- Username
- j420
- Date posted
- 3y ago
Simple answer is yes, I believe anxiety that is screaming for attention is just part of the process. You can do it!
It is so hard!!!! . I wanna cry.
I know, I'm also going through a rough patch but it's good that you're fighting it!
I'm sorry your struggling. This is very difficult to deal with.
Thanks, yeah it really is
Is it anxiety or is it ocd? You asked are you doing it right. "Right" sounds like ocd, it keeps screaming at you sounds like ocd. So my opinion would be to acknowledge it, then observe does it need something from me... like am I tried, hungry or thirsty, etc.. if it's something like that give it what it needs... go eat, rest, etc... if not and you are also feeling the need to do a compulsion. Then call it what it is, this is OCD and it's saying "blank blank blank" then return to what you are doing... let the anxiety rise and fall. Don't keep going back to it but if you catch yourself wrapped back up in it then just return to your work.
A couple of things. First. It sounds like you are asking for reassurance. That is a compulsion. OCD is going to fight back and play dirty. Its not unusual when you first start doing ERP for the intrusive thoughts to increase. When an intrusive though comes acknowledge its there then ignore it. Dont try to argue or reason with it. Dont try to prove the thought isn't true. Believe me, I know it isn't easy. But it can be done. Think of OCD like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum. The more you react, the longer it will continue to cry. If a toddler sees their tantrum is going to get them what they want, eventually they will stop. The same is true for OCD. I saw another post where someone used that analogy and its a good one.
I'm confused on this. We're told to sit with the anxiety, but wouldn't that be suppressing our feelings? I'm confused.
So I’m going through a little bit of a rough patch. I did an ERP exercise yesterday and it went good but I still feel like my mind is everywhere all at once, all these awful thoughts nagging at me but sometimes especially today it’s like there just noise in my head so I’m letting the anxiety be there but as soon as I have an intrusive thought I’m like ya no I’m not listening to that or thinking about that today and I continue on with my day, I’m not sure if that’s ok or if that’s avoidance because I’m not thinking about the thought if that makes sense but then in the same breath if I’m thinking on it and be like ok I’ll let the thought be there and see how I feel in my body is that not checking and rumination? Almost like I’m checking to see if that topic still makes me anxious?
How can I respond to some of these intrusive thoughts without feeling like I need to fight, resist, and etc?? They’re extremely distressing and make me question myself, my reality and my health/brain. I’ve tried just distracting myself, ignoring it, and letting it scream at me. But then it comes back with scarier ones and I’m just struggling . I’d been doing good with them lately but suddenly they’re awfully intense and hard to ignore Help😞
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