- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 4y
It’s totally ok to ignore them- as long as you acknowledge them and the uncertainty for ERP. If not, then it’s just another compulsion- avoidance ✨
By acknolweging them I’m just aware they exist and I don’t pay attention to them . The word acknowledge them confuses me Bc it makes it seem like you’re responding
@jake Don’t respond to them, just let yourself know that they’re there. Which you seem to be doing! Just a “I got a thought in my mind that-“ and continue!
@jake I get confused on this too!! I'm like, I need more information please lol
@JustRob Yeah that’s still confusing Bc like what I do is I don’t give a thought action or anything in reply I flat out ignore it
@JustRob I’d be saying yeah I got a thought very often Bc the thoughts come so often and that sounds counterproductive and painful
@jake That’s not good- that’s a compulsion which reduces anxiety. Just do what I said before, just a little “yea these thoughts are here”
@JustRob I don’t see it as a compulsion Bc I am literally not doing anything in response
@jake If you respond and prove them false, that’s counterproductive. Recovery starts off painful and uncomfortable!
@jake You’re avoiding it, which means you don’t have to deal with it, which means you avoid anxiety.
@JustRob I think your misunderstanding I’m not responding at all I’m ignoring them not giving them a second thought or a response in any form
@JustRob I’m not pushing the thought away , I’m just letting it be there
@jake Ah ok! I thought you were pushing them away. If you let them be there, and try not to prove them false, then that should be good. Stay with them, not run away from them. Sorry for misunderstanding ✨😅😊
@JustRob No yeah for some reason people interpret me wrong when I say ignore that I’m trying to push them away and It’s the opposite it’s just letting them be there without giving them any attention , it works and then the thought fades , like I just the let the thought keep coming and just accept that there is a thought in my head and it here to stay for how ever how long
@jake I gotcha- and you seem good with hoe you’re acting! Keep on doing that and being strong, bud!
@Lotus 🍄 Hello there sorry for interrupting but I'm kinda lost atm i have so many thoughts that scare the shit out of me about sh mostly and idk how to deal with that I'm so tired of it. So i should just aknowledge the thought and then try to think about something else right ?
@jake Jake, it's not a compulsion to ignore an intrusive thought. It's what normal people do every day. What you are doing is normal and the advice you're getting from JustRob is not correct.
@lilou I getcha. Say to yourself what thoughts you are having, that they may or may not be true, and continue on without dwelling on the thoughts! You can do this. I have faith, hope, and good vibes for ya!
@Claire Oh I’m sorry. I misunderstood him. I thought ignoring was avoidance; which is a compulsion. I apologize. Could you tell me what I did wrong and the correct answer so I could learn from my mistakes? Thank you 😅🙂
@Lotus 🍄 You told him he's avoiding his thoughts when he's not. He's avoiding giving them the significance of a response. The more you respond to a thought, the more attention you give it. That tells your brain the thought is important and it will likely generate more.
@Claire Ok, I thought he was avoiding them in general. That’s my bad! I misunderstood him. I hope we’re good and thanks for teaching me 👀
I honestly can’t tell when thoughts are being affected by OCD. Sometimes I think I have what I think are normal “grey” thoughts, but then OCD adds so much weight to them and I spiral. I had this thought that I wished my boyfriend was more confident or independent. I felt so guilty for thinking it. I told him, and of course it hurt him. He told me it’s a normal thought to have, I just dwell on it too much. And that it’s the kind of thought most people keep to themselves. That’s the thing. I don’t know what’s okay to keep to myself and what isn’t. I think sometimes I say things out loud not just to relieve anxiety, but because I genuinely don’t know what’s okay to think or say. I do not know the line between a normal grey thought and something that’s “bad” to think. I don’t know how to tell if it’s something I should process privately or something I need to be ashamed of. I get this confusion with intrusive thoughts too, but those are easier to spot and evaluate. This is harder, because again, it is *my* thought. That makes it harder to sit with. Maybe the intrusive part is the voice that questions what kind of person I am for even thinking it. I don’t have the same telltale signs anymore. My physical anxiety isn’t there anymore, it’s all in my head and that makes it so much more confusing. But I don’t know. The line between honesty vs compulsion is so blurry. I just feel lost
Whenever anyone starts to feel like their thoughts are less triggering or they feel a moment of happiness/ relief OCD tells you that you want the thoughts back or you actually like having the thoughts and maybe thats just the person I really am? I feel like im going insane😢
So my OCD has been bad lately. I’ve been ruminating and obsessing over my sexuality again. And it just keeps getting worse. I hate it so much. I try to sit with the discomfort but then my ocd does the backdoor spike. And the groinal response is what keeps me looped. It SUCKS. I am not attracted to men, but my OCD is trying SO hard to convince me that I am. There have been days where I’m just so mentally exhausted that I “accept” what my ocd tells me and I just walk around a hollow, lethargic shell. But then I rethink it and I feel better. It feels like I can only find my TRUE self when I tire my nervous system out enough that it literally breaks down and has me suicidal and hopeless. And then accepting my OCD’s “truth” (that I’m attracted to men) feels like a burden and a chore. I woke up today from an OCD dream, tried to go back to sleep, and my stomach kept cramping bc I was so anxious and ruminating over my intrusive thoughts. I’m starting to doubt it being OCD anymore. My brain is too tired to fight and cry about it anymore.
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