Hi everyone I’ve struggled with OCD for 22 years, and I’m hoping to start doing some really tough ERP with the app. My revolves around superstitious OCD and thoughts popping in basically if I think something whilst touching an object or doing something i feel it makes it more likely to happen, I have depression due to the OCD. But I hope I can start to recover because I’ve had enough of this illness.

Hey. This is going to be a long response Haha First of all I've realised you have to seriously be fed up of doing it. To the point where I was getting really down about it. Because I had therapy a few years ago and I just didnt do the ERP therapy because I deep down felt comfortable with it. So after a while I just got really down and realised I cant carry on doing random compulsions because it's still making me feel uncomfortable. Its still making me paranoid from the magical thinking. It sounds silly, but I used to do the compulsions as a way to 'control and maintain' life. And I started to think even though I was doing compulsions, I haven't felt happy in years. I've now blamed it on the compulsions. Because I learnt at therapy the compulsions are the reason you always have intrusive thoughts at the front of your mind. So I thought imagine your life where you dont have these magical thoughts or you dont have these compulsions? Imagine your mind concentrating on interesting or better things. So I did. I would do ERP on my own but I wouldn't write anything down as I didnt want a new compulsion. I have routine compulsions I started to work on. I'd choose 2 a day and only do the compulsion once as an allowance but that was it. These are the compulsions I've done for years and years. The hardest. So my mind instantly went to fear and feeling sick, but I said to myself it will pass and back to the positive mindset of imagine a life where I don't think about compulsions, this is the only way to break it. I'll take the chance of the magical thinking. I almost said if something happened, I'll fix it another way. I also was told it takes 3 weeks to rid of a habit. Because that's what my routine ones are. So I imagined not having it in 3 weeks and I cant give up now. And after not doing the routine compulsions, after a very short while, I felt completely comfortable about not doing it. Then I got braver and braver. And I've eliminated 70% of my OCD.

I had the exact same OCD as well. It's also called magical thinking. I used to have magical thinking about a lot of things and would do compulsions to stop it. Mine weren't even routine compulsions, it was the intrusive thought almost telling me to keep doing whatever I was doing until it felt right. And of course, it never felt right until I got tired of doing the same compulsion over and over again.

I've eliminated this massively. It's very hard to stop the magical thinking when you question everything anyway. But the magical thinking is loads better now. You can do this!!! You'll be absolutely fine and well done for being brave and getting the help you need. Best of luck

Good luck to you! I am sending you all my love and positivity.❤ You can do it!

Yes my magical thinking is a result of my minds need to control what it can't control. For example if I'm going to buy something or do something I want my ocd will say if you do this or buy that then x might happen. So I restrict myself from doing things I want to do, whether its buy a new shirt or do something I like doing.Like if I'm thinking about my job af the time and If I'm going to buy something and I'm making a choice between one of the two my ocd will ALWAYS tell me to get the thing I don't really want bc it says if you get the item you want you might get fired. My ocd does stuff like this all the time in so many different ways. Then if I'm thinking an obsessive thought and I'm doing something I'll have to do it again when the thought is gone. Like picking up a bottle putting it back down and picking it up again. My Magical thinking has held me back from doing SO many things I want to do in order to falsy control my worries. Then more thoughts come and it tries to tell me to get rid of them. Anyways I want to really thank you so much for the well thought out response bella. I really appreciate people like you.

Thank you x

This relates so much to me and I feel comforted hearing about someone else with the same superstition OCD as me. Before I was diagnosed, I had thought I was just extremely superstitious, but post I realize that it’s just a form of OCD playing into my head. Best of luck to you! Thank you for sharing !

