- Date posted
- 6y
- Date posted
- 6y
Trying to rationalise them is basically asking for reassurance and feeding it in my unprofessional opinion. You don’t ignore the thought, just don’t react to it. They will come back, but you just don’t react with fear and your brain will send less of them?
- Date posted
- 6y
I wish that too, but last Thursday I had my biggest meltdown yet. Was self harming, screaming into a pillow, I wanted to die. Every single day this happened Then I listened to Ali Greymonds methods of dealing with the thoughts and I’ve been ‘stable’ ever since. Thoughts don’t get to me as much, I don’t ruminate as much. Went from 10/10 to about 7/10 (which is a big leap from no hope to 30% of my life back)
- Date posted
- 6y
Ugh, I can only imagine how that must feel? Yeah, I have discovered her recently and I have been listening to her but I was conflicted about what to do since my latest therapy with my therapist. It’s like I don’t know who should I listen to you know ? Great job on your progress and overcoming your fears? it takes a lot to go from zero to 30% I hope you continue your progress and find a relief, I wish that to all of us struggling...
- Date posted
- 6y
I hope things get better for you too! I’d maybe get a second opinion? Because not all therapists are good. Everywhere says don’t look for reassurance. I tried rationalising my thoughts for a month and it made me worse (don’t want to advise in case it’s wrong) I’d just make sure the therapist knows about OCD :) It feels better to go from 0 hope to 30% hope haha! Keep updated on this post!
- Date posted
- 6y
I also went to a therapist for a little bit that advised rationalizing my thoughts and labeling them as OCD thoughts (writing down the ‘OCD’ thought and then writing down a rational thought beside it) but I agree with Lewis in that I found it made me ruminate more and perform a checking compulsion constantly. Also, separating ‘OCD thoughts’ from ‘regular thoughts’ made me label the thoughts as not necessarily my own and led to some intense depersonalization and pushed me more into black and white thinking:( Now i’m finding that I just write down my most repetitive/intrusive thoughts at the end of each day and just leave it at that: eventually I’m able to see that regardless of whether they are ‘rational’ or not, they are repetitive and therefore intrusive so I shouldn’t give too much meaning to them. I hope that makes sense!
- Date posted
- 6y
What do you mean rationalize them? Like try to think rationally about them?
- Date posted
- 6y
I’m not an expert, and don’t really know what helps in the long term. But as m.a.d said, say if your thought is “what if I did this 4 years ago” Then the rational thought would be “Well it happened so long ago, what’s the point in worrying” To everyone who doesn’t have OCD that’s enough...but to us we are like “BUT what if it does?!” If you have the thought you can label it in your head as an OCD thought, or say “Yeah sure, whatever I’m this horrible person” then get on with your day. The compulsion would to be to get reassurance and try convince yourself you’re not a bad person. Sorry for the long paragraph, hope it makes sense haha!
- Date posted
- 6y
No worries! Keep us updated!
- Date posted
- 6y
Well yeah that’s exactly my thinking, too. I just wish there was some sort of magic pill taking it all away in a day ?
- Date posted
- 6y
@Lewis will do, thanks for the support. I’m going to talk to her next time I see her. She’s definitely one of the best I can find in my city and she suffered from ocd too so I think I just have to explain it a bit better to her my questioning? @m.a.d. Yes, that’s exactly it, like keeping some sort of journal and writing down why those thoughts(ocd thoughts) aren’t real. Thanks for your response it’s been really helpful ? @pluto yes, like trying to see a rational picture beyond the ocd thought, and also everything i just wrote in response to @m.a.d. up here ?
- Date posted
- 6y
@Lewis yeah, it totally makes sense and thank you so much for engaging in a conversation with me ?
Related posts
- Date posted
- 24w
I went to a therapist, I told her about the doubts I was having related to my orientation and the continuous compulsion to check again and again and the thoughts. I told her about my resources -podcasts by Ali Greymond, Chrissie Hodges 's videos, and the books I read to overcome and control myself. She said a couple of things that confused me: 1> Her daughter once asked her "what if she liked girls?" As a mom my therapist said, "Start exploring", and the daughter said naahh. I wonder if the daughter had a thought or was it a chain of intrusive thoughts that plagued her day and night like in my case. 2> She said my sources are right, but I should forget that and not think that I have ocd. 3> She also said if there is any chance I am straight, I should walk on that path- because she has seen lesbians and gays have no feelings for the opposite sex. She said she could see that I was not gay or lesbian in any way. 4> She was interested in my education and masters degrees wasted a lot of time talking about that. 5> She said all these thoughts are causing me anxiety disorders (but I don't have ocd, doc?) 6> She pointed out that being happy and in the present removes these thoughts totally but I am causing myself unnecessary distress. I was doing well before this talk with the therapist now I am triggered a bit. Please share your thoughts.
- Date posted
- 20w
How do you guys get past the anxiety? I feel like my thoughts are the only thing that control my mind. So often I feel like I should just leave my partner even tho I love them so much because I just feel like these thoughts are too much. I over analyze everything. I feel so stuck and defeated. I just want to be normal. I feel so toxic for the thoughts that I have
- Date posted
- 15w
I’m new to the app and wanting to know who else experiences this form of ocd. Some background I was a therapist for over 10 years now I am out of the clinical space. So I have background knowledge of ocd but never knew much about relationship ocd. I realized over the last several years with my now fiancé, that I have a hard time just letting go in general, whether that’s an argument or statement or feeling. I want to be able to just accept things at face value and move on (and talk later if my partner is ready as needed). But when conflict arises I can’t disengage till there is a clear resolution. It’s causing serious strife as he can feel trapped and it escalates the argument. I am reading more and this sounds like relationship OCD. Anyone else experience this? Curious on what others have done to work on this for themselves. I do have a therapist but we are not doing work in this area yet as I am realizing this is an actual concern.
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