AR
- Date posted
- 5y
Sunrise22Sunrise22
- Date posted
- 5y
What if you just sat and stared at one until your anxiety level went down?
ARAR
- Date posted
- 5y
Staring doesn’t typically help. Not looking (Avoidance) seems to be better, but impossible to avoid looking all the time.
Sunrise22Sunrise22
- Date posted
- 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.
Fear Strikes OutFear Strikes...
- 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!
ARAR
- 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.
ARAR
- Date posted
- 5y
Thank you.
ARAR
- Date posted
- 5y
Great advice. Thank you!
ARAR
- 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.
Fear Strikes OutFear Strikes...
- Date posted
- 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?
ARAR
- Date posted
- 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.
Fear Strikes OutFear Strikes...
- 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.
ARAR
- Date posted
- 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.
Fear Strikes OutFear Strikes...
- Date posted
- 5y
"Perfect is the enemy of good" -- Voltaire
ARAR
- Date posted
- 5y
Very nice! Thank you!
Fear Strikes OutFear Strikes...
- Date posted
- 5y
You're welcome!
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miss_anonymous
- Date posted
- 20w
Help😕
Do any of you avoid cleaning because it makes you more anxious? I haven’t worn any makeup on in awhile except for my eyelashes and lipgloss , but after keeping them in my makeup bag for too long I get scared. I dropped these Bobby pins on the floor the other day in my bathroom and mind u I haven’t done a full bathroom clean since I left for Florida on the 6th and I came back the 13th. The Bobby pins were still clipped on the paper package (if that makes sense) and I didn’t touch the floor fully but the side of my finger touched the floor. I don’t think I immediately washed my hands after but eventually I did. I ended up getting some lipliner from my makeup bag and I purposely didn’t overwash my hands bc I’m trying to be better about not excessively washing them. I feel like touching the floor and not washing my hands right away caused a flare up. I do wanna put on a full face of makeup but I’m scared that I’ll get a wart or an infection on my face. I know I’ve talked about this numerous amounts of times but I had a wart the first week of February and sometimes I feel like the virus is still on the floor. I haven’t soft scrubbed the floor but I’ve used a lot of Clorox wipes to wipe the floor. Like I said though, I haven’t washed my floors since Florida and I think it’s just anxiety. I’m trying to let my mind settle and doing the “maybe or maybe not methods.” I just feel like that wart on my foot traumatized me. I wanna empty all my makeup out … like all the brushes and even the bag. I know it’s such a waste of money but there are times I’ll go buy the same makeup brushes bc I’m scared to get it contaminated. Ugh and when I fo go out and buy them my ocd kinda flares bc then it’s saying “maybe someone returned this makeup brush and used it and your gonna get a wart that way too.” 😣 It’s like I can’t win. And then I think to myself, “am I gonna get punished or will something happen to me if I do get a new brush?” 😞 it’s very exhausting! Please any advice would help!
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