- Date posted
- 18w
Any tips for leaning in to uncertainty
I need tips on how to really accept the uncertainty the ocd causes, even if it feels so bad like I might get in trouble for something , do I wanna be okay with that?
I need tips on how to really accept the uncertainty the ocd causes, even if it feels so bad like I might get in trouble for something , do I wanna be okay with that?
Hi there, I understand your struggle, I’ve felt that same feeling too. It’s part of the OCD, it’s very clever, trying to make you think you’ll get in trouble. When I get that clever thought, I utilize ERP again: I just don’t know for sure if I’ll get in trouble. Maybe yes, maybe no. I hope this helps. You’re not alone here. Thanks for reaching out about this, helps me too ❤️
I know it’s really hard. The best thing to do is just acknowledge that you will not know what will happen until that moment comes, and just because it’s a Possibility, doesn’t mean it will automatically happen.
Watch nathan perterson on YouTube ocd-anxiety, nocd YouTube channel,iocdf YouTube channel there is one webinar where they talk about doing ERP and accepting uncertainty. The core concept is ocd is the doubting disorder and even those it demands 100% certainty about x it will never accept the answer you give it ,that's why you accept uncertainty, your fear may or may not happen, also watch ocd Bravely there is a video on accepting uncertainty
This was a great question, thanks for posting 🙏 For me, it can be very difficult to accept uncertainty even if I am aware that the feelings are disproportionate to reality. It may *feel* like my life will catastrophically fail, and I know it won’t…but it still *feels* like it will catastrophically fail regardless. That feeling alone can be paralyzing for me at times. Sometimes, if I struggle to accept uncertainty, I do my best to act as if I had. This means taking small, deliberate baby steps in my regular life. Similar to “I need to go outside. I’ll put on my socks. Ok. Socks done. I’ll put on one shoe. Ok. One more. I’ll open door. Ok. I’ll step outside. Done!” This has helped me remain functional on high symptom days despite freezing up. I do my best to accept the uncertainty as I take these steps, too — that way my actions aren’t avoidance, just practical. There are hard days, and sometimes I have to accept that I’ll only be doing the bare minimum, and that is ok. You’re not alone, let’s keep learning to lean into the uncertainty! 💜
@j vv I like the analogy of baby steps. So true 💟
Do you ever feel like people without OCD have an easy time just saying “you need to accept uncertainty” only because they’re not subject to the same level of fear and anxiety as an OCD sufferer would? I feel like they don’t really accept uncertainty, they’re just naturally more certain about things. For example, if you ask anyone whether they think their loved ones are real or not, they will never answer with “maybe, but I’ll never know for sure”. They’ll just say “of course they are”. Isn’t that what certainty is? For me, as I’ve been suffering from existential OCD most of my adult life, such a question absolutely terrifies me. The mere thought of my loved ones and the world not being real sends me into a spiral of anxiety and depression and never ending certainty-seeking behavior. I just can’t stand the thought of that horrible scenario being true. How can one accept uncertainty about such a thought, when it completely undermines all my values and beliefs and world view? Can non-OCD sufferers really accept those nighmarish scenarios? Am I misunderstanding what ERP and therapy is about?
Hi All, just wondering if anyone here has any tips with dealing with uncertainty? My OCD centres on my being worried that I have committed a crime and can’t remember doing so, I was out last weekend and my mind is telling me I attacked somebody as I got an intrusive thought to do so when passing them in a bar, my therapist says I need to sit with the uncertainty that maybe I did and maybe I didn’t and have to be ok with that But if the answer is yes then how can I be ok with committing a crime and going to jail??, it’s affecting my relationship and I’m going on holiday on Friday and I’m worried it will ruin that, any tips would be greatly appreciated.
I’ve heard it’s not good to seek reassurance or give it because it lowers your tolerance to uncertainty. But how do I avoid seeking reassurance when my thoughts and doubts are so bad, I genuinely just don’t know anymore if I’m a bad person or if it’s just OCD? I know I’m supposed to sit with the uncertainty, but how can I do that when the uncertainty has me unable to trust my own brain? Especially when the OCD is real event and POCD? How can I not seek reassurance when I feel so alone and so abnormal and just don’t wanna feel that way anymore? In turn, I see so many people on here struggling so bad and my heart breaks for them. How can I give advice to towers without giving them reassurance and hurting them in the long run?
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