should i be doing erp instead of repeating again and again "none of that shits real. none of that shits real. none of that shits real" ? i can’t tell if it makes it better or not
Yes, it’s a compulsion.
i think it is, i dont think its bad to acknowledge that thoughts are not facts, but repeating mantras can be a compulsion. its something im working on too, ill catch myself thinking "its okay" or even a whole reassuring phrase before catching myself. you should be doing erp and practicing letting the thoughts be, mantras will give ocd power. you can say in your head "okay" and move on or even "i acknowledge that this is an ocd thought" and then move about with your day. it is hard but i heard it gets easier with time.
@forre-tress thanks. erp is really scary to me because i have a huge fear of manifesting my thoughts into reality and if i sit with the ocd thought it scares me that i will make it real. but i will try to
@tomhyland it is very scary, there are mild forms of erp i can do but there are some things that are simply too scary for me right now. its important to start small with things that make you less anxious and work your way up, which will strengthen your tolerance. starting with the scariest things first can be detrimental. i totally understand the manifesting thing, i experience that at times. stay strong and hang in there :)
@forre-tress thanks :)
This can really make things get out of control. Honestly when the compulsions get bad for me it’s worse then the anxiety of sitting with the thoughts, my theme is a real event and so I find myself saying “ it doesn’t matter” or repeating things my partner has told me as reassurances before we realized I had ROCD. Doing this over and over again instead of just letting the anxiety of the thoughts just exist led to a sort of like whirlwind of compulsions that had me feeling disassociated and almost out of control in a way. The thoughts are so hard and that feeling is straight up disgusting your not alone in feeling it but I and many others here have gotten into some good periods of relief From doing the exposures and just letting that anxiety punch you. That punch means it’s working
the reassurance-from-your-partner issue is very real, i got tons of reassurance from mine before i knew it was ocd and the open-ended nature of the answers gave me 5 more terrifying questions with each reassurance. ocd is so, so hard to fight :( it knows how to poke holes in everything.
@forre-tress I got my wife to go into a lot of details thinking clarity would help me but I was wrong there lol definitely opened up a huge can of worms and turned something that like I thought of now and again into a full blown ocd attack
@Flyfishingguy me too! the need for clarity is maddening but every time it just makes things worse (or only temporarily better). my ocd keeps wanting to ask questions and do checking compulsions but i know better now and my partner is well aware not to give me reassurance. we all got this :) it is definitely scary at times but no matter what we cannot give ocd what it wants.
@forre-tress The scariest thing is I feel like it leaves me open to being gas lit or manipulated and like I’m not allowed to check in on stuff or make sure there’s not happening
@Flyfishingguy thank you
@tomhyland 💪💪💪
If it’s make you doubt, it’s OCD. If it makes relieves your anxiety, it’s a compulsion.
Yes, that is a compulsion. It's a form of self-reassurance and in the long run will worsen your OCD because it trains your brain to think that A. thoughts are scary things to be avoided, and/or that B. thoughts somehow have an impact on reality. Try to avoid reassuring yourself. Just sit with the discomfort and acknowledge that your thoughts are just that- thoughts. It will get easier if you keep doing it. Good luck!
@needtoescapetheV0ID thank you:)
i would like some advice please and i didn't get any responses 😭.. apologies for reposting but just need some thoughts on this 🥲 //// after frustrations with erp not working, i intentionally brought up the intrusive mental images as well as sensations during an exposure in trying to practice desensitizing myself to them. but now im scared that me purposefully bringing on the images and especially the disturbing outward sensations means that i did something bad or acted on my thought since i took the action to purposefully create and bring the disturbing intrusive images and thoughts and feelings. now it feels like not just a fear but reality. and my anxiety levels are just too much. i'm just feeling terrible and would like some thoughts or support
i don’t think i can, i can’t stomach the possibility of these things, or maybe i can (because they might be true and deep down i know that) and just don’t want to and want to pretend it isn’t there. i can’t do ERP, i just want to pretend it isnt there and won’t happen to clarify, i know i have to do ERP, i know it’s necessary; i don’t need to be told this, this is just how i am feeling currently
sometimes, to try and prove my fear wrong i’ll be like “ okay, let me think of this REALISTICALLY. would i REALISTICALLY feel this way or do this thing? “ then i come up with scenarios in my head on how i think i would realistically ( or logically ) do something but then my feelings go against that thing i thought of then i start getting anxiety and start to fear that i would actually want my fear to happen or that i’d feel a certain way that proves my fear true. it’s basically just checking how i feel about something i think of to try and prove my fear wrong, checking my emotions or checking how i think i’d realistically feel towards it.. but then i may react “ unrealistically “ it goes wrong and i freak out
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