- Username
- PinkLotus
- Date posted
- 3y ago
Nothing specific really. Just whatever is going on in your life at the moment. Just being in the present.
Carrying on with your life essentially
I don’t really have anything to do, if I do something that makes my anxiety lessen like playing a video game is that a compulsion?
@PinkLotus I can’t really say for sure. It really depends how you’re using it. If you’re doing it because it’s just something enjoyable that you’d like to do, then I think you’re in the clear. But if you’re using it as a way to avoid feeling anxiety or push it away by means of distraction you will find that it doesn’t really work and that can make the anxiety worse. In that case it very well could be a compulsion. If your focus is on “I’m gonna focus on playing some games while feeling anxious” rather than “I’m gonna play so I don’t feel anxious anymore” that’s probably the balance you want to find
@PinkLotus They say to sit with it and allow yourself to feel it so that your brain gets bored.
@cheyras I’m gonna clean my drawer then I’m going to play and try to “stay anxious” , I’d want to play even if I wasn’t anxious because the game dropped a huge update and I paid for the dlc so I think I’m okay. Thank you both for helping me out
ive been reading about mindfulness and ocd. mindfulness taught me to learn how to sit with feelings and how they manifest physically in my body. when i give these uncomfortable their space by Recognizing, Allowing, Investigating, and Nuturing, i find that its a much more easy going process than if i were to ignore them or ruminate on them. took me a good year or so to get a grasp on it, but tara brach has a bunch of free lectures on the process of RAIN and mindfulness on youtube and spotify that i feel are really relevant to anxiety and ocd. practicing mindfulness has helped me learn how to deal with the discomfort in a healthy and effective way
Thank you so much! I’m definitely gonna check this out
Do something you enjoy that’s distracting. Try self-care.
Go about your daily routine.
Hi PinkLotus! I completely understand that sitting in the discomfort is, well, uncomfortable! I sometimes experience anxiety before I do an exposure. The key is, sit with the discomfort alone. That is the ticket to ERP. Sit with that discomfort and allow your brain to go through its natural response of calming down. Sit in a quiet room, do your exposure, and go on with your normal routine. Try not to distract your brain, as this interrupts the ERP process. You can do this; stay strong!
Any tips for sitting with the discomfort other than going on your phone? Going on my phone is a coping mechanism to distract and numb out
Sitting with a thought, feeling incredibly uncomfortable. The physical effects of not giving into a compulsion are not often spoken about. Nausea, headaches, weakness, rapid heart beat, cold shakes (all a result from anxiety I assume). Any recommendations to aid this? I’m really trying not to give in 😕
What do you do to "sit" with the thoughts? Struggling with it a bit.
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