- Date posted
- 6y
- Date posted
- 6y
Focus on one obsession at a time. Don’t try to stop all of your compulsions at once - if another obsession comes, try to ignore it or do whatever you can do focus on exposure for the first compulsion. Choose something easy to complete first, something that you will 100% be able to complete, so that when you’re working on the hard stuff you’ll have a small victory to look back on. If, for example, you’re worried about needing to knock on a door three times before entering a room, but you also have to tap your foot three times against the floor before you enter the room, don’t try to stop both at once; try to stop the knocking, and then once that is complete, stop the foot tapping. I hope this helps! Keep us updated on how things are going.
- Date posted
- 6y
I've been wondering about the same thing. Sometimes I'd just forget about some obsessions when they pile up and be very anxious about it. But often after some time I don't care anymore.
- Date posted
- 6y
It’s just there are so many, I don’t know where to begin or how to do it. I know what I need to do but here’s the thing, if someone is afraid of contamination and fear of feces, I doubt they would be touching feces for the ERP. So how then, would one be doing an ERP for that? I’ve tried imaginary but it doesn’t help. I feel stupid and foolish and couldn’t take it seriously.
- Date posted
- 6y
Well what fear would you like to conquer first? Maybe we can think of an ERP together.
- Date posted
- 6y
I’m not sure. My two most problematic Ocds are contamination fear and checking compulsions. But these two work hand in hand. I should probably start by stop writing my dreams every hour each night to get better rest so I’m not tired but I’ve tried stopping once before but it came back stronger and it was after something traumatizing. But even when I feel rested the thought of doing the ERP exhausts me. Getting out of bed to use the bathroom is both my contamination and checking. Throwing things out is also contamination and checking. I don’t go anywhere else in the apartment just bed and bathroom. I’m going to have to start packing because I have to leave where I am in about two weeks, I’m just so exhausted. I’ve thought about going to the hospital but I’ve been there three times and each time they say they’d help me I’m still stuck in bed. And hospitals are scary because I don’t have control and you have to do everything on their time and that’s extremely difficult for me.
- Date posted
- 6y
You should start with something minor. Can you write down your dreams only every two hours? See how that goes. Or do you check something several times? Try checking it one time less.
- Date posted
- 6y
I’ve tried reducing the amount of times I write my dreams but if I don’t I start to become anxious and can not fall asleep. Only when I feel safe I can go back to sleep. I’ve been getting better at trying not to feel guilt and ruminate about dreams that I know I had and remember (I try to recall all my dreams before I open my eyes-usually have few episodes) up until I open my eyes and I forget what I was literally thinking of a second ago. That used to bother me so much. I’m able to do that when I’m so exhausted I just sleep. So when I do forget I can write it off as I was really tired and can fall back to sleep. If that makes sense? The checking is strange. I check multiple times when either I’m lacking in rest, I’m exhausted or experiencing depersonalization from anxiety. Also I get light headed and nauseous and start doubting my eyes. So I take pictures. I used to have to record myself but it’s very rare. A lot of pictures still? Yes. But I also try to think of the best way to check and clean one time. Throwing things out is a bit more difficult. I know what garbage is but I’m afraid that something small like my SD card with my embarrassing videos/photos or earrings that belonged to my deceased mother (examples) that I may accidentally throw away. I know they are just material items and but I feel like I’m tossing my mother out or I failed her or I killed her again or that I’m irresponsible and don’t care about her. I’m also afraid of forgetting. I know no one can rob me of my memories but there are things in the past that I do not remember until I see the item. And most importantly sentimental items are hard to let go.
- Date posted
- 6y
I know how you feel I've got similar issues! It's really hard... The only thing we can do is resisting compulsions as often as possible. Have you tried GG OCD? It's an app that tries to change your thought patterns, it's worth a try!
- User type
- Staff
- Date posted
- 6y
@crazy.cat.lady Have you been doing erp in this app? Erp is supposed to be the most effective for getting beyond those compulsions!
Related posts
- User type
- Therapist
- Date posted
- 21w
What's a piece of advice you give when someone has constantly intrusive thoughts and ruminations that won't stop? Interested to see what you tell others.....more on this when I see some replies!!!
- Date posted
- 17w
So, my brain brought up a question that really affected my worldview. I solved the obsession, and gained some good wisdom on that could be useful towards unconditional loving self acceptance. Maybe I was being OCD about recovery, and tried to find logical reasons for why progress is important no matter the outcome when I should've just embraced uncertainty. So now I have an answer to the Obsession. But this obsession took me to a pretty dark place. And I know OCD is just gonna throw and equally Bad one at me if I use this information to my benefit because it will essentially be reinforcing the OCD cycle. "Oh, he got the solution he needed to now I need to throw a new obsession at his way." So what do I do with the wisdom I gained from ruminating here? It's useful and practical information, so I don't want to throw it out. But I can't reinforce the ocd cycle.
- Date posted
- 17w
There’s this one situation that I haven’t stopped thinking about from last night . So basically, I was reading 'The power of Now' which is a book that I love so much and really got me into spirituality. It’s been so helpful for my OCD and rumination but it’s also been pretty triggering for it as of late, so I’ve taken a long break from consistently reading it. The excerpt I read was about abundance and how its not about being bountiful, necessarily in material things but realizing and being grateful for the things that exist in your life now and in doing so, you will open yourself up to more good things. I understood it but I re-read it a lot because I didn't feel confident enough to explain it to someone else. but otherwise I LOVED IT. It made me feel so at peace, I agreed with it, and it gave me hope to start focusing on the good things in my life rather than the bad. So when I went to bed I rehearsed myself explaining it to someone on a podcast and then all these questions started flooding in like “why should I only focus on the good and aren't we supposed to accept the good and bad? Aren’t those the values of Buddha and spirituality” “Ya, we're supposed to accept the good and the bad but why?- so we can feel more good??? And isn't the point of OCD to not label things as good and bad? and why should I focus on the good- so I can feel good? why should I feel good? because I'm worthy of it? why am I worthy of it? because I'm a good person and do good things? well I’ve also done bad things so why shouldn't I consider that. I just don’t understand why I should feel good without it being selfish. And then this went on for like 2 or 3 hours. Like holy shit. I over explain these ideas and concepts that I resonate with to the point where they don't even make sense to me anymore. It becomes very existensial very quick. And I’m not suicidal but these questions make me feel hopeless in society for some reason?? And myself. Like if everything contradicts everything then what’s the point to life? If nothing can be understood or explained in a senseful way, then how do people move forward and make decisions, like AT ALL? There’s never a right or perfect answer and I feel like with any decision I make in regards, I’m doing a compulsion either way. If I don’t answer them, then I’m avoiding it and if I do then I’m checking and seeking reassurance. I’m sorry if this was way too long and over-explained I just need some advice or to know if anyone can relate in any way. Also, I’m sorry if some of those back-to-back questions were triggering.
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