Help

@kennadras Thank you very much! I really appreciate that.🥹 Sometimes it’s isolating and feels like you’re the only one, doesn’t it? Sending you hugs as well!

@liliesinbloom majorly! i often forget that this is something SO many people struggle with.

@angel baby Kids, family members, animals, religious figures, and yes shows with child characters especially are triggering. I struggle with feeling like I have created images and they weren’t involuntary. I struggle with checking to see if I find someone who would be wrong to be attracted to attractive.

@liliesinbloom the best thing you can do, besides forcing yourself to think about the intrusive thoughts, is honestly to sit through a show with children or things that would usually trigger these images and feelings, and honestly laugh through them, and tell yourself that all these images and feelings are ego dystonic, and fear based. like you don’t have to sit through a full show if it gets really uncomfortable and anxious, but like give yourself a time limit. like for example.. “i’ll give myself a 10 minute time limit watching this, and if i can watch further then that’s okay, and if i can’t that’s okay” or something like that. that’s honestly what’s been helping me

@angel baby and if you can’t last 10 minutes without feeling overly anxious, tell yourself that that’s okay, and that it’s all fear and anxiety based. not because you’re a bad person. but because you fear being one so much.

@angel baby Thank you! That’s great advice I appreciate that a lot. I also remember like if I’ve had an image of like a character I like and so I either avoid them or can’t stop repeatedly thinking of them purposely to make sure I’m doing so appropriately like with clothes on and everything.

@liliesinbloom i’ve been through that too!! it’s you’re brain trying to scramble through everything bad to prove to yourself that you’re good. but it causes anxiety and somatic feelings that can make you feel even worse and make the thoughts feel real. trust me i’ve been there. but it’s all ego dystonic and based off that fear of being or thinking something bad. that’s why it’s obsessive. and the best thing you can do with obsessive and ruminating images and feelings, is to sit through them, for as long as you can. and tell yourself that this is all ego dystonic and out of fear. and slowly but surely, it will become easier to manage.

@Not2Day Can you explain what these are I get nervous about links sometimes I apologize, I appreciate you tho