199903

Date posted: 5y

I’m a little confused on accepting uncertainty. If I answer an intrusive thought with “maybe, maybe not”, am I supposed to truly believe what I’m saying? Truly believe that I could REALLY SERIOUSLY do ____? For example, if i get the intrusive thought “I’m going to act out and hurt someone”, am I supposed to say “maybe I will hurt someone” and then continue with the triggering situation? Because I can’t tell if I’m actually putting someone in danger because the thoughts feel real or if it’s false alarms and I need to push through it. Does anyone have any experience in this? I’d like to make sure I’m understanding this right

"Pure" OCD

Anónima

Date posted: 5y

I wonder this too. Some expert advice on this would be idea! But, I think it’s the possibility of accepting the THOUGHT exists in your brain, not really that it is true or says anything about you. But also, since we don’t know anything for certain that theres a possibility even if it’s .00000000001% of happening but we’re going to let the thought be there without assigning meaning to it. It’s so confusing! I think the point is to expose yourself and not care at first if the thought could be or could not be true and over time and repetition our logical brain comes in and we realize no matter what crap our brain feeds us or tries to tell us we are we’re going to let the noise be there but continue to live life our best.

ocdillustrated

Date posted: 5y

Here's my favorite article on the topic https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/all-things-anxiety/201912/5-roadblocks-acceptance-in-the-treatment-ocd%3famp

199903

Date posted: 5y

That’s a great article, thank you. My only concern with that is when it says obsessions are ego dystonic and to trust the treatment process. How do you approach that when you feel doubt about wether these really are egodystonic thoughts and it’s not OCD?

pureolife

Date posted: 5y

Accepting something as a possibility is not the same thing as accepting it as true. You do need to accept the possibility, genuinely, yes. But the probability of it being true when you say “maybe, maybe not” does not mean 50/50. In fact, you need to stop trying to figure out the probability altogether. I find this article helpful: https://www.madeofmillions.com/articles/mistaken-beliefs-uncertainty-acceptance-ocd

pureolife

Date posted: 5y

Also for your example, yes: say “maybe I will hurt someone, but maybe not. I don’t/can’t know.” And continue with the triggering situation as if you won’t hurt them while accepting the incredibly small risk you “might.” When you accept uncertainty, you will experience this as taking a certain level of “risk,” and that will be scary. But it is necessary for recovery. It’s the first and hardest step to take. But it gets easier the more you practice.

hateocd123

Date posted: 5y

What if I'm already in the process of accepting it as true

pureolife

Date posted: 5y

@hateocd123 Accepting it as 100% true is as problematic to trying to say its 100% false. Remind yourself: I don’t & cant know if this is 100% true. And I don’t need to. Reinforce uncertainty every time.

ocdillustrated

Date posted: 5y

@pureolife ∆∆∆∆pureolife nailed it. Chasing certainty in either direction is a problem

Beebuh

Date posted: 5y

I also have this same question tbh, commenting in case someone else answers this

Angel20

Date posted: 5y

Same here. Not happy to consider they may be true at all which is why I struggle to take this approach as I’m effectively lying to myself! What’s the point in that?!

Anónima

Date posted: 5y

Ideal* not idea

Where’sMySer...

Date posted: 5y

I wonder that too.. cause I definitely would rather not have my thoughts “possibly be true” ?

hateocd123

Date posted: 5y

Following

Nobody special

Date posted: 24w

I’m not sure how you are supposed to accept POCD?

I was watching a video and the guy is talking about OCD in general. He says you are supposed to say “I guess it will happen” when you have an OCD fear or intrusive thought. But my thing is if my brain is telling me I have to be on guard or else I will be a danger to children I’m just not sure how I can say “I guess it will happen”. Does anybody have any thoughts on this?

POCD

Anonymous

Date posted: 18w

Any tips for leaning in to uncertainty

I need tips on how to really accept the uncertainty the ocd causes, even if it feels so bad like I might get in trouble for something , do I wanna be okay with that?

anonymousgg

Date posted: 12w

Confused about "accepting" thoughts for ERP

I've been told a lot that in order to get better, we need to tolerate uncertainty, which yea I get that and I'm trying every day more and more to reach that point!! But I've also been told that we need to tolerate uncertainty AND "our worst fears becoming true". Like how does that work, especially with POCD, OCD about a///ault, SA and all of that? Like that is really difficult for me and I don't really understand how I'm supposed to just shrug stuff like that off

Be a part of the largest OCD Community

Share your thoughts so the Community can respond

Related posts

Be a part of the largest OCD Community

Be a part of the largest OCD Community