Accept uncertainty and question your assumptions about worst case scenarios. Recognize all or nothing thinking and practice taking a step back. It's tough, but we can do this!
Be willing to "experiment" with your treatment, approaches to intrusive thoughts may vary for instance. Some might welcome the thoughts, some might mock them - a bit of both is possible. Expand that toolkit and see what works for you š
I have primarily health OCD, and my biggest issue is that Iām not sure Iām capable of accepting uncertainty. Iāve been in a massive spiral now for over 2.5 months. I just keep jumping from one health thing to the next and Iām absolutely driving myself crazy. Not to mention the constant feeling of absolute terror and panic I have just about every day. Itās no way to live š how does one accept uncertainty?
@emilytravelswild Have you cried telling yourself these things might happen?
@nate01 Tried*
@nate01 Yes. Iāve gone the whole āmaybe it is, maybe it isnāt trueā and also just āyep, this will probably happen!ā It heightens my anxiety and then my anxiety doesnāt lower. (Iām having a difficult time with certain aspects of ERP)
@emilytravelswild I see, anxiety eventually falls but it does take a while. When a fear comes at you and you say I might get sick or whatever your specific one is. You have to sit there and breath as you let the thoughts run through your mind. Then it gets weaker
@nate01 That just feels like absolute torture. I donāt believe my anxiety will lower and Iāll be stuck with those awful feelings forever
@emilytravelswild That comment made me smile. Yeah it sucks but the way I see it if we donāt do something now than itās either a little torture or a life of torture
@nate01 Lol. I really have a hard time with ERP, particularly when trying to trigger it on my own. Itās like my body shuts down and I canāt get the anxiety to rise. Also, I have PTSD and was told not to go full in on ERP until that is managed? So I just donāt know what to do
@emilytravelswild Yeah PTSD probably makes it a little tricker to tackle. What my ocd therapist told me was if the treatment doesnāt lower anxiety than you to expose harder. You should look into worry scripts maybe that will help the exposure really cause anxiety
@nate01 I wonder if itās my subconscious trying to protect me. Because I have SO MUCH anxiety and panic throughout the day that when Iām trying to practice exposures, itās just like no. We need a break. I do treat the rest of my triggers with ERP so I feel like Iām still practicing. I just have a hard time triggering it on purpose.
@emilytravelswild Ocd is a safety mechanism. Before I ever noticed my ocd symptoms I went through a traumatic experience and they came out. So it was almost as my brain was defending me. Yeah erp is hard and it takes a lot of experimentation to get places. But you can do it!
So this is contamination specific, but I like to think something along the lines of "well I have an immune system so that can protect me from these germs" or whatever it may be
I need tips on how to really accept the uncertainty the ocd causes, even if it feels so bad like I might get in trouble for something , do I wanna be okay with that?
I've been told a lot that in order to get better, we need to tolerate uncertainty, which yea I get that and I'm trying every day more and more to reach that point!! But I've also been told that we need to tolerate uncertainty AND "our worst fears becoming true". Like how does that work, especially with POCD, OCD about a///ault, SA and all of that? Like that is really difficult for me and I don't really understand how I'm supposed to just shrug stuff like that off
Iām having one of those moments where I have to deal with some uncertainty at the worst time. I did have a little panic attack for a moment. Then I realized I could use this to make me stronger. Something happened at work and no one knows the answer I need. So I have to deal with some uncertainty. The feelings suck and the thoughts keep coming. I will not let this ruin my day I will continue to work and go about my day, even though I am anxious. Just remember that we will have things pop up throughout our days we do not expect but just to remember our practices. Hopefully the intensity will decrease in time today. Wish me luck.
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