I am feeling really triggered right now. My mind is going crazy with thoughts and urges to figure things out. Wondering if anyone has any ideas that will help me get out of my head.
Ouf I feel this. You are not alone ❤️ For response prevention for mental compulsions, I have found this handout from CU really helpful (originally posted by @blazed) https://medschool.cuanschutz.edu/docs/librariesprovider45/ocd-documents/response-prevention-plan-mental-compulsions-36.pdf?sfvrsn=bd1958bb_2 The thing I struggle with most is that I want to get rid of the feeling and this is what drives all my mental compulsions. So I try to use the response prevention ideas here AND feel all my emotions without tracking them or changing them. It’s really hard and sometimes succeed and sometimes I do compulsions. But I try to be self compassionate no matter what. Hope that helps some. I am cheering you on 💪❤️
@Hobbit Thank you so much for posting this. It’s so helpful
@Anonymous Yay! I’m so glad 😊
What’s helped me is saying out loud “I will not figure this out. This is an OCD trick. There is no certainty here.” This helps me stay on track and preventing a spiral. I also redirect my thoughts to what I’m doing. If I’m at work, I’ll say “I really really want to figure out this rumination, but what I’m going to do instead is complete this task,” or if I’m at home, I’ll say “I’m going to brush my teeth,” and try to bring myself back to the present moment. Ruminations are tough, but keep telling yourself what your tools are (knowing how to sit in the uncertainty) and say that you will use your tools. I hope your thoughts calm down soon. You are so capable of working through this ❤️
That sounds really helpful, redirecting attention to the present moment. Thank you so much for sharing
Thank you so much, this is so helpful. I appreciate your support!
@coryefoster Of course! So happy to help 😊
I’m having a big OCD relapse and would like to hear anyone’s tips on how to be present and healthily deal with these intrusive thoughts and the “need” to preform compulsions. Thank you!!
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? 😅
Two things are happening: I get thoughts that just keep looping. They almost feel like song stuck in my head. Also, I’ll imagine something and I feel my stomach drop. Then as the seconds go by I keep getting fragments of the this thought but with different details. For example, it’s kinda like how a “vision” is portrayed. I’ll get a glimpse of the thought and then it’ll rapidly expand into something worse every few seconds. I don’t know if I’m causing this or if it’s just an automatic thing like any other intrusive thought. It feels unavoidable, idk if this is a compulsion or if it’s just another manifestation of an intrusive thought. Apart from that remembering an intrusive thought triggers the full thought again and then it just keeps looping or expanding. I don’t know how to stop any of this. Help?
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