Obsessing about whether it’s okay to ignore your thoughts and feelings . Hurts the worst Bc this is the way I know that helps beat my OCD

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 👀