- Date posted
- 1y
Uncertainty
How do I sit with uncertainty?? Like I understand that I should just let the thoughts be there and not do a compulsion, but HOW? I would appreciate any tips
How do I sit with uncertainty?? Like I understand that I should just let the thoughts be there and not do a compulsion, but HOW? I would appreciate any tips
I just talked about this with my therapist. He said the term “sitting with uncertainty” is actually better phrased as “moving on with uncertainty”. Instead of just sitting there, DO things while you’re uncertain. Go take a walk while being uncertain. Go for lunch while being uncertain. Do everything you want to do while allowing uncertainty to be there without compulsions.
To sit with uncertainty just let those thoughts come and go like clouds in the sky. Don’t assign any importance to the thoughts and allow the anxiety to occur without compulsions
Try to remember this one bit if reality: if we don't feed the compulsions, given time the OCD episode will likely pass. Over time, it gets easier.
What the others who posted here have said 🥰
I realized recently that I put such importance on some thoughts and not others. I know that is what we are told not to do. But I stopped for a moment and thought about another thought I had several days before. And it struck me just how absurd and silly this new thought was and why was it so much more important or meaningful than the previous thought. I guess I was briefly able to step back and see how skewed my perspective was. It’s really difficult in the midst of thoughts to step away but maybe for a moment my mind compared one thought to another and found it to be illogical. I’m too am in the deep hole of ocd right now. So maybe little by little I can step away and see just how meaningless and fruitless these thoughts are.
I've been told a lot that in order to get better, we need to tolerate uncertainty, which yea I get that and I'm trying every day more and more to reach that point!! But I've also been told that we need to tolerate uncertainty AND "our worst fears becoming true". Like how does that work, especially with POCD, OCD about a///ault, SA and all of that? Like that is really difficult for me and I don't really understand how I'm supposed to just shrug stuff like that off
Hello everyone! I’m starting to recognize when my thoughts begin to spiral, when i’m seeking reassurance or checking. But I still have the sense of uneasiness and anxiety. I was wondering what others do that allow them to move forward with their day when they realize this? I don’t know if I’m making sense, but what are ways you pull the focus back to the present and yourself? Like besides saying “maybe or maybe not”, more like what do you do with yourself after you recognize the thoughts? I feel like I’m at a “now what?” and don’t know what to do with my anxious energy. I’m trying to find something physical to help me so if you also have any hobbies or interests that help I would love to hear it.
I’ve been getting stuck in my understanding of OCD lately. When I have intrusive thoughts, although I have OCD, I’m not supposed to label them as part of my condition? Instead I just say maybe/maybe not? It feels like it takes the wind out of my sails a bit in recovery? Like having cancer, but when I go to chemo, I’m supposed to say “maybe I have cancer, maybe I don’t.” Would anyone be able to speak to this and increase my insight and understanding? Thank you!
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