How do you resist compulsions?

But that’s a compulsion as well.

Gotcha Silent One. I’ve always heard that repeating mantras was a compulsion but maybe it depends on the situation. I’m glad you’ve found something that works for you. ?

Maybe so! I guess it just sounded like a compulsion the way you described it. “As long as I keep repeating it, I don’t have to do the compulsion.” That’s usually how compulsions work, blocking the urges and thoughts through repeated action of some kind even if it’s just mentally. Like, repeating a prayer or saying a self soothing/reassuring thing over and over. I get what you’re saying about it being better than the alternative because you’re resisting one compulsion that may be worse, but kind of replacing it with another. Not that I’m judging at all cause we all do what we can to survive. But I think the goal is to get past OCD to the point that we don’t have to repeat mantras to resist compulsions for the rest of our lives. So I guess that’s why it doesn’t seem like a solution because it’s still an action trying to resist something. Idk tho. I could be thinking about this all wrong. We all find different ways to resist compulsions I guess. I’ll have to look into this more because maybe I’ve been looking at it differently than I should.

This is going to sound ridiculous but I recite the Litany Against Fear from Dune. As long as I keep repeating it, I don’t have to do the compulsion.

I resist them by ... I don’t ???

But seriously , to answer your question , you have to get comfortable with uncertainty. How you do that is up to you as there are many ways you can go about it

Exposure therapy , mindfulness , acceptance , etc. one thing you could do is tell yourself you don’t know , you never will know , and you’re okay with that. Even if you know that you aren’t , keep telling yourself you’re fine with it. That could decrease the rapid brain activity associated with anxiety !

I don’t think repeating a mantra is a compulsion. I have a severe compulsion to tear at the skin on my face and hands. Repeating the Litany is me telling myself, over and over, to not be afraid. To let it go. When the urge is so bad I feel like I’m losing my mind, it keeps me grounded. I don’t have to do it. I choose to because the alternative is bleeding and scarring.

Coloring or watching tv works for me. Also reading! Anything to distract the mind

Honestly, I’ve never heard anything about mantras being a compulsion, so that’s really interesting. I suppose it’s stuff like, feeling compelled to repeat a certain phrase in specific circumstances? Which is understandable. I don’t know if engaging in self-soothing behaviours like we all describe here is really beating the compulsion or just... diverting it somewhere else, but if it’s better than the alternative, then what can you do.