As someone who suffers from OCD, particularly intrusive thoughts and mental compulsions, I understand the debilitating experiences others go through because of OCD. I've been there. Before I had the tools to combat OCD, every time I had an intrusive thought, I'd spend the entire day in mental analysis, logically deciphering a thought in the hopes that it would eventually disappear. Of course, that never worked. If this sounds familiar to you, I can tell you firsthand that you don’t have to endure life in despair. Even if you’re paralyzed by intrusive thoughts and mental compulsions right now, your days can be so much better. You can stop ruminating and live mentally free, but it takes a change in perspective. Life is short with no time to waste. Read more about how I stopped ruminating and started living. I hope that what I learned on my journey can help you live a good life and overcome OCD.

Thank you for sharing this. I have been struggling severely with ruminating lately and it has been destroying my quality of life and getting me to be suicidal again.

Dr Michael j Greenberg’s resources on rumination are the first and only resource I’ve found that really targets this issue

Exposures aren’t helpful if we just compulsively ruminate in response to them!! So many therapists miss this.

Yes, I needed to read this. Although, I have done ERP therapy in the past, I just felt I couldn’t commit to the exposures fully enough. Struggling a lot recently and needed a reminder that I’m not alone-and that I do have more power than I feel.

Oh my god, I needed this, thank you so much! Even though I’m a lot better than I used to be, I get trapped in my mind, do so much rumination about getting false sued, not knowing, getting arrested all that stuff and it’s so toxic. This mindset really is what my therapist, Joy, has been working with me on too. It’s hard bc we last week we did an exposure of going to court and randomly walking around, talking to the clerk, asking for random papers (bc that scares me). The exposure has been haunting me for a while but it’s really this mindset that’s helping it quell. Still struggling with it, but I know I’ll come out more equipped and stronger if I employ this strategy.

Second Michael Greenberg over here. Check out his articles on ruminating and how to stop. He was literally life changing for me. He has some interviews on the OCD stories podcast that are invaluable. He’s one to watch in the recovery world for sure

Very cool to see this pop up right now of all times. I’ve been listening to podcasts and other content from Michael J. Greenberg talking about his approach he calls Rumination-Focused ERP. I feel like identifying and addressing compulsive rumination is STILL a big blind spot in most OCD treatment, and it seems to be having a moment. Its easy to miss the scope of the problem when rumination is the core issue since it’s completely invisible. Most of us are so used to ruminating we don’t even know we’re doing it! It’s really been a game changer for me to see the new ideas coming out around this.

Thanks for giving us hope ❤️❤️😥

I’m a third on the Greenburg recommendation. Game changer!

He’s completely booked and not taking patients for the next few months by the way… he wouldn’t even put me on a waiting list. That’s how you know he’s good!!! Definitely recommend his articles!!

question: when your intrusive thoughts feel like an emergency (ie. i feel like my throat is closing up when its not) does this same process apply? for me, when the instrusive thoughts revolve around losing my life it can be exceedingly difficult to just accept the uncertainty.