- Username
- 199903
- Date posted
- 4y ago
- Username
- Anónima Anónima
- Date posted
- 4y ago
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.
- Username
- ocdillustratedocdillustrated
- Date posted
- 4y ago
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
- Username
- 199903199903
- Date posted
- 4y ago
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?
- Username
- pureolifepureolife
- Date posted
- 4y ago
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
- Username
- pureolifepureolife
- Date posted
- 4y ago
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.
- Username
- hateocd123hateocd123
- Date posted
- 4y ago
What if I'm already in the process of accepting it as true
- Username
- pureolifepureolife
- Date posted
- 4y ago
@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.
- Username
- ocdillustratedocdillustrated
- Date posted
- 4y ago
@pureolife ∆∆∆∆pureolife nailed it. Chasing certainty in either direction is a problem
- Username
- BeebuhBeebuh
- Date posted
- 4y ago
I also have this same question tbh, commenting in case someone else answers this
- Username
- Angel20Angel20
- Date posted
- 4y ago
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?!
- Username
- Anónima Anónima
- Date posted
- 4y ago
Ideal* not idea
- Username
- Where’sMySerotonin?Where’sMySer...
- Date posted
- 4y ago
I wonder that too.. cause I definitely would rather not have my thoughts “possibly be true” ?
- Username
- hateocd123hateocd123
- Date posted
- 4y ago
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- Username
- Anonymous
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Accepting uncertainty feels like I'm accepting my intrusive thoughts (that I know are false) as truth. Does anyone else deal with this thought and have any tips to avoid thinking this? (I know it's my OCD telling me this so I can continue ruminating and "proving intrusive thoughts wrong", but it's a thought that makes me feel like ERP will make things worse)
- Username
- canigetawitness
- Date posted
- 3y ago
I dont understand how we're supposed to ignore "intrusive thoughts", when they honestly feel so real. I mean, how am I supposed to just accept the thoughts, when my brain/body is telling me something IS wrong. It genuinely feels like something needs attending to & my thoughts dont come in the form of "what if", they come in the form of "something is wrong and you need to do something". How are you supposed to know if something needs to be done or not?? I dont get how we're supposed to dismiss fear when it's telling us to do something.
- Username
- DavidJ85
- Date posted
- 2y ago
ERP and Thoughts
One for the therapists or those that have done ERP or followed some of the advice on here.... If the best way to deal with the intrusive thought is to not give it certainty and to say "that might happen, who knows?" then surely you're fuelling the thought which is going to heighten anxiety levels? For example if you have POCD and have a thought such as "What if I think sexual thoughts about that child?" and you sit with the thought saying to yourself "I might do, I might not" surely that's going to make you ruminate on it and we're told rumination is wrong. Or another example "I'm going to hurt myself later" and then thinking "maybe I will, I don't know" you're just going to make yourself worse? If there's a chance that thought is gonna come true it's make you feel worse surely? Please tell me if I'm wrong and I've got the wrong end of the stick here but it's been playing on my mind. Surely it's better to ignore the thought the entirely or just observe it as if to say haha yeah OK keep trying to tell me that, that's ridiculous. Advice and thoughts appreciated.
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