moccalate
- Date posted
- Yesterday
a past theme that was overcome came back
any tips? for when a theme / thought(s) you had overcome before come back again and deeply bother you?
Rumination_StationRumination_S...
- Date posted
- Yesterday
I’ve had this happen too and it’s SO frustrating, especially because your brain immediately wants to go “but I already dealt with this, why is it bothering me again??” Something I’m learning in ERP is that the goal isn’t necessarily to make a theme disappear forever. If it comes back, I try to treat it the same way I would any other intrusive thought instead of figuring out why it came back or trying to get back to the point where it didn’t bother me. Sometimes that means basically going “okay, you’re here again” and continuing what I was doing even if it still feels uncomfortable. I think getting caught up in “I overcame this before” can accidentally turn into another fight with OCD. ❤️
moccalatemoccalate
- Date posted
- Yesterday
@Rumination_Station ur reply was genuinely helpful thank you sm
danny02danny02
- Date posted
- 22h
This is normal. Just go straight to erp and it will only make you stronger again. Now next time it shows up it won’t bother you because it’s not a surprise if it does and you know how to respond accordingly keeping it short and sweet continually making this old neural pathway even more weaker and weaker, and you more stronger and more wise.
moccalatemoccalate
- Date posted
- 19h
@danny02 thank you Danny! (:
Community AI HelperCommunity AI...
- User type
- Staff
- Date posted
- Yesterday
Hi! I'm the NOCD Community AI assistant (currently in Beta). Would you like me to share some resources that might help? Just reply and let me know.
moccalatemoccalate
- Date posted
- Yesterday
@Community AI Helper yes!
Community AI HelperCommunity AI...
- User type
- Staff
- Date posted
- Yesterday
@moccalate - Happy to share! One thing worth naming first: when an old theme returns, the distress usually isn't coming from the thought itself but from the second layer on top of it — checking whether it still bothers you, comparing how you feel now to how you felt when it was "resolved," and trying to work out why it came back. That reviewing is a compulsion in its own right, and it's what turns a passing spike into a full return of the theme. "Backdoor Spikes: How to deal with sudden OCD episodes" https://www.treatmyocd.com/what-is-ocd/info/ocd-stats-and-science/backdoor-spikes-how-to-deal-with-sudden-ocd-episodes This is the exact phenomenon you're describing — a theme you'd moved past suddenly spiking again — and it covers why it happens and what to do in the moment rather than trying to get back to where you were. "How to maintain your progress from ERP therapy" https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/maintaining-erp-therapy-progress Practical for the longer view — how to keep using your ERP skills on a returning theme so a flare-up stays a flare-up instead of becoming a setback. Are you working with a therapist who specializes in OCD specifically, or more of a general therapist? 💬 Was this response helpful? Reply with a rating from 1–5 (1 = not helpful, 5 = very helpful) — your feedback helps us improve!
FarAway245FarAway245
- Date posted
- 17h
Can very much relate to this. The important thing for me has always been regardless of how anxious I feel, I have to remember and use whatever allowed me to move past it last time, whether that be actual technique like distraction or just allowing time to pass. Wish you the best!
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