- Date posted
- 5y
- Date posted
- 5y
What if you just sat and stared at one until your anxiety level went down?
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- 5y
Staring doesn’t typically help. Not looking (Avoidance) seems to be better, but impossible to avoid looking all the time.
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- 5y
@AR It’s my understanding that avoidance of what makes you anxious makes the OCD worse. I know when I had harm OCD I was scared to be around razors and knives. When I had relationship-focused OCD I avoided spending quiet time with my boyfriend. My current fear relates to breaking contact with a toxic person so I am making a concerted effort not to avoid my phone or laptop.
- Date posted
- 5y
You might consider a mindfulness exercise where you view these thoughts about imperfections as clouds in the sky or leaves floating in a stream. For me, using the latter metaphor, I think of soda cans and candy wrappers also floating beside the beautiful fall leaves. The trash represent intrusive thoughts. In this metaphor, I acknowledge the existence of the intrusive thought or trash in the stream, but choose not to engage it in any way. Instead, I just let it float downstream. I can definitely relate to what you describe and, for me, this approach has been very helpful. All the best!
- Date posted
- 5y
I am now confined to apartment with a lot of time to look at marks on walls. I am using your mindfulness exercise. Still tough, but thank you again.
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- 5y
Thank you.
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- 5y
Great advice. Thank you!
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- 5y
I am now confined to apartment with a lot of time to look at marks on walls. I am using your mindfulness exercise. Still tough, but thank you again.
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- 5y
Those marks are a lot like an annoying itch. It's not always easy to keep from scratching it, but when you do, has anything traumatic ever happened?
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- 5y
No. Just so difficult to avoid trying to wipe them off or paint over them, but every time I do I just make it look worse. It’s like a vicious cycle: I see the mark, can’t help myself from trying to fix it and when I do I make it look worse and the cycle just perpetuates. I have to learn to live with the marks - just a difficult exposure for me. I’ve been doing this for years. The behavior is VERY ingrained.
- Date posted
- 5y
I understand, really I do. One thing that I think is important is how you view this situation. You say, "I can't help myself..." But, the truth is that it is a choice whether to act on intrusive thoughts or not. So, I would recommend reframing it as, "I choose to give in to the intrusive thoughts." You have to power to decide whether or not to engage and act on an intrusive thought. Also, when you experience these intrusive thoughts, I would encourage you to focus your attention on what it is you truly value in your life. I am confident that it is really not ensuring that all marks on the wall are nonexistent.
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- 5y
Thank you. I think refocusing on what I truly value is very helpful. Just need to avoid this reflexive need to make everything perfect which I am finding impossible to do.
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- 5y
"Perfect is the enemy of good" -- Voltaire
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- 5y
Very nice! Thank you!
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- 5y
You're welcome!
Related posts
- Date posted
- 25w
I want my life back! I was always a great cleaner, neat, etc but not compulsive ely. Now because of my fears in my own home and elsewhere, I avoid cleaning the way I should. I actually have to psych myself up to do it and my house is just a mess!!! Has anyone been in this situation and found a way to get mote accomplished at home and elsewhere (shopping, etc) without it taking so long????? I would appreciate any helpful comments. Thank you!!!
- Date posted
- 25w
it’s like when i fix one thing a new fixation comes along. how can i prevent this from happening? how do i keep my progress intact instead of making progress in one thing and going back on another?
- Date posted
- 16w
I never heard about people with OCD who have messy living conditions. Maybe this is why it took so long to accept my diagnosis. Although I really dont like how OCD is percieved at by the majority of people, I feel like Im weird or something because I dont fit into that stereotype. I understand that a lot of people with OCD have this issue, but why do I feel so different? If anybody else has/had this belief, what helps with feeling more comfortable? Everytime my mom points out my room, and how its messy- Its like I feel so lazy and useless. So then I often plan out everything I was going to do, step by step, always having a reasoning behind everything, because logic always comforts me. When I start tidying up my room, I go full out (Sheets, Laundry, Clorox, Candles, Vaccuming, Then I start going through the guinea pigs cage to rearranging all of their stuff) Yet always somewhere after doing a few things, I start feeling disgusting and almost shameful of myself. 99% of the time I end up laying on my floor sobbing, noting every little thing about my room. How my furiniture doesnt match, how i would rather have solid floor like hardwood or vinyl instead of the carpet, usually things i cant change… and then barely anything gets done in my room. I start to have a meltdown and often dont take care of myself even more afterwards. A piece of me feels like my thoughts are just me being a spoiled brat and wanting everything i dont have- meanwhile others dont even have a roof over their head. The other piece of me is just tired, just emotionally exaughsted. Please comment any thoughts or recomendations to maybe improve motovation and attitude towards doing long tasks.
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