How do yall handle intrusive thoughts !? I never realized that was a thing I think I’ve been dealing with this sense I was in elementary school I remember getting on the bus and had the the worry my mom was gonna get in an accident and it’s just gone from there
Hi there, the best way is through ERP therapy in my experience, nothing else has worked for me
@Garrett Maguire What is that !?
@becca❤️ I’m very new to all of this well new to the journey
@becca❤️ It stands for exposure and response prevention. Essentially, you expose yourself to your obsession and prevent yourself from engaging in compulsions. You might have paralyzing anxiety when first doing it, but by not engaging in compulsions you teach your mind that the fear is unwarranted and the thoughts are not important
@Anonymous So how would one do that when it’s fears of like my significant other not wanting me or cheating or harm happening to my kids etc !?
@becca❤️ I recommend doing it with a certified therapist through here if you can. That way it's guided and tailored to you. If you can't seek therapy for whatever reason I think you can try looking up "ERP exercises for (insert obsession/theme)." I once saw a blog post by a therapist who, for his clients with themes they couldn't actually expose themselves to traditionally (for example if someone fears harming their child, obviously they couldn't tell you to harm your child for the sake of an exposure,) he would tell them to write out a short story centered on their worst fear and what would happen if it came true. Then he encouraged his clients to read the story to themselves outloud for a certain period of time a day, all while not engaging in compulsions and moving on with their day afterwards. I really recommend doing research on ERP and again, reaching out to a therapist if you are able. Also I am not a professional so don't take my example as gospel. This journey can be so scary, especially when you're just starting to learn about it, but I believe in you!
Also a main practical thing I try to keep in mind (though of course it's easier said than done with an anxiety disorder) is: CAN I DO ANYTHING practical about this concern? is there a problem I can/should try to solve right now by thinking deliberately about this? if not, then any further ruminating is not serving a purpose. That won't stop worries from popping up, but clearly recognizing if it's beyond our control right now is the first step to letting it go. Someone in my life will retort "No but this is something I SHOULD be worrying about! because it could be really bad if the test results come back showing that..." But I don't think "worrying" in the meantime is an emotion we should try to engage, as if not worrying hard enough could make the difference. I'm big on reasonable precaution and deliberate problem solving when it can be more productive than counterproductive, but any redundant worrying beyond that is a stressful emotional experience that is not serving our purpose nor our health.
This might help https://app.treatmyocd.com/community/posts/2024624
Welcome to NOCD! The best ways (because you have to do many things for the rest of your life), are mindfulness, ERP, grounding techniques, and overall lifestyle changes. Here are a bunch of tools and resources for you to get started. I highly suggest you speak to a professional and this is a great place to find one! -The Psychology of Seeking Reassurance: https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/reassurance-seeking-ocd-anxiety-how-to-stop-cycle -What is Rumination? https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/the-rumination-trap -Confessing compulsion vs. healthy sharing: https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/ocd-compulsive-confession-vs-healthy-sharing -What’s Pure O OCD? https://www.verywellmind.com/pure-o-primarily-obsessional-ocd-4159144 -OCD vs. GAD Differences: https://ocdla.com/ocd-vs-gad-7071 -Forgiveness for Past Mistakes Video: https://youtu.be/2Lq1Su3mEHw?feature=shared -How To Stop Rumination Video: https://youtu.be/CkcspsmLh9k?feature=shared -ERP scripting: https://www.shalanicely.com/aha-moments/erp-scripting-for-ocd/ Forgiveness for Past Mistakes Video: https://youtu.be/2Lq1Su3mEHw?feature=shared -The Hidden Power of Swearing at Your OCD: https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/beyond-the-doubt/201711/the-hidden-power-of-swearing-at-your-ocd -Taking The Power Away From OCD: https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/taking-the-power-away-from-intrusive-thoughts -ERP Worry Script: https://www.anxietycanada.com/sites/default/files/WorryScript.pdf -What is ERP therapy: https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/ocd-treatment/erp/ -What’s An OCD Trigger? https://psychcentral.com/ocd/what-is-an-ocd-trigger -Grounding Techniques: https://www.therapistaid.com/worksheets/grounding-techniques -OCD vs. Anxiety Disorders: https://www.talkspace.com/mental-health/conditions/articles/ocd-vs-anxiety/ -ERP Techniques for Reassurance video: https://youtu.be/D1O3RGnLjRM?feature=shared
Most thoughts aren't intended. Like aside from the small % when we decide we need to put our mind to a task. But most of the spontaneous thoughts that are constantly passing through our consciousness aren't very disturbing so we don't fixate on them. A disturbing thought may catch our attention emotionally, but I think it can help relax our fixation on it to compare it to an equivalently valid pleasant or banal random thought one might have. Like, what if my mom gets every green light in a row on her drive home, or what if a bird poops on her car roof. We are biased to focus more on scary things, but when it comes to ideas in our heads, the scariest thought isn't necessarily any more significant to reality than the next unchosen ordinary thought you're soon to forget.
Thank you !!!
Hadnt had intrusive thoughts in a while but these past few days have been filled with them and it’s so scary I don’t know how to handle them anymore
How do y’all deal with I’m going to intrusive thoughts? I’m struggling!
I started having intrusive thoughts between 6 and 8 years old. It happened on and off until high school. As an adult I was able to cope by just ignoring them and they started to be a rare offense. Now I'm in perimenopause and hormonal fluctuations and they are back with a vengeance along with depression. This is a very scary time of my life any words of encouragement are greatly appreciated.
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