For those struggling with low self esteem

Tell yourself the opposite of what your thoughts say. You're allowed to make mistakes. You deserve love. You deserve to follow your dreams. You deserve kindness. You deserve to be happy. You deserve to go through life embracing all of who you are without judgement. Time and time again I get stuck in this superfluous loop of remembering what i didn't do right. What didn't go well. The bad things that happened to me. The mean things people have said to me. The guilt and shame I have for addictive behaviors. The things I wish I didn't do in my teen years. You know what though? That's all BS. You did the best you could. You tried with what you have. There's no use ruminating over it. I know this is easier said than done. I know this is difficult. I know that OCD can make this worse for us by making us think about the very things that bother us over and over again. I know it sucks. It really is a pain. But with practice, and reminders, I think we can do this. I think I can do this. I think you can do this.

Mitu_001

Date posted: 1y

Yess ♡♡♡

Wolfram

Date posted: 1y

I love this but be careful with it. This is interacting with the thoughts rather than letting them flow and can be ruminating. Do what you want to do regardless or despite ocd. I agree with what you said however in paragraph 2 and 3 100%

BigGyro09

Date posted: 1y

If I sit with the thoughts that can just make things worse for me. I haven't really figured out how to sit with the thoughts without them bothering me because they do.

Wolfram

Date posted: 1y

@BigGyro09 Acknowledging their existence and agreeing with them are different. You can also agree with them and be sarcastic about it. All you're looking to do is take the wind out of its sail. Or blow so hard that the sail breaks. (there are right and wrong approaches) What approaches do you usually take? Why don't you think its working?

BigGyro09

Date posted: 1y

@Wolfram I agree with everything about the first paragraph. I guess when I'm sitting with the thoughts, I just resort to rumination which I forget is a compulsion and I shouldn't be doing it. When I st with the thoughts, it doesn't really feel like progress. However, journaling them has helped me because I feel like it puts the pieces together, but I know that this can be reassurance if not careful.

Wolfram

Date posted: 1y

@BigGyro09 Why do you think journaling could be reassurance?

BigGyro09

Date posted: 1y

@Wolfram I think it could be reassurance because everytime I get intrusive thoughts trying to bring me down I could go back to what I wrote to try and help me. But that may be compulsive because I'm meant to sit with them. It's tricky though. I have genuine thoughts that disturb me and I have these intrusive thoughts that amplify everything. I don't think just sitting around and waiting for them to longer bother me is working.

Wolfram

Date posted: 1y

@BigGyro09 That's where erp comes in. You take the fight to your thoughts rather than waiting for it to come to you. If you don't practice for a fight, then the fight comes your way, you won't be prepared and get your butt kicked.

BigGyro09

Date posted: 1y

@Wolfram I haven't really learned that yet. I've gathered just about everyone except for to do ERP

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