Jeanie12
- Date posted
- 4y
SashaSasha
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 4y
You have an intrusive thought: “what if I forgot to turn off the stove?” Rumination begins: “My parents will kill me if they find out.” “I’ll burn the whole house down” “Did I turn it off? I think I did, but I can’t remember. I usually turn it off…. One time I didn’t, but I came right back… I think”
SashaSasha
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 4y
It’s basically thinking about the same intrusive thought over and over
JustmesadlyJustmesadly
- Date posted
- 4y
Like trying to find a reason behind it, why did you think it,what did you do before and after turning off the stove (just to add to sasha)
Jeanie12Jeanie12
- Date posted
- 4y
Alright, so that’s what I was afraid of! I believe I have Pure O. I have been diagnosed with ROCD. I am constantly thinking about either I am attracted to my significant other or not. To the point that I get dibilitated. How do I stop constantly thinking about it. It plays on a constant Loop.
SashaSasha
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 4y
You notice the discomfort that’s associated with the thought. It’s not the thought that’s causing you to ruminate; it’s the feeling of discomfort and anxiety that makes you look for relief. Rumination becomes that relief. Unfortunately it’s temporary and doesn’t solve anything. So what can you do? Just sit with the feeling and let it be there with you, until it passes. Or say something like “maybe it is maybe it’s not. I will not know for certain.”
Jeanie12Jeanie12
- Date posted
- 4y
@Sasha So it’s not hurting me that the thought is 24/7 on my mind? As long as I’m agreeing with it, ideally, it will start to get better and the anxiety will go away? 🥺
SashaSasha
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 4y
@Jeanie12 Yes, so the reason it’s consuming you all day, is because you are responding to it and resisting it. So then you start to do compulsions, and it becomes a vicious cycle. Your brain thinks it’s under attack and keeps sending out distress signals over and over. What happens when you stop reacting and stop giving in to the ruminations, is that your brain stop getting confirmation from you that it’s under attack, so then it naturally will reset itself. Of course the intrusive thought can come again, and habitually your body may respond with distress signals, but eventually it will weaken its association with the thought as a threat. The more you ruminate, the more you reinforce and feed the ocd and the anxiety. The less you do that, the more you calm down. Temporary discomfort for long terms relief as opposed to temporary relief but long term suffering
Jeanie12Jeanie12
- Date posted
- 4y
@Sasha Thank you for taking the time to speak with me about all this. It’s such a confusing feeling having to live with OCD.
SashaSasha
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 4y
@Jeanie12 No problem. It’s very confusing. I still get confused even with a lot of knowledge about it. It’s a disease that wants you confused and undecided. But keep working, keep learning, and keep fighting. The days will get easier my friend
Jeanie12Jeanie12
- Date posted
- 4y
@Sasha You already always do kind to everyone in this app! I see your comments a lot and I appreciate it! Yes, it is very confusing. I know the exact time and day and thought that derailed me. Somehow me knowing that my husband is incredible just isn’t enough to knock off the thoughts. I’ve always wanted babies with him. The intrusive thoughts of not wanting a baby with him now are new and devastating.
Jeanie12Jeanie12
- Date posted
- 4y
@Sasha Really butchered my grammar in the first half of that. 😅 Hopefully you can decipher that!
SashaSasha
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 4y
@Jeanie12 Aw thank you. And I understood you 😂… Just take it one day at a time. And keep working on mindfully not reacting to the feeling or thoughts. You’ll see, slowly but surely it will unwind and get easier. Your relationship with the thought will not be like this forever.
Jeanie12Jeanie12
- Date posted
- 4y
@Sasha Do you have any advice on mental compulsions? Physical ones are “easy” not the anxiety that comes with it obviously but I can force myself to sit with it. The mental stuff is the hard part. Mental checking specifically! When I kiss or hug my partner, I always check to see if I’m feeling anything or wonder if I will feel anything. I also wonder if I felt things differently than I know I did! So I think of a memory that was happy for me and think “maybe I actually didn’t have a good time with him.”
SashaSasha
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 4y
@Jeanie12 Physical ones are easier for me too. With mental, you have to learn to be mindful of your ocd compulsions and notice if you are starting to analyze or ruminate. The second you notice, you can label it as an ocd issue. And then sit with it. Learn to accept that it’s possible, and there’s no certainty to anything. It’s hard but it will strengthen your brains habits of letting go of ocd thoughts
Related posts
fl5
- Date posted
- 21w
Tips for rumination with real event?
I've been doing well the past month in cutting down on compulsions and have been feeling better however, last night I had a set back that carried on into today. I had gotten very poor sleep (4ish hours) and then something triggered my memory. I think with the sudden anxiety spike and lack of sleep I didn't have the strength to ignore my compulsions. Last night and today I've realised I've gone back into rumination and mentally reviewing the event excessively again and comparing my situation to other people's, but most of the times that I start going down these rabbit holes I don't even realise I'm doing it? Also been fixating a bit on the fear that I've ruined my progress and that I will fall back into the deep end of it all again, that I have done so much work getting myself out of, although trying my best to not be too discouraged. Does anyone have any advice on how to deal with rumination more specifically?
smoody705
- Date posted
- 18w
Rumination as a Compulsion
I've been told it's impossible to "push intrusive thoughts away", but also that rumination is a compulsion. What is rumination vs. overthinking? And how do I stop ruminating properly and healthfully?
slippery_salad
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 10w
The common thing I see amongst all posts…
You’re all ruminating!!! My therapist put it best when I told him, “rumination is my biggest compulsion.” He replied, “rumination is the overarching compulsion, every other one falls under it.” The real muscle you’re trying to train when it comes to uncertainty is the ability to stop ruminating. Rumination isn’t the same as regular thinking, it’s thinking with your will behind it. Your mind will naturally wander and generate thoughts, like clouds drifting across the sky, but ruminating is like grabbing a cloud and trying to squeeze rain out of it. That’s not natural thinking anymore, that’s you forcing the process. And here’s the part people struggle to believe: ruminating is a choice. You can choose not to chase every thought. The key is refusing to treat a thought as gospel truth. Instead, leave it where it is, neutral, just another car passing on the freeway. If you stop running into traffic and just let them drive by, the road gets clearer. The more you practice this, the stronger your “uncertainty muscle” becomes. At first it feels painful, like going to the gym after years of inactivity. But over time, the soreness turns into strength, and what used to weigh you down becomes easier to carry, or not carry at all.
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