- Date posted
- 6y
- Date posted
- 6y
Thanks for this. Trying to explain an obsessive rabbit hole to some people and they go “sometimes I worry about things like that too” it’s just proof they think you’re being negative and just not viewing it in the right attitude. Like no it’s not a matter of how I am viewing the situation it’s how deeply I’ve dissected every second of it and how fast it raises my heart beat. you cannot relate looking at the world with sunglasses versus a microscope.
- Date posted
- 6y
I felt a rollercoaster of emotions reading this article but I think Patrick ultimately wrapped it up in a balanced way; “You can view OCD recovery as a fight or a battle or a constant struggle, just like you can view your life in this way. But, in my experience, it’s going to keep you stuck right where you are. Respect yourself, avoid suffering more than you already do, and build the skills you’ll need anyways throughout your life. You don’t have to be a warrior to feel determined about getting better. If that concept really helps you, keep it around. If it’s just making you feel more trapped or more aggressive, ditch it. Keep the things that serve you well; leave the rest behind.” At first, I became extremely defensive while reading this article because I felt that may have unintentionally been invalidating the authentic experiences and feelings of OCD sufferers and labeling the “warrior” mentality as dramatic. I personally use this vocabulary as it has been a cathartic metaphor for me. I do not know other words in which to express the all-consuming and destructive force OCD has played (at times) in my life and that is separate from my healthy self. I think this article may have been better received by me if it had been positioned as “the pros and cons of the ‘OCD Warrior’ mentality.”
- Date posted
- 6y
This App also is a good start but has to be much much improved. I can't favorite your comment. I can't favorite you as contact. All comments and messages vanish within 7 days. I can't see a comment or response what majority liked this month, day, year. This comment section is pretty much useless other than get instant feedback or whine about my situation in this moment.
- Date posted
- 6y
Pros of the “warrior mentality” ?Narrative therapy which is often used for mental health recovery frequently recommends using externalization of the disease process ?Externalization helps create mental definition between healthy cognition and unhealthy ones (ie distinguishing OCD influenced thought or cognitive distortions) ?By viewing OCD as something external and ourselves as warriors and NOT victims/ sufferers we regain power and autonomy in our recovery ?Warriors recognize that there are intermittent losses but they may be part of a greater scheme of victory- a helpful metaphor for recovery
- Date posted
- 6y
I agree that “fighting” your OCD is a polarizing term but it is healthy when used to mean: ✅Taking healthy actions towards recovery ✅Doing things which feel uncomfortable that our outside our realm of comfort which our compulsions have created ✅Doing self-advocacy or practicing self compassion It is unhelpful if fighting means: ?Thought suppression or experiential avoidance ?Self-criticism ?Over attribution of OCD to causing all types of unhappiness in our lives / development of a negative worldview (as mentioned by Patrick) ?Black and white thinking or use of other cognitive distortions which ultimately inhibit recovery
- Date posted
- 6y
Sorry if this was an excessive response but I think this is a good dialogue starting here ?.
Related posts
- Date posted
- 24w
Common posts on here are "i had a thought" "why am i thinking this" "what if" and these are all OCDs way of making you doubt yourself while taking you round and round in never ending circles at the same time. Regardless of the theme you are facing, there is no "figuring out" or "making sense" of a thought, because it isn't a real situation - it's a passing word or image or scenario without any meaning attached. You can't control your thoughts and the more you "don't want to have them" the more they will appear. For instance, tell yourself not to think about "apples", it will be the first thing that comes to your mind, because that's just how our minds work. Once you categorise a thought as "bad", every time it comes into your mind, your anxiety level will go up and this makes the thought seem real. Because if it "Feels" this bad, surely it must mean something or must have happened - But none of this is true. All we have to do is naturally notice thoughts as they come up, and rather than try to assess or ruminate over the content, we can almost shrug them off. It's the only way to accept thoughts as simply thoughts and nothing more. Anxiety drives the intense feeling and the more attention you give to thoughts, the more power they have over you. No random thought can change your real intentions. OCD is never ever satisfied, so the only way forward is to accept the uncertainty of never knowing "for sure" and to class the unwanted thought as irrelevant. OCD says "quick..bad thought..feels horrible.. what does it mean.. fix it". But in reality there is nothing bad here or nothing to be fixed, it's a false alarm. Once you learn to respond to a thought calmly by working on anxiety, it gets easier over time. It's your perception of your thoughts that needs to change, you believe they mean something about you, but random things pop into our heads all the time - both things we like and things we don't. OCD also latches onto what we care about most and it always comes with a feared consequence, so think about what yours is, e.g "what happens if my worst fear comes true" you can then practice imaginal exposure which is imagining your worst case scenario over and over until you become desensitised to it and no longer fear it - therapists use this technique in sessions. Everyone in the world has thoughts, the thoughts are not the issue, you just get more of what you focus on, up until the point that you can change your attitude towards the thought. If I asked you if you went upstairs today you would have an answer straight away, however if I asked you a question related to your OCD theme, your anxiety would increase and you would doubt yourself, because that's OCD doing the thinking for you. Once you give it less power it becomes a less significant part of your day. It's so easy to give into compulsions as they feel like a "quick fix".. but as I mentioned, ocd is never happy, which is why it wants us to continue to check and seek reassurance. Once you start reducing and gradually stopping compulsions, whether this is rumination, checking, or a physical action (whatever you falsely believe is "keeping you safe" from your feared consequence) you will see it's not necessary to do them, and that the time consuming little things you have taught yourself to do have no effect on what actually happens in real life. Thoughts prompt feelings and feelings prompt actions - meaning - thoughts cause anxiety and anxiety drives unnecessary actions. As a side note, I overcame contamination ocd (I was in a very very bad way and now the theme doesn't bother me anymore). I still have OCD and it can affect me slightly at times, but i can manage it in a way that it doesn't interfere with my day and without the need to carry out compulsions. Please practice, because I promise it helps, it's super scary at first and extremely difficult but the end result is worth it. ERP therapy is also very helpful.
- User type
- Therapist
- Date posted
- 22w
OCD isn’t just about compulsions—it’s a mental battle that can be completely exhausting. The anxiety, doubt, and pressure to "get it right" can feel unbearable, especially when others don’t understand what’s happening beneath the surface. What’s the hardest part about living with OCD that others don’t see?
- Date posted
- 22w
Living with OCD is a daily challenge that tests my strength and resilience. Some days, it feels like OCD controls my thoughts and actions, affecting my choices and routines. However, I am determined to take back my life. I choose to face these challenges directly, embracing each moment with new confidence and a commitment to personal growth. Every step I take shows my willpower and my desire to overcome the limits that OCD imposes on me.
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