- Date posted
- 3y
- Date posted
- 3y
My honest answer is that I don’t focus on being afraid of it and instead be aware of its potential, and recognize that I have the tools to help my self, and I know where to go to get help if I need more suooort. I have also recently shifted my focus from leaning into the fear, and instead am leaning into the joy , and focusing on being aware of and creating opportunities for joy in my life and ride the wave when anxiety comes during those activities and practice response prevention by being aware of the anxiety wave and doing my best not to do compulsion. That’s just me, but hope some it helps 😊
- Date posted
- 3y
The tide comes in, the tide goes back out 🌊💙
- Date posted
- 3y
@JoyousEffort Yup. As long ya don’t turn your back on the ocean, the undercurrent won’t knock you off your feet 🌊🌊🌊🌊
- Date posted
- 3y
I like this approach of thinking! Because that way you don’t feel upset when the symptoms come back up you aren’t disappointed. I’m slowly getting to that mindset as well you seem like such an awesome, amazing, and knowledgeable person!!! I hope your road to managing OCD goes well!!! Have a great Saturday!!!💗☺️
- Date posted
- 3y
The fact that I am so triggerd by compliments is a clear indication I still have some legit work to do in that area! LOL 🤪 Thank you very much for your kind words. When I first realized I was in complete relapse, it kind of broke me for a couple days, because I felt like I failed, and the what “if’s” locked me in my head for hours at a time, and the idea of returning to treatment was devastating. After a couple days of that lovely experience, I moved closer to self compassion, and recognized that identifying I need help and being willing to seak it is not weakness but a strength. At that point I was able to start re-engaging in some of the tools I had learned. That’s why establishing this mindset is important for me, because the relapse sucked, but the absolute bs I put my self thru with self judgment once I identified the relapse was not helpful or necessary.
- Date posted
- 3y
How do you deal with fear of relapse? I went through private therapy a year ago and felt so much better for about 8 months, little to no ocd worries. Then a month ago a new fear popped up and despite all the knowledge therapy equipped me with I went into a really bad place. I’m worried I’ll spend my whole life between themes.
- Date posted
- 3y
Your posts have really been resonating with me! Would you mind sharing some of the tools you’ve created for yourself to try and avoid relapse? I mentioned in an earlier post that I am struggling with ROCD and you were so kind with your response! My most recent issue I’m finding is being scared of become pregnant with my new husband which is something I have always wanted with him up until my intrusive thought “ruined” me and what I think I want. I don’t want to miss out on what I know in my heart I have wanted for years. My most recent thought is “how are you supposed to have and love a baby if you don’t even know if you love your husband.” This is devistating for me.
- Date posted
- 3y
Again, I am sorry to hear you are going thru that! Like I said in my other reply, my list is super simple and mostly common sense, and includes things I know to do, but may forget to do when life just turns my world upsideside down, or when trying to accomplish or do something that is super important to me & my mind is so focused, I forget to do the basics. . My “Self Care” list to help give my body and mind what it needs to be strong in the face of the big stuff is: - Following my Sleep Rotune and starting it before 10:00 - Eat Breakfast daily - Drink lots of water first thing before anything else. (reduces cortisol levels that accumulate during sleep) - Use the Exercise tool on the NOCD app to do 1 exposure daily. (About 10 minutes) - Attend OCD community group at least once a week. - Take a 10 minute walk daily (struggling with this right now and not doing it increases the potential for a flareup with my agoraphobia) - Make time at least once a day for something that bring moments of calm or joy: * Guided Meditatiin (1 min to 10 min maximum) * Laughter * Hugs * Time in Nature * 3 minute Dance Break * 30 min of creativity: Succlent Garden Painting Building something with my power tools Wood Burning Art Everyone’s needs are different, but hopefully mine will help inspire ideas for what you could put on your list to meet your needs. Sending hugs and strength!!
- Date posted
- 3y
If you don’t mind sharing, what were you most effective ERP exercises? I’m in the middle of a relapse and found your post so encouraging.
