Uncertainty is hard!

Hi guys, Last night I was playing a video game and it got pretty intense. I ended up winning the game but got anxiety. Then I had some thought about “What if the anxiety lasted forever?” And I forgot the exact if I do this or don’t do this, then it will last forever statement I told myself. So I have had the worst anxiety since then. So of course I am telling myself my OCD has became true. I am trying to practice ERP but it is hard. I feel like I can’t do this.

#happiness

Date posted: 14h

You did not make your ocd become true. Your anxiety will not last forever. Just try to stop feeding it.

Perfect Impe...

Date posted: 14h

@#happiness It’s just really hard to feel like I made this happen and I can’t take it back. How am I feeding it?

#happiness

Date posted: 14h

@Perfect Imperfectionist By analyzing if you made it happen or not. Maybe you did maybe you didn’t. Maybe it will happen maybe it won’t but anxiety never lasts forever.

Perfect Impe...

Date posted: 14h

@#happiness Really? But because it is in my mind that now that I said it, it must be true because I have had some really bad anxiety. I cannot remember or go back in my mind. So how will I take this back or make it better in a sense.

#happiness

Date posted: 14h

@Perfect Imperfectionist You can’t you just have to live w it. In ERP you lean into the uncertainty. For instance my thought is I wasn’t in gods will when I married my husband bc there were some red flags I ignored and my marriage ended in divorce. I have to go w maybe I was in gods will maybe I wasn’t. I don’t know. I can gather all the evidence in the world and I will never have certainty

Perfect Impe...

Date posted: 14h

@#happiness But the anxiety is scary and I don’t know how to make it go away. Ugh! You wasn’t in God’s will or being with him wasn’t in God’s will? Sorry I am confused by what will means like what he wants or wanted for you I think? Go w? Go with? That’s true. It is so hard to have uncertainty!

mindthemind

Date posted: 14h

Sometimes, when I have an intrusive thought like this, I tell myself, "it is just a thought." And I take some deep breaths. It IS just a thought that your brain produced, and you don't have to pay attention to every thing your brain comes up with ♡ taking a walk and focusing on what you see, smell, hear, is a good way to feel more grounded also. You can look for the colors of the rainbow, one at a time on your walk to help become more present. I hope this helps. This anxiety you are feeling is temporary, and you can get through it to the other side!

Perfect Impe...

Date posted: 14h

@mindthemind I just don’t remember the exact thought or what scares me. All I can remember saying is something like what if this lasts forever or forever now or something. That also bothers me because how am I going to take it back or make it better if I don’t remember exactly what I said. I need to find something to stay in the present like you’re saying! I really appreciate your kind words! It feels like this anxiety is unbearable and I am not going to be okay! I have been pretty scared to be completely honest! I want to just feel better already! 😞

mindthemind

Date posted: 14h

@Perfect Imperfectionist "Action is the antidote to anxiety." You will get to the other side, and you can learn ways that make you feel more grounded. It is a practice, like many things - you got this

Perfect Impe...

Date posted: 13h

@mindthemind How do I do this action? Lol. ERP I guess? I think I need to look up some grounding exercises. Crazy part is I am a former DBT trainer but it’s hard to apply things to myself. I need to start doing mindfulness as well!

DK27

Date posted: 11h

Remember that OCD hates uncertainty. It's afraid of it. But we live in a world where uncertainty is a factor. OCD, however, loves inventing certainty. I call mine "if-then thoughts" but they can also be described as magical thinking. "If I do this one thing, then this other thing is certain to happen." It can be as silly as "If I make this shot, then something terrible will happen to me." I don't want the terrible thing to happen to me, but I also don't think making or not making a shot in basketball really has a connection to what happens to me. It sounds to me like you're experiencing something similar. You had an if-then thought, but you forgot whether you did it wrong. So your brain is panicking. I suspect deep down you know there's no legitimate connection between those things. OCD is the enemy of logic, faith, hope, rest, and other helpful things. So instead of chasing artificial certainty, rest in the hope that you'll get better, even if things "feel" very uncertain right now. Can't say you'll feel better quickly, but you'll start to break the unwanted thinking at war in your brain.

BMace

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 24w

Always a good time to practice ERP.

I’m having one of those moments where I have to deal with some uncertainty at the worst time. I did have a little panic attack for a moment. Then I realized I could use this to make me stronger. Something happened at work and no one knows the answer I need. So I have to deal with some uncertainty. The feelings suck and the thoughts keep coming. I will not let this ruin my day I will continue to work and go about my day, even though I am anxious. Just remember that we will have things pop up throughout our days we do not expect but just to remember our practices. Hopefully the intensity will decrease in time today. Wish me luck.

princessOCD

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 20w

Anxiety about OCD

Hi guys! I’ve been suffering with ROCD pretty severely recently. I can already feel ERP working and the thoughts making me far less anxious, but am experiencing a lot of anxiety about my OCD never going away, being sad forever and my OCD coming back. Does anyone have anything that helps them with this anxiety? I was prescribed Prozac but am so nervous about taking it.

Anonymous

Date posted: 17w

Need help right now

So been trying to do erp with my therapist for a while now, and tis really hard and feels like it's not working. Il get this weird sensation or feeling that makes me feel"gay" or as if I'm attracted to someone, and I know my therapist keeps telling me" you don't have to put meaning into the thoughts or feelings" but that seems impossible to do because and I'm sorry to say, it makes me feel that specific way. And I'll use the Erp quotes, "maybe maybe not" or"the more I struggle, the worse it gets" or"these feelings and thoughts are here, but I'm choosing to let them be" and I'll do nothing and try to let it be here but it's so distracting and feels very real, and it's like this sensation, small or big and it last all day, and even just sitting with it isn't working. And my therapist will tell me"you don't have to believe in it" and I'm sorry I feel like if it were that easy, OCD would have never been a problem in the first place, or live with uncertainty, however it doesn't feel like uncertainty, but feels very truthful or valid. Idk what I'm doing wrong tho

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Uncertainty is hard!

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