Looking for suggestions: 1. Any tips on retraining the negative brain? Does anyone do daily affirmations/and or gratitude and has it helped you become more positive in life? Any other suggestions that help you? 2. Do any of you write your worrysome thoughts down as they come in throughout the day? Does it help you? I'm reading The Worry Trick and he talks about doing a loop tape or just writing your thoughts down can reduce their importance and eventually the topics become boring 3. I've also read somewhere, responding sarcastically agreeing with your thoughts, this can reduce the importance of the thought. Does this work for any of you and how do you make sure you are responding to these thoughts?

Do you say that out loud or just to yourself daily? I've read saying out loud in the mirror helps.

That’s exactly why I never wrote down my actual thoughts or feelings, I thought doing so would make them real and that terrified me

@Evelyn4416 Oh I meant your daily affirmations sorta speak? (That you're a good person)

@Evelyn4416 That’s cognitive fusion. It’s common in OCD. You think thoughts equal facts. I’ve struggled with that in the past as well.

@tmp92087 Verbal daily affirmations does help me sometimes! I’ll tell myself that the thoughts I am experiencing are not true feelings, that I will grow/heal/overcome, and I remind myself of my actions and how they differ from the thoughts I experience (helping strangers, speaking kindness to others, caring for myself, etc.)

I've read that loop tapes can be part of ERP. Purposely exposing to your fear until anxiety comes down. Have you tried that at all?

@tmp92087 Yes. I’m in treatment now. Part of exposure is recording myself reading the scripts I’ve written out.

With my OCD spikes, I do better at responding to my thoughts rather than letting them be, but doing them consistently is my big issue.

@tmp92087 Therapy is one of those things that involves a sort of "practice makes perfect" model. Not so much perfection in this case but you have to keep at it if you want results, but sometime that's one of the hardest things to do. But you always have support here for you if you need

@ocdisntme What has worked for you with your thoughts if you wouldnt mind sharing? I've also tried, responding like "oh well, that's just a thought" or "well that's normal..." but again being consistent is key that I need to practice with.

@tmp92087 I think that can also become a reassurance compulsion. Even labeling it as just a thought means it’s something worthy of attention to the degree it must be labeled.

@CSquared Interesting. My therapist suggested to label it for what it is. Just my OCD, sensations are normal, etc. I have healthy anxiety so I obsess about normal bodily functions. You think maybe it depends on the obsession?

@tmp92087 Personally I have not found anything. There are times where I'm suck in a battle in my mind and time is a big component and I just keep telling my OCD to wait but I always end up doing the compulsions in the end :/

@ocdisntme Oh no. Hopefully you will find what works for you in time!

@tmp92087 I think different techniques can work for different people, but I think the consensus seems to be amongst professionals that accepting the uncertainty is the key. So labeling it an OCD thought can be a safety compulsion so the anxiety it induces is less severe.

@CSquared I've read about Dr Schwartz (sp?) 4 steps where he also suggests labeling too but I've seen on posts on this app that it works for some and not others. Theres definitely tons of information out there that's seems to work differently. What you are saying though makes sense.