reassurance

Here are a bunch of articles and tools about why you shouldn’t seek reassurance and what to do instead: this: -How To Stop Rumination Video: https://youtu.be/CkcspsmLh9k?feature=shared -ERP scripting: https://www.shalanicely.com/aha-moments/erp-scripting-for-ocd/ -The Hidden Power of Swearing at Your OCD: https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/beyond-the-doubt/201711/the-hidden-power-of-swearing-at-your-ocd -Taking The Power Away From OCD: https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/taking-the-power-away-from-intrusive-thoughts -ERP Worry Script: https://www.anxietycanada.com/sites/default/files/WorryScript.pdf -What is ERP therapy: https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/ocd-treatment/erp/ -What’s An OCD Trigger? https://psychcentral.com/ocd/what-is-an-ocd-trigger -Grounding Techniques: https://www.therapistaid.com/worksheets/grounding-techniques

And if you are seeing an OCD therapist then k suggest asking them why doing compulsions is bad for your health.

Well my therapist explained it to me this way. The OCD tells you lies, and our brains have accidentally been trained by us that those lies deserve a reaction. When you are seeking reassurance, your brain recognizes that relief and ties that compulsion to the end result, which is probably that things are generally okay in the end. Things would have been okay regardless, but your brain recognizes this act as something that needs to be done to keep things okay. Your brain runs the numbers and sees the correlation between believing there is danger, seeking reassurance, then everything being okay. The idea is that OCD thoughts don’t deserve a response because they’re not real threats. By reacting we train ourselves that they do in fact deserve a response and it just gets more ingrained each time we do. Even if that particular compulsion isn’t problematic for you, it’s still a compulsion and still inadvertently trains your brain to respond to the obsessions with compulsions. I hope at least part of that made some sense to you.

Hey there! I totally get how reassurance can feel like a quick fix when those obsessions hit hard. It's like a soothing balm for a moment, right? 🌟 But yeah, I've also learned that leaning too much on reassurance can kinda keep the cycle of OCD going. It's tricky, I know. I'm no OCD expert, especially when it comes to this theme, so I'd love to share some resources that have been helpful for me, if that's cool with you. The OCD Reddit has been a great place for me to connect with others who really get it. It's nice to feel less alone in this. Also, I've been using this app called "unstuck OCD therapy tools." My NOCD therapist recommended it to me, and it's been a game-changer. It offers AI-personalized guidance and exercises for those tough moments. Might be worth checking out! 📱