- Date posted
- 3y
I think ERP exercises are so incredibly individual, so instead of sharing specific examples of my exposures, I will share what activities and approaches helped me with making them effective: 1) Self Compassion: I did a compulsion…. I have OCD…. AND…I am taking steps to get better. 2) Progrss…NOT…Perfection (so hard for me!) : These behaviors did not develope overnight and they will not go away overnight, I would use the OFF switch if I had one! Reduction of compulsions or reduction of the duration of compulsions is progress and moves me closer to my goal of Managing My OCD 3) Not every tool is useful to ME: Try things a few times, and if they don’t help me then adjust, or do something else…. Don’t try Harder, Try Different 4) Exercise Tool on NOCD app: This helped me so much with my exposures because it gives suggestions - didn’t use any of them..lol, I still found them helpful because they helped me get unstuck and come up with my own. 5) Community Groups thru NOCD: These have been so impactful for me, just participating is an exposure for my social anxiety. I have had so many light bulb moments from listening to what others share. In responding with compassion to others, it has helped me with learning self compassion in the face of the same struggles. I have left quite distressed a few times, but those moments consistantly have become the biggest learning experiences for me. 6) Planned Exposures & being Exposed to Triggers are 2 different things & I approach them differently. - Planned Exposure: Goal is to trigger the distress, lean in to it and resist doing compulsions, safety seeking, or calming behavior. These can range from 10 seconds - 5 min max for me. My anxiety will not always comedown during the exposure if I stay with the trigger, so once it peaks and if it doesn’t start coming down, I remove my self from the trigger and stay in the exposure by not doing compulsions or any calming behavior until anxiety is half. - Being Exposed to Triggers: The goal of doing all this hard work it to get back to the things I value and enjoy in life that OCD has made it difficult to do, or enjoy. I have been working on embracing the joy and doing the things I have not been able to, or have avoided and focusing on creating positive experiences and riding the wave of anxiety when it comes when I am triggered in those spaces or situations. And then focus on the moment at hand and lean into the joy. I try to catch compulsions, and if I do accidentally do them, I try to identify with out judgement and refocus on the task at hand. This leaning into the joy started with the simple choice to dance and sing in the shower, completely present in that space and moment and just having fun. Hope some of this is helpful, or sparks some ideas of what would be helpful to you. ✌️😊
- Date posted
- 3y
@HappyTurtle Truly a wise and helpful response. I want to look into the community groups on this app for sure. Thank you for putting yourself out there for us. It’s truly a gift 💕
- Date posted
- 3y
@emmy sue wtf…Thanks a lot… you have gone and made me cry! seriously & LOL! I appreciate and am humbled by your very kind words.
- Date posted
- 3y
@emmy sue Also wanted to mention… the grouos are super simple to sign up for, and you can attend and check out as many as you like, and it is thru zoom and we are supposed to keep our cameras on, but if that is challenging at first, you can just use the chat and direct message the therapist, or advocate leading the group and let them know. I start on camera, and when my anxiety goes high and stays there (normally after talking) I go off camera for a few moments to allow the anxiety to come down on its own and then go back on camera… so ya, I totally use the groups as an exposure! LOL
Related posts
- Date posted
- 25w
❤️we all just want it to be over already, but do not set a deadline for your recovery (e.g. "i give myself 3 months to get better") and let yourself go at your own pace ❤️accept that healing is a very, very non-linear process with highs and very dark lows.. it's a lifelong process for us those with ocd, when you stop suffering you start learning ! ❤️WITHOUT ruminating on this, identify the root of your obsessive themes. they hurt so much because they go after your deepest wounds. clearing out the fear or pain that stands at the base of your obsessions will help (e.g. my sexual ocd came as an emotional outlet for my inability to accept a new family member in my life) (e.g. my solipsism ocd came from the deep fear of being alone and abandoned) ❤️the truth will always surface. even if you have no hope anymore and not even asking for reassurance helps, put that last bit of your trust in the other people that are in good states of mind and who are trying to help you. remember that you're living by a distorted mind and if you can't trust your own brain, have trust in others. those who love you are your life net when you're down in the slumps. trust me. ❤️ocd can be caused by chemical imbalance. if you feel like you need it, don't be reluctant to try medication. it's important to have the correct dose and the correct meds. it may change a lot before finally being effective, but it can help A LOT. it was lifesaving for me. (I personally took 125 mg sertraline at 14 years old) ❤️cliche, but the exposure part of erp is in you already. we get exposed to relentless obsessions and terrors already by our minds, our part is the response prevention. throw yourself into the depths of uncertainty and fear by refusing to act upon your compulsions. any learned behavior can be unlearned, our brains are changing! 🧠 it does feel like we can't risk because we can't "know for sure" and we better be safe than sorry, right? well, screw this. unlearn these behavior and live life your own way. ❤️connect with other people with ocd. community is our pillar as humans, especially those communities who share our suffering. ❤️we tend to ask for reassurance a lot and other just reassure us because it's rational to them, not being aware thar it only causes us more pain as we have distoerted thinking. teach your loved ones to respond to your reassurance in a way that doesn't feed the cycle. (e.g. reassurance seeking- "hey, are you ABSOLUTELY SURE that I didn't hit an animal on the way back home??" ❌️wrong response- "no, you didn't, I already told you, I don't remember hearing or seeing anything!" ✅️better response- "I can see you are really distressed right now, why don't we go cook something together/watch a movie/paint together/etc.." ❤️keep your faith close to you. there is something bigger around us that surrounds us with love and takes care of us. even if you don't believe in a god, spirituality goes beyond religion. for me, this higher being was the sky, and everytime I saw the giant clouds I'd tell myself that they felt my emotions and they're watching over in my suffering. strangely enough, this pillar i built in the clouds was strong and really did give me a helping hand. who's to tell these connections we make are not real?
