety. In treatment we learn to give room for the anxiety with openess and willingness.
@Estrid say the thoughts out loud or MMN
I understand . Trying some techniques by yourself could be difficult . For me too .
hey there, i totally feel you. that maybe maybe not method can be super tricky, especially when your brain keeps throwing those "what ifs" at you like curveballs. š£ i've got my own tangle with pure o, and even though our obsessions might be different, that relentless anxiety? yeah, i get it. just wanted to say i'm here to listen, and you're not alone in this struggle. so, my therapist pointed me towards this free ai ocd therapy tool called "unstuck" (www.AIOCDtool.com), and it might be a good fit for what you're going through. it's like having a pocket-sized therapist that's there for you when your ocd starts to ramp up. you just type in what's messing with your head, and it guides you through the steps to help you get unstuck, just like an erp session. i'm not into promoting apps either, but this one's been a game-changer for me, and i genuinely think it could help you too. it's not a cure-all, but it's another tool in the toolbox, you know? feel free to hit me up if you've got any questions about it. hang in there. šŖ
I'm truly doing my best to let these thoughts exist and to not engage with them, but it's so hard because the lingering feelings of guilt, shame, and anxiety are still there. does anyone have any tips on how to combat this? any encouraging advice?
I dont know if I have ocd really but I think I do because I have the intrusive thoughts and I always try and do things to soothe the anxiety. I've been dealing with this for a few months and this is a debilitating cycle and I wish I wad normal. when I first spoke to my therapist about it, she said that people with ocd like to clean and count a certain amount of tiles and stuff like that. I really want to get tested because I want help but im scared that if they say I don't have ocd then that means my intrusive thoughts are true and that I'm the person that my mind makes me think I am and it scares me. I mostly deal with symptoms of pocd so I try my best to avoid kids and sometimes I won't even want to go in public because of it and I count in my head a lot and try and see if my body is reacting any kind of way. I also try and just push the thoughts a way and do research and sometimes it makes me feel better but in reality it's just a cycle and it's terrifying so can someone please comfort me or give me advice and tips to help me feel better because I really need it. I just want to get help and stop this cycle because it's slowly killing me. I don't want to be the person my head thinks I am but in my head it's just constant fear anxiety and uncertainty.
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