How to practice self compassion ?

Hi all! I am trying to practice self compassion with myself as i suffer from ocd, ptsd and bpd and due to years of sa abuse and so on I have a very very negative self image of myself. Anyways, I realized I was avoiding talking to my nicely (compulsively if you will) and being actively proud of myself as it triggers a mean ocd thought about myself. E.g.: ‚i did really well today on xyz‘ —> immediately my ocd says ‚sure but you are dirty and should feel guilty because you had sexual thoughts and enjoyed them about xyz‘. I think you get the point… Do some of you experience the same ? How do you deal with it ? The same way as with other intrusive thoughts ? Let it pass and restrict compulsiions ? Thank you!!!

Username: Robyn🪴🧘🏻‍♀️🧠Robyn🪴🧘🏻‍♀️🧠

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 32w ago

One of the hardest things for me during the past year and a half in therapy was learning to love myself and practice self-compassion. It was so foreign to me. I had always had poor self-esteem/self image. But when I learned to start talking to myself lovingly and kindly, like I would a friend, it was a big turning point for me in recovery. When I’m falling asleep at night, I like to listen to positive affirmations on YouTube. I also you the Self Compassion for OCD book by Kimberly Quinlin. She also has a Loving Kindness meditation on her Anxiety Toolkit podcast. I hope that helps you a little bit and I wish you the best!❤️❤️‍🩹

Username: lea134lea134

Date posted: 32w ago

@Robyn🪴🧘🏻‍♀️🧠 Hi! Thank you for sharing your experience this helps a lot! I bought dbt skills cards to practice and it’s quite rough but I will manage :) Did you also get intrusive thoughts when complimenting yourself and how did you/do you deal with them?

Username: Robyn🪴🧘🏻‍♀️🧠Robyn🪴🧘🏻‍♀️🧠

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 32w ago

I didn’t get them necessarily when I was complimenting myself, but it can definitely be a form of “checking” to compliment yourself and use the intrusive thought to check if you are bothered by the thought. I did this form of checking in different OCD themes. I have overcome this mental compulsion with mindfulness. When the intrusive thought comes, truly allow yourself to be in the present. Do you have an OCD therapist that you are working with?

Username: lea134lea134

Date posted: 32w ago

@Robyn🪴🧘🏻‍♀️🧠 Im glad to hear you say you have processed so much, I’m so happy for you! I was working with a psychoanalysis therapist for my trauma but my ocd got so so so much worse so now I’m June I will switch therapy to cbt (erp+dbt) and i am starting medication now … hopefully this will help

Username: BobbyIX32BobbyIX32

Date posted: 32w ago

hey there! it sounds like you're working really hard to navigate through the complexities of ocd, ptsd, and bpd, while also trying to practice self-compassion amidst it all. dealing with those mean ocd thoughts, especially when you're just trying to give yourself some credit, sounds incredibly challenging. you're not alone in this struggle, and it's really brave of you to reach out for support and share your experience. 🌟 by the way, have you heard about this new AI-powered OCD therapy tool called "unstuck"? i've been in your situation before, and what really helped me was this free AI OCD therapy tool called "unstuck" (unstuckmyocd.com/try) that my NOCD therapist recommended to me. i think it'll be especially helpful for you because it's designed to provide personalized step-by-step support when OCD gets tough, just like an OCD therapist would, and it can specifically help in managing those mean thoughts and practicing self-compassion in a more structured way. i hate when people promote stuff, but i really think it can help you because it's changed my life. lmk if you have Qs or just want to talk more! <3

Username: lea134lea134

Date posted: 32w ago

@BobbyIX32 Hi ! Thank you for your kind and encouraging words ! I am very much stuck indeed 😅 thank you! I will check the app out and I am super happy to hear it helped you so much! Next month I’m starting erp and dbt with a different therapist. I believe being in psychoanalysis for so long to work in my trauma has worsened my ocd for sure but I’m also starting meds soon.. all in all + the app that I will give a go i am quite confident it’ll be ok 🥹

Username: BobbyIX32BobbyIX32

Date posted: 32w ago

@lea134 - wow, i'm happy to know about the next steps that you are going to take. i wish you well on your erp and dbt. I'm positive it will go well. please take care!

Username: Lms526

Date posted: 3y ago

Yesterday, I did some work on a workbook I purchased. Its specifically geared towards people with OCD and deals with self compassion. This is a very difficult subject. Compassion and empathy for others comes very naturally to me. But compassion, kindness, and empathy towards myself? Not so much. I would never dream of saying the horrible things I saw to myself to anyone else. Going through this workbook has been great, but its also been pretty painful. Lately, I've also been thinking about just how much OCD has stolen from me. Its really not surprising considering I lived with it undiagnosed for 37 years. But it still makes me sad and angry. I want to reach recovery so bad, but sometimes I think I will never get there. But I won't stop fighting until I do or die trying. Can anyone else relate?

Username: Rebecca F

Date posted: 1y ago

Be Kind to Yourself

Struggling with OCD, I often find myself being my own worst critic: "I gave into that compulsion" or "I ruminated over this intrusive thought." It's easy to bring ourselves down, but we are all doing our best to fight back against the OCD and we deserve self-care! Personally, I love to pamper myself with a face mask and relaxing music. What about you? How can you be kind and compassionate to yourself today?

Username: KarsynJ

Date posted: 29w ago

Self love

I’m wondering if anyone has tips for practicing self love. I feel like I’ve hit a wall because of my ocd, where I’m upset because I was born with a brain that doesn’t allow me to trust myself, and even though my traumas and trials weren’t my fault, it’s still entirely my responsibility to fix the damage that’s been done, a task made extremely difficult because of ocd. I have to trust myself to put in the work to be better, I’ve made so much progress too, but it’s not enough, and it’s not coming fast enough. For example, I have a skin picking problem. I keep making progress and then stress or other factored cause me to relapse. I stare at myself in the mirror and ask myself why I can’t just be normal, why I can’t just stop, leave it alone and let my skin heal. I hate myself for struggling with this, but the more I shit in myself the worse my condition becomes. I want to practice self love, I want to learn to trust myself, but I have no idea where to start. I don’t want to feed into the ocd by googling possible solutions and whatnot, I figured asking members of the community would be a safer choice. If you have any tips to share please do, thanks 💪

Be a part of the largest OCD Community

Share your thoughts so the Community can respond

How to practice self compassion ?

Related posts

Be a part of the largest OCD Community

Be a part of the largest OCD Community