What does acceptance mean/ feel like? Because to me it just scares me and makes me feel like I’m giving into my OCD thoughts.

i agree that it’s very scary. i think that it differs from person to person, but for me it kind of feels liberating. i feel more free when i can accept it because i can move on. accepting our thoughts can make us feel like we’re giving in to OCD and have us thinking we are bad people. but in fact, its the opposite. when we accept our thoughts every time, we are diminishing the power of it. we are learning and training our minds to know it’s a thought and nothing more. when we can accept it, it’s a way of taking away that fear and OCD can’t latch onto anything! keep accepting and resisting! it makes it work out in the end. best of luck 🤍

The trouble I have is every thought and urge I have I feel a need to act upon it. Not matter what it is. I never have but the need to do it is there. So by accepting the thought it’s like okay I must not act upon this

@BradOCD urges and thinking you are going to act on it is the horror behind OCD. that’s what makes it so debilitating. accepting the thought and actually doing it are two completely different things. just because you think something doesn’t make it true. it’s very important to practice mindfulness and knowing that a thought isn’t reality. it also doesn’t define you.

*now act upon it

Yeah, this is why ERP is hard for so many people because it often feel like you're giving in to desires. Acceptance is simply accepting the uncertainty of your OCD theme. Maybe you are what you think you are. Maybe you did do something bad. MAYBE. That's an important distinction. You could even just agree with the thoughts you get and then go about your day.

I find it so hard to say maybe tho because my OCD is so oppressive it’s always “you are this… you are that”

@BradOCD It is hard. You don't want to be something you refuse to identify with; OCD knows this and is using it against you.

Acceptance is gonna be different for everyone. For me it's finding peace in the uncomfortable moments. Turning noisy static into ocean sounding white noise like you'd use to fall asleep. We're gonna have weak moments and painful moments, but that's okay. Sometimes at the gym your muscles will fail, but that can mean you're getting stronger.