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- 4y
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- 4y
my brain gets overwhelmed and I get a sensory overload.
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- 4y
Me too!
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- 4y
Try to just recognize that you are ruminating and you can’t change the past. Try to remember that just because you have thoughts doesn’t mean you necessarily mean them, want them, or that they are true. Sometimes we just have thoughts. Allow the thoughts to be there but don’t pay attention to them, this could be hard but it may help when you face rumination another time.
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- 4y
Thank you for this. I have been ruminating a lot on a thought I had and it has made me so uncomfortable I keep trying to analyze it, but before when I was ruminating hard it only got worse.
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- 4y
@Caree Yeah, if you have a thought that you don’t mean, just let it be there. If you don’t mean it, just don’t pay attention to it. I’ve tried this and it is hard, and sometimes you will ruminate but it’s a good exercise to try to get better at not ruminating.
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- 4y
ruminating like hell today 🤟🏼 but i am doing my best not to engage, that’s the key!
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- 4y
My problem is that I engage sooo much. I gotta stop
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- 4y
@Caree me too, friend! it’s incredibly frustrating. so you aren’t alone! how’s your journey been going?
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- 4y
@Maban Well I’ve had OCD since I was very young and it’s gone through a lot of up’s and downs throughout my life. This year has definetly been the hardest of my life. This week has been tough for me too. Right now I am pregnant and on less of my medication so that has been tough for me too. How about you???
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- 4y
@Caree A baby! That’s so exciting, you must be thrilled! I definitely have been struggling since a young age, but was just diagnosed in February! It hasn’t been a linear journey for sure, but i’m just taking it day by day!
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- 4y
@Maban I am very excited!! It’s my first too so it’s a brand new experience. Oh okay, so you are more newly diagnosed! And yes, OCD is never a linear journey so never blame yourself for having ups and downs in your recovery. It’s a difficult journey but we got this😊
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- 4y
@Caree Yes, newly diagnosed here! I have horrible patience, so I feel like I expect to be completely fine after all the hard work i’ve done but I know it hasn’t been that long. Rome wasn’t built in a day! I’m working on more self-compassion :) Are you due soon?
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- 4y
@Maban Very good way to put it! Believe me, be patient with yourself but know that there will be easier days in the future. I’ve had periods of really good recovery so I try to remember that those times are possible. And I am almost halfway there. I am in my 5th month of pregnancy so about 4 more months to go!
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- 4y
@Caree Thank you! Do you see a specialist? Or have you really got a reign on working through those tricky days?
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- 4y
@Maban I see a therapist who specializes in OCD and I’ve been seeing her for about 7 years. Seeing a therapist who specializes in OCD really helps
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- 4y
Please do! I hope you have a fantastic Thursday ☺️ I’m feeling a lot better than yesterday for sure
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- 4y
Thanks you too!😊 I’m having some rough patches but I’m getting through it!
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- 4y
@Caree you go, girl! it’s refreshing to talk with someone who is so optimistic!
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- 4y
@Maban Thank you!! To be completely honest I am not always so optimistic, I’m actually more pessimistic than optimistic, but I am just so tired of being down from OCD
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- 4y
Can i ask, do you participate in a support group or anything?
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- 4y
I went to a support group once! It was very helpful. I also did the Rogers Partial Hospitalization Program this summer and that was helpful too. There’s a lot of great resources out there!!
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- 4y
@Caree That’s amazing! I’m proud of you for making that move :) I’d love to join a support group. I’ve been seeing a specialist, she’s great! Very very helpful. I also got the mindfulness workbook for OCD and it’s phenomenal so far!
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- 4y
@Maban That’s great that you’re making moves in your recovery as well. That takes courage and strength. What is the name of the workbook?
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- 4y
@Caree It’s a day at a time for me, sometimes minutes at a time! It’s called the Mindfulness Workbook for OCD by John Hershfield. It’s lovely so far! I actually just started it tonight :)
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- 4y
@Maban Awesome thank you! I’m definetly going to look into it😊
Related posts
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- 18w
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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- 14w
I can be way too hard on myself and beat myself up over the smallest slip up in regards to OCD. Sometimes it can feel like I'm gaslighting myself on what was "so blatantly and obviously a moral atrocity in thought and intent", when 95% of the time I'm not even sure what my own intent with dealing with these thoughts is or why I do what I do. It makes me feel like some shameless beast for "daring to even entertain the thought of something so VILE!!!" When I just get so confused and scared on moral issues, like my mind is pulled down a rabbit hole I can't escape until the tricks are done on me and it's too late, i've accepted such ideas I hate until that hate and trying to not give in convince me "it might not be that bad". It feels like anything, even the most mundane things can trigger this. This cycle happens mainly because I feel like there's "no way to escape committing more 'attrocities' in thought or compulsion anyway"...and these cycles become the basis for more of these incidents. there a way to stop this? There have been multiple times where I called myself the R word, and even knowing it's a slur I still called myself that because "I'm nothing if not deserving of such scorn". Any attempt to stop the madness makes it worse and it's like all this I talked about is so convincing I dare not question it until after the fact. Please help.
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- 12w
I ruminated too much this morning and got distressing mental images (and confirmation) which sent me spiraling again. How do I stop thinking about this and how do I get back to myself? I feel destroyed.
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