just when I think i’m having a good weekend and I can forget about my struggles my brain tells me i’m not allowed to feel happy and that there’s always SOMETHING i need to be worrying about. so frustrating :(
Hi, I’m sorry OCD is running your weekend. That’s what it does, it’s like a broken alarm clock, constantly going off and telling you something is wrong even when nothing actually is. One thing I like to keep in mind is that I decide what’s worth my attention. I can acknowledge the thought, recognize that the alarm is blaring, but still go on with my day. The noise doesn’t have to control what I do. I used to feel anxious about not being anxious, always checking in on my emotions like I was waiting for something bad to happen. But emotions; whether it’s happiness, anxiety, or anything else—are like clouds. They come and go, we acknowledge them, but we don’t have to chase them or hold onto them. You don’t have to earn happiness, and OCD doesn’t get to decide whether you deserve to feel good. I hope your day gets better!
@AnonymityK this is a great tool, thank you :))
Hi there, OCD loves to join the party when it isn't invited or wanted. I can imagine you were having a lovely weekend, relaxing and maybe even noticing an absence of fear when boom, OCD pops up and starts demanding worry about future potential concerns. I love the clouds in the sky recommendation given by another Member! Here is a video with other tips to challenge the compulsive rumination, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXIllLvRUZE
@Jennifer Dalimonte thank you so much i really appreciate it!!
@violettag6 - You are most welcome!
Hi ! just wanted to send well wishes your way. OCD can be so debilitating.
I feel the same way so often 😢 I hope your brain settles down and lets you enjoy your time, and I’m glad you had those happy feelings in the first place! ✌️
@flyana thank you!!!
Ugh, I feel that. OCD is so relentless sometimes. I'm glad you had a pretty good weekend even with your brain still causing some hardship! I know that's frustrating.
Hello, I am so sorry that you had this experience. It sounds frustrating and disheartening. At the same time, I think it would be worthwhile to consider the following. First, you did have a period of time that was enjoyable and maybe even blissful. That is a sign of improvement in your struggle with OCD and/or anxiety as I bet that there was a time when your OCD and/or anxiety prevented you from having any substantial amount of time without feeling stressed. Secondly, while it is true that you cannot control these thoughts, you CAN control your actions. Meaning, you can acknowledge how annoying and disruptive these thoughts are, but then go on with your day and do the activities you want such as exercise, reading, going out with friends, etc. Actually being active can be much healthier than sitting around your home moping over your unwanted thoughts.
@Noah Pollack I’ve definitely been trying to get myself more motivated and trying to stay active since i posted this. I really appreciate the advice :)
@violettag6 You are very welcome and I wish you much success with this!
my therapist suggested that some of my less bad rocd intrusive thoughts are actually mine, and not intrusive. She ended up taking it back when she saw the alarm on my face and saw how panicked I got. I feel really freaking anxious. We were only talking about it because I mentioned a lot of doubt surrounding those less bad ones, but it only filled me with more doubt. I don’t want those thoughts to be mine. I really don’t. I feel scared and so discouraged after this session. I feel scared about the worst thoughts, what if those aren’t intrusive. I feel so much doubt.
This might contain triggering content, but I'm also wondering if others have dealt with this similar thought, and if so, how to deal with it? Overall, I've been doing so well these past few days. I'm able to eat again, which I hadn't been able to do because of how much anxiety I'd been experiencing. I'm spending time around loved ones and not just rotting in my room, and I've been able to wake up without immediately being bombarded by intrusive thoughts. When things first got really bad, I'd wake my mom up every night for reassurance, but I haven't done that in a while either. I'm really proud of myself, but there's still this nagging thought in my mind... While looking through others posts on here, hoping to find advice that'd fit my situation, I ended up making things worse. Someone mentioned how they had a fear that they'd purposely search for illegal content (related to POCD). I panicked, and "what ifs" flooded my thoughts. "What if the intrusive thoughts affect who I am as a person, and I do that?" I'm terrified that I'll search for those things, which I know means I wouldn't do it. But then, another person on here said they'd actually looked for those things, and that freaked me out even more. Does that mean it's possible for that to happen to me? I don't want to do that, but I keep having intrusive thoughts surrounding it. I've been doing so well these past few days. I'm just... stuck. I don't know what to do. I've spoken with other people who have the same fears, but how do I manage this? It's not something I've even thought about before seeing those posts. I've been practicing accepting the uncertainty, but I'm really struggling with this one. I hate this. This morning, I woke up, and the intrusive thoughts were back. It's just disheartening.
So recently i had really obsessive thoughts about something and once i got over it i kept bringing back more stuff to make myself feel like a bad person. Why am i doing this? Why do i need to look for something else to burden someone with once they have forgiven me
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