I want to beat OCD because it’s starting to take over my life. I always knew something was wrong/different with me and finally got an OCD diagnosis from my therapist. It made me cry when she told me, but I know I can overcome it or tolerate it better. Please give any suggestions on how you take your mind off of intrusive thoughts, obsessions, etc. 🫶🏼
I wish you nothing but the best in your journey. OCD has its ups and downs. Never let it convince you that something is the end all be all. It’s always a trap it tries to play. It’s hard learning to live with that feeling but it’s also helpful to remind yourself that this is ocd trying to convince me of *blank*. Anything that helps separate you from it. There’s lots of good advice on here and I could ramble on forever so I’ll cut it here but always feel free to reach out !! 🫶🏽
@Anonymous Thank you so much 🫶🏼
It’s very courageous of you to share about your OCD diagnosis and take on your fears! What has been helping me tremendously is applying this ACT skill: In ACT, we see thoughts for what they are-not what they say they are. Here are 4 initial strategies for doing this: 1. Your mind says, “I’m not good enough.” You gently make room for that thought: “My mind is giving me the thought that I’m not good enough.” 2. Your mind says something unpleasant about yourself and you recognize it as part of a larger theme that you struggle with. For example, you are thinking that you probably won’t do well on an upcoming test or job interview, and you slow down and frame it this way: “Here’s the story that I can’t do anything right.” 3. Your mind casts you as insufficient in some way: “I’m not good enough.” You could get into an argument with it. You could treat that evaluation as important and give it your attention. Or you could call it what it is like this: “My mind is giving me the evaluation that I’m not good enough.” 4. Notice it and play with it. Take an uncomfortable thought and sing it to a melody. Pinch your nose closed and then say it out loud. Imagine it was coming out of a cartoon character’s mouth in their voice or a thought bubble. With the first point, I’d say to myself, “My mind is telling me to worry about [fear],” like a bully trying to scare me. I respond with “NO.” Doing this helps me eliminate anxiety caused by the obsession and the need to perform a compulsion. I’m here to listen if you want to talk
@Peacher Thank you so much. I actually had those bad thoughts this morning and I got mad and said out loud “get out of my head you’re just a dumb thought” and it seemed to help a bit. I started therapy a few weeks ago, and I’m excited to see how it’ll help me. Thank you so much
@aleesanders I’m happy to help! I spoke to my therapist about this and identified where to modify this technique for OCD. Instead of “no,” we could say, “sure, okay” and let the thoughts sit with us to form the connection that they are not dangerous. My initial approach was less than ideal due to rejecting these thoughts, which helped eliminate the obsession(s) and anxiety completely or at least make them easier to manage. However, we want to manage these slowly over time, like learning through gradual steps, to reduce distress levels. If this is something you’re interested in applying, ask your therapist about this as they can offer personalized support I’m unable to. You’re on the right track with separating the OCD voice from yourself as it is not you. Respond as you would to someone peer pressuring you. I’m happy for you and hope your journey goes beautifully!
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