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 21w
Just wanted to give some hope to those who are having ocd spikes, spirals and worries. This past year I have regained my life back. I went from beginning to isolate myself, being convinced by my ocd that my hobbies are bad and that I should avoid things I enjoyed, and having constant panic attacks. With the work of IOP, psychiatry and nocd, I have made great strives towards my future. I now don’t avoid things and instead embrace my life and ANY possibility that may come. Don’t let the ocd bully you. Yes, I have intrusive thoughts still but I am able to go about my day instead of obsessing over them. You can find this too. I encourage anyone on the fence to please seek help if you are in a tough time, it can literally save your life.
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 15w
As a 20+ year OCD vet and OCD conqueror. I wanted to share some tips and tricks that help me. 1. A thought is not the same as a belief. You can think something, and not believe it in the slightest. 2. Thoughts DO NOT represent ANYTHING. They are not indicators to who we are as people, they are pop up ads for the brains computer. 3. We DO NOT control our thoughts! The average person has about 60,000 ( yes, 4 zeros) a day! NONE of which are controlled. 4. We DO have control over which of those 60k thoughts are important. i.e. thought A. I could murder my entire household- survey says? not important ( because yea, sure, you could, but you probably don't really want to) thought B. i need to do my laundy-survey says? important... unfortunately, i hate laundry. which brings me to number 5. 5. Emotional reasoning ( where you let your feelings impact your decisions) is a COGNITIVE DISTORTION. It is a flawed thought process and should NEVER be used. "wanting to do something" does not mean you SHOULD do it, same and sometimes NOT wanting to do something doesn't mean you shouldn't do it ( picked what is important) my brain might tell me i WANT to break up with my husband, ( unimportant) and it might also say i don't want to get up and go to work in the morning ( important). 6. YOU-ARE-IN-CONTROL. Not to be confused with HAVING control. We don't control our thoughts, we control which ones are important, we don't control our feelings or emotions, but we control how to react (or not react) to them. We don't control our OCD, but we can control how it affects our lives, and that can mean that is has all the power, or none. 7. If the action you want to do ( confess, get reassurance, check, analyze, avoid, re-do) are to gain relief from anxiety, IT IS A COMPULSION. DO NOT DO IT. Sit with the anxiety and train your brain to realize its not dangerous or important with ERP ( this takes time, but practice makes perfect) 8. Know your enemy. NOCD has a HUGE amount of articles and information on ALL subtypes of OCD and how to respond and how to treat them. OCD is MUCH easier to combat when you understand how it works. 9. BE PATIENT. BE KIND to yourself. Prioritize healthy habits, a healthy body is better equipped to handle OCD. Good sleep, whole foods, sunlight, social interaction, exercise ( walking especially). When the mind feels weak, make the body strong. 10. You are not alone. OCD is classified by the World Health Organization as one of the top 10 most distressing disorders. Reach out to people, seek medical help. Medication is not evil, it can be life-saving, TALK to people. Bonus Tips * if the question is " What If" its OCD. * Total certainty does not exist, be content with 99%* *"But this feels different, this feels like its not OCD, that its real*- emotional reasoning... its OCD. Hang in there. You got this. Im here for any advice, questions, or support. Today is a great day to have a GREAT DAY.
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