Is there a way we can just train our brains to forget particular thoughts?

I feel worse because with typical ocd it's all thoughts and not factual but for me it's real event and I can't get over the mistakes I made in my teen years and some of the mistakes I've made months ago. Sometimes it gets worse and other times better

@AK99 From the looks of your profile, you've completely recovered from this entire thing. I want to say thank you. Thank you for the kind words. I'm trying not too be so down or hard on myself and give myself room to fail but anxiety makes that hard sometimes.

@AK99 Even if my mind is catastrophizing my thoughts it feels so real. It tells me that I should be in jail for my mistakes but sometimes I don't feel that way at all and it feels like overkill on my mind.

I even fear that the mistakes may come back to get me or hurt my future or something. I've kinda accepted this fact and not put too much thoughts in it but idk. It's so confusing on what to believe sometimes

This is so helpful, you have no idea. But everytime I feel like I'm actually not at fault and I did make mistakes and they don't matter, my brain goes into ruminate mode. I just want to stop ruminating COMPLETELY.

@BigGip09 My brain always wants to go in to ruminate mode, too! Rumination and analyzation are some of the biggest compulsions I struggle with. What helps me, and what all my healthcare professionals who have treated my OCD have recommended, is to GET BUSY. The more time you spend doing other physical things to get you out of your mind, the less your brain can obsess over things. You can’t think your way out of OCD. It’s impossible. Rumination is an endless cycle. By refusing to do the compulsion of ruminating, over time, the urge to do so will lessen! So try to stay busy—pick up a hobby or make a to do list of constructive activities to do when you need to get out of the endless OCD loop. It is SO important to get out of your head. By refusing to engage, eventually you won’t feel as compelled to ruminate and it will get easier and easier to resist! And I’m doing this EVERY DAY — it’s hard but I make myself resist anyway! We are here for you! Sorry this was long. Hope it helped a bit!

@Madison This is the most help I've gotten out of the app in quite a while. Thanks a lot, Madison! I'm so happy with your honesty here. I'm so happy that you understand the problems I'm going through. I took your advice and it does really help me. It made me reflect on how I was earlier in this year. I was busy enough not to worry about possibilities or things that happened in the past. I always focused on my work and the people around me. It really does help me. Thinking about it now is helping me quite a bit too. It's also easier to be around friends and whoever supports me in order to get through the predicaments. Seriously, thank you for everything you've put here. It put a smile on my face.

@BigGip09 I am so so happy to hear that!!! I hope it continues to help 😃🤗