Thoughts do not define you. They have no strength, no power, thoughts are only ideas and that's it. They can't predict the future and neither change the past. You might not have control over them but that's alright, we try to handle what we can't and usually end up getting worse. Listen to your true desire and ignore the thoughts that arise, they will keep going, but ignore them, observe that they have joined your party without being invited, don't engage with them, when they pop up and you notice them, do not reply, just observe them and resume what you were doing or just do your most enjoyed activity! You will feel anxious but you won't get worse than this, nothing bad will happen and you've got this, you can do it! Anxiety will spike down on its own through a process called habituation. Engage the process and feel the anxiety that will pass! Intrusive thoughts are just like bees, they sting if provoked and will fly away if you observe them, acting like nothing has ever happened!

I hope everyone is holding up okay! I’ve been seeing a lot of scared posts and whatnot lately, so I just wanted to make this post to remind ourselves to practice our uncertainty! I want to share a few response prevention lines that help me calm down! My thoughts do not define who I am. Maybe I’m a bad person, maybe I’m not, but I have a lot of things I need to do now. I’m going to practice not knowing for sure. I don’t have to solve this problem. I am choosing to sit with this uncomfortableness!

Remember thoughts are just thoughts, feelings are just feelings. We generally cannot control our thoughts or feelings, and even groinal responses. No matter how much you want to, they just happen and they 100% happen more when you’re worried about them happening, instead except it. Say “that’s just my silly thoughts again” or whatever it may be, say oh it’s just that silly thing again. Don’t try to work it out, don’t try to ignore it, allow them to come but don’t solve them. Just expect that they’re there . The best advise I was ever told is OCD is like a drunk person, they start to say silly things such as “omg I’m such a silly person” or “Ong you’re so great you’re the strongest person alive” you don’t actually believe what they say because they’re speaking nonsense, but you most likely will reply with “oh yes you’re right” because you’re trying to just please them, but it doesn’t mean you agree with them. You’re just trying to “shut them up” basically. For example if you kept saying “no I’m not” “not that’s not true” “no don’t be silly” the drunk person would carry on saying “no yes you are” etc etc… this is the same with ocd, the more you try to argue with it and say “no this isn’t true” the more it’ll say “yes it is” however if you just say “yes okay you’re right” (even tho it’s not) it’ll start to show ocd that you aren’t picking a fight anymore, you’re just excepting it and it’ll start to get easier. Trust me you aren’t alone in this. Ocd is scary. But you can do this. Some other techniques that have helped me massively is this… When you’re getting these unwanted thoughts etc, name 5 things you can see around you, 2 things you can smell or 2 things you like the smell of, 3 things you can hear and 5 things you can feel, such as touch your hair etc and describe how it feels, etc. this is a way of just distracting yourself. It’s a very good technique for ocd and I went from getting 20 showed a day due to my ocd down to 3 showers a day…. From using this. It works!!! Or take deep breaths that also helps people You aren’t a bad person, you’re just suffering with ocd and that doesn’t make you a bad person

My brain will not stop with the intrusive thoughts. I keep going through my little mantra in my head how I won't do the things I am thinking and how I hate my thoughts. I am trying to watch YouTube and tell myself just to avoid it and not let the thoughts bother me. I know my thoughts are false because I hate thinking these things but I just feel like I am losing this battle. Any tips?