I would love to hear your go to strategies when you realize you have been giving into mental compulsions & rumination and have gotten lost in your head. How do you get unstuck/come back to reality?
When I start to spin out and the anxiety and dread is building on itself, I try to imagine closing a box and its contents back inside. The box can be there, but I won't open the box again. This is to say I refuse to investigate their contents, but can accept that the thought (the box) will do as it pleases. After many years of doing ERP and struggling with OCD, this has proven to work for me. No investigating, no rationalizing, no interaction with the thoughts, just letting them be there, and then they eventually become irrelevant. I also like to imagine it's like poison oak. If you scratch it, it will spread, but if you allow it to be there without scratching, the rash will eventually go away.
Thank you so much for your response! I have definitely been improving, but still fall into ocd traps. I have been on this journey or learning SO much and applying it & growing. I just hate how I can still get tricked/engage with the thoughts...Its like I open the box and get lost in the contents & then realize I need to shut the box...but it takes time to shut the box up again...
I like your analogy of the box. That is a really great way of explaining them being there, BUT not engaging with it.
Do you have anything that has helped you disengage after you have opened the box/scratched the rash?
@Kalidescope - Hey there, sorry for my delay in responding. I know what you mean, because once it gets chaotic and the thoughts have gained a lot of traction, putting it back in the box can be harder. That said, I feel it always necessary to cut the train of thoughts and create a distraction. I personally have found reading something with 100% attention to every word, or playing something like Tetris or Mario kart if you have a Nintendo switch, can be an excellent way to distract your brain from the intense thoughts and feelings in your body. Another good analogy is imagining that the OCD theme/ catastrophic story is a folder on your desktop. all of the thoughts are files in there, but you're not going to open the folder. that said, it's on the desktop and we'll have to contend with it being there without opening it. For me once I've stopped the thoughts somewhat, that is the time to go create a distraction with something that really stimulates your mind. I'll just reiterate for myself as well, there is literally nothing beneficial that will come from investigating the thoughts. This fact is a good reminder and motivator to not click on the folder. I hope you feel better soon, this stuff always passes even when it's really difficult.
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