Can you tell the difference

Thank you

@Jeffrey I realized that this is good, but then I have an additional OCD spike that says that I am not paying attention and to something important and that I am lying to myself and choosing the wrong thing. This sends me into a spiral or confusion. Which I suppose is similar for the person asking about it. What do you think about when this happens?

@PeacefullyHere When OCD says I am not paying attention - I usually will use non engagement responses like whatever, or an eye roll, or shrug my shoulders. The key is not engage OCD because it is lying to us.

@PeacefullyHere Every time I read a comment, I'm struck by how similar we are. I go through the same thing. Especially the feeling that I'm ignoring something important.

@Jeffrey Sometimes the idea feels so important that I can't resist it. I've started to favor delaying my response. I'd wait ten minutes, for example, before reacting. But those ten minutes would be the worst ten minutes of my life.

@Rafif Sounds skillful to me, maybe I’ll do the same. Thank you for sharing this.

@PeacefullyHere I'm sorry. But I suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder, fearing that someone else might get hurt because of me. Since I'm not a therapist, I'm afraid I might have said something wrong that could harm you. That's why I urge you to seek help from reliable sources. I really wanted to clarify that delaying your response can be somewhat difficult, especially the first time; you might feel your heart pounding or something else. So, if you can't resist, don't be too hard on yourself.

@Rafif Awww, thank you for the consideration. The way I understood it was that taking a pause could create some distance from the thought, so what you said helped me. I do plan to start OCD therapy again, so no worries too.

@Rafif And that is good to do. Over time you can extend the time and you will find it easier.

@Nia18 Yes, same. It always feels new.

exactly.