How did you do that bella? For m thinking

I think the key is if you still believe the magical thinking compulsions are 'controlling' life, think about it this way, can you remember a time when something happened and because of the compulsion it worked out fine? I couldnt. Because my OCD of panicking and doing the compulsion would cloud my judgement. Deep down I was doing the compulsion to rid of the panic and fear. And if you can remember, tell me what evidence you have that it was linked to your compulsion? I bet you can't. I wanted control. It's about logical thinking and ERP for me. If you actually said your compulsions out loud and why you were doing it you have to think what evidence is there to prove this and have I been taught to do this? You've trained your mind all by yourself to do these compulsions. And when you say them out loud and think about what you're doing you think to yourself, that sounds a bit strange actually. Easier said than done. I know this. When you've trained your mind for a long time to think this way subconsciously, you will struggle to free yourself of it straight away. But, you have to almost not do the compulsion and instead of thinking of fear, see it as excitement instead that you'll have a clearer mind in the long run. It's still a journey but I'm doing great and bit by bit I do less or no compulsions. My mind feels so much better to, it feels relaxed. That's just how I've done it. I hope that helps someone. Sorry if its long winded. Best of luck.

The problem is you've trained your mind to think suspiciously like this overtime, so now the bond is so tight it's going to be hard undoing everything. But everything that has been trained, can be untrained. You have to remember when this started. Remember when you first started doing it and then look at how much this has escalated and is affecting your life. Habits are very hard to break when they're psychological because we're all very good at hiding the habits and routines in front of people. I'm not a professional, but I do understand how hard it is. I'm not sure if you're seeking therapy. But my advice to you is you have to try breaking it bit by bit. Face your fears. When that sudden superstitious feeling comes in, keep remembering theres no proof. And if your OCD compulsions have kept you 'safe', realise your OCD compulsions arent keeping you happy. And that's the most important thing. Being happy. I feel so much better in the long run now, when I stop my sudden compulsion. I felt better in 3 days when I chipped less and less of my OCD compulsions. Remember something else, you've created these superstitions, you know theres soo many superstitions in the world that you are unaware of. It's like gambling. If somebody keeps winning on a specific number, they're going to start associating that number with them winning all the time. What we know is that's not true. Eventually the dice isnt going to roll on that number. I think something else to remember when you're breaking your compulsions is, you know it's all made up, or you wouldn't be on here trying to fix things. You acknowledge what you're doing is coming from your mind, so that logical side, keep it there, its stronger than you think. Ive studied anxiety and OCD a lot. I see it as theres a part of my mind that's scared, and is trying to protect me. I almost feel sorry for it. Because its stopping me in the long run. Therefore the logical part of my mind needs to have a chance to speak now. It needs to ease the scared part. Break it bit by bit. I want you to get there like I am. It can happen I promise. If you ever have any questions, ask me.

Will probably take you up on that as I'm always asking lol.Thank you so much for your well thought out response. I value being able to use others perspectives to overcome OCD. Everything you said resonates with me. I don't see many ppl with this subtype so it's nice to know I'm not alone and actually helps remind me it's not me its OCD. I think about times before my compulsive avoiding and ot does remind me there was a time where I didnt have to over analyze every decision to buy or do things and this gives me inspiration to get back there. Thanks again for your insight.

Hey Mike Let me tell you now, what you have is what I have. It's that horrible feeling you get and it affects the things you like and want the most as well. If you seen two new games in a shop, the one you really really want all of a sudden when you touch it has a bad feeling and the game you're not too fussed about, it's like youd have no choice to get that one, because your mind tells you its 'safer'. I have it with items that are labelled with peoples names, names of people I feel uneasy about, colour red, having to buy two instead of one of an item to make me feel safer. There's things I've managed to eliminate already. But like I've said, theres still things I'm struggling with.

You're not alone. Keep thinking about those times when you didnt have it. OCD compulsions are learnt by forming habits in your mind. It's almost like we form these habits for protection. But in essence we arent protecting anything. Be strong, stay strong. Here if you have any questions. Everything learnt can be unlearnt.

Best of luck ?

Hi all just an update I’m no better, I try for a bit then stop this is something I need to work on daily not just when I feel like it x

Hello sorry to revisit this thread and annoy or trigger anyone but need some help and remembered this thread...The lady at work told a story and it involved a trigger of mine. Usually when I hear my trigger words my 'compulsions' invole avoidance as I have mentioned. So if I was going to do something I want like listen to a song or buy something my ocd will tell me not to do that after I hear the trigger. Well it happened today after hearing her story and my ocd is now telling me not to do some things I was looking forward to today because of the ttrigger and really need some help bc I'm so tired of this. Thank you in advance xo