Alb123
- Date posted
- 48w
Rumination won’t stop
What do you all do when u have tried your tools and techniques and the panic has lasted for hours????
indigo156indigo156
- Date posted
- 48w
So I have had OCD for years and am currently in a bit of a relapse , if I were to think back to how I managed to recover (for over 2 years) it’s the wanting it to stop that is making it worse. You have to allow yourself to think about whatever it is you’re worried about. I know ultimately we all want it to go away but it won’t unless you can sit comfortably with it. My therapist once described it as the thought being someone who has knocked on your door, if you leave it out there it’s only going to keep knocking, you have to let them in
Alb123Alb123
- Date posted
- 48w
@indigo156 Thank you for your comment.
MalisimoMalisimo
- Date posted
- 48w
Rumination can only increase your anxiety, nothing else. It cannot protect you, or make you safe. Sit down and slowly write down the problem, logically examine it and really ask yourself is this something to be afraid of? Is it a question that even has an answer? Then see if you can just let it go. Trying to solve the problem is the actual problem. Whatever it is you are worried about is not the problem. You can cope with anything. Good luck
Alb123Alb123
- Date posted
- 48w
@Malisimo Thank you so very much
Courage2ContinueCourage2Cont...
- Date posted
- 48w
I basically have to find a really silly way to agree with the thoughts. Like, “freak yeah dude! I’m so stoked about that happening! I can’t wait to _____!” Usually it’s pretty graphic and gory, and it sucks, but I try to find comedies that reflect the kind of humor that’s needed to respond differently to the content. I have harm OCD, and so I’ll try to incorporate Dale and Tucker versus evil, Chad from SNL and other SNL bits into the intrusive thoughts, and it works pretty well. I’ve also been trying to act super confused in response to the thoughts. Like, what do you mean by I might contaminate them?… What does that even mean? So I should cough in their face, is that what you mean? Stuff like that. I also have been referring to my OCD as Geoffrey from Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Sweet, can’t wait to contaminate everything, so Geoffrey can still have a job! Can’t wait to put things out of order, so Geoffrey can rearrange it. Can’t wait to cheat, so that Geoffrey can be my mistress. You can’t be cheating correctly unless you’re cheating with the butler, right?
Alb123Alb123
- Date posted
- 48w
@Courage2Continue Thanks. Has it ever been so relentless that this doesn’t work?
Courage2ContinueCourage2Cont...
- Date posted
- 48w
@Alb123 Yeah, it has. That’s usually when I realized I’m doing a compulsion somewhere else, and I just haven’t caught on yet. Especially if there is an entire theme I haven’t managed yet, I’ll backslide in every area. Some common compulsions that I realize I’m doing is choosing to push back against the thoughts and emotions because I want them to go away, or I’m hyper focusing on problem solving through the thoughts. Here, I’ll post an article for this, it’s all the different kinds of rumination that can happen, and how to let go of them
Courage2ContinueCourage2Cont...
- Date posted
- 48w
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issphra 🫶🏻
- Date posted
- 21w
OMG how you control your mental compulsions?!?!?!
I cannot for the life of me stop ruminating or checking how I feel about thoughts or focusing on thoughts or creating more thoughts. I feel like I’m losing my mind. I want to scream. I try not to ruminate about the thoughts, but trying not to just makes me think about them more. I try not to check, but somehow, I still check. I want to let a thought sit in the background, but the more I try not to focus on it, the more I end up focusing on it. I don’t want the thought to expand because that feels like engaging with it, but I can’t just stop it from expanding. It feels impossible. People keep saying I’m in control of my compulsions, and maybe that’s true for the physical ones. But when it comes to the mental compulsions, I swear I have no control. It feels like I’m missing something that everyone else seems to have, like there’s some tool they’re using that I don’t have. Controlling mental compulsions has never felt possible for me. I’m starting to fear them. And every time someone says I’m in control and can just choose not to do them, I end up beating myself up even more when they happen. Or when I *choose* I guess. I don’t know anymore. If this is my fault, if I’m responsible for this, then what does that make me? I feel like a monster. I am at my wits’ end. How am I supposed to control mental compulsions when it feels like they control me? I freak out when they happen. They don’t bring me relief, they just make me panic. I want it to stop so bad.
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Patrick McGrath
- User type
- Therapist
- Date posted
- 16w
Advice on instrusive thoughts that won't stop?
What's a piece of advice you give when someone has constantly intrusive thoughts and ruminations that won't stop? Interested to see what you tell others.....more on this when I see some replies!!!
RavenRose77
- Date posted
- 6w
Ruminating Help
I ruminated too much this morning and got distressing mental images (and confirmation) which sent me spiraling again. How do I stop thinking about this and how do I get back to myself? I feel destroyed.
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