I’m trying to use the phrase anything is possible to get off of ocd. But I strongly believe what ocd is questioning didn’t happen. Do I still just agree that it’s possible but keep my belief that it didn’t happen?
for me what’s helped is regardless of whether that thing happened or not, i am choosing not to answer questions. i am choosing to radically accept the fact that im having these thoughts. its not necessarily needing to accept that it happened or didn’t, its accepting that your brain is questioning it. and not giving your brain an answer! that’s the best way ive been able to not engage or try to prove myself wrong (which in the end feeds the cycle).
for example, people with sexual orientation ocd know they aren't gay but accepting the possibility they are combats the ocd and thought process. Don't think of it as resisting or fighting the thoughts, think of it as dealing with ocd
@Wolfram So I can go w anything’s possible but not believe it
It's more like imagining someone annoying and trying to wind you up by lying. Just agree with it and let them do their thing then just get on with whatever you want to do instead. Kind of like a "yeah yeah yeah whatever"
@Wolfram I can accept it as a possibility but I don’t believe it.
@llacerda That's all you need
This is stonewalling and maladaptive.
@Wolfram Well, I know my image didn't happen and I can't accept it that it could...bc..I would never. .. so what does that mean?? A compulsion?
@Speckles What are we talking about? I'd need more context to answer properly. 😅
@Wolfram Lol! I had a disgusting sexual image of me doing something that I'd Never do and it made me vomit. But when they say ERP am I suppose to let that image come up again?? Or if it pops in go with it when it repulsed me? Then if you say stop...ugh.. that means it's a compulsion? Do you see what I mean
@Wolfram I feel like it's all so crazy!! Because it's like someone took over my values and morals and this can't be me!! It's mentally wearing me down... plus physical with the stomach ache, nauseated
@Speckles I understand. So erp my prompt you to conjure up the image on purpose so you can practice reacting to it the way you're supposed to when it pops up randomly. What I mean by the way you're supposed to, I mean the way that helps our brain. Obviously you don't want to do that thing, it makes you sick to your stomach. If you were to say stop and argue against the thought or try repress it, this actually makes it worse (its a compulsion and can be ruminating if you're arguing or screaming nononono in your head etc) . This tells your brain that it's a threat and puts a mental alarm bell on it. So to deal with this threat our brain will make sure we aren't checking on that very thing, ironically making us think about it more. Its called ironic process theory and I'd highly recommend anyone with intrusive thoughts to look into it as it helps highlight how our brains actually work. The way to react to avoid ironic process theory is by telling your brain its not a threat and the feelings will fade over time until you don't really react at all to them. The come and go like the air we breathe, without noticing its really happening. So with Erp, you almost welcome the thoughts in like an uninvited guest a a party and be like, "sure do your thing, I won't stop you", then hang out with the people you want instead at the party. (basically the stuff you want to focus on in life). The unhealthy thing would to make a scene about the uninvited guest or staring at them while hanging out with your friends, as you're not present with what you're doing, your focus is on the problem (the intrusive thought/ uninvited thought) I hope this makes sense
@Wolfram Yes.... thanks! It makes sense when you say that. It's just hard doing it and makes me vomit. I need to copy what you said and add that to a word doc, document, I can keep reading it!!
@Speckles https://nocd.page.link/dbqYgS9T1qpwLYmg6 This link works for some and not others. It's a post I did a while back on intrusive thoughts. The vomit unfortunately will most likely keep happening for a bit. It'll get easier as you understand erp a bit more and your brain has time to process each exercise. As yeh it's gonna be one of the hardest things in the world at first but trust me, it'll be worth it
@Wolfram Great!!! Thanks.... this will help. I appreciate it. I needed this and the support ♥
OCD is fueled by uncertainty. Telling yourself something didn't happen, especially to make yourself feel better is compulsive. "Anything is possible" is the same as "it is what it is" imo. It leads people to unconsciously remove any personal accountability and choice. If you are comfortable elaborating a bit more of the situation? It helps us not use metaphors as advice
@Grettzel No thanks
@llacerda Alright no worries :]
I'm trying to understand your post. Not every thought needs to be accountable for, especially automatic ones. The bit about choice I don't understand either
i was thinking abt the time my ex friend randomly sent me without consent illegal stickers to mess with me me and while i didn't look at it because i didnt want it i read through the description what it was. now my brain is telling me intrusive obsessional questions such as "why is it wrong though?" and trying to convince me this thesis with "think about it", trying to make me doubt my belief. it's a question to which my answer is "obviously wrong" as for me is a dogma but my brain keeps knocking on me and persisting with multiple "why?" and "why?" and "but why' and i feel more and more uncertain, almost like believing it while not wanting it and not liking it. im not attracted to that shit, i didnt enjoy this thought process i was bothered and anxious abt it, not liking it but still distressingly seeing it through. but the obsessional question still persists, and it scared me a lot because i gave it value, i gave it validity by hearing it out and perceiving the possibility of it being true, even though i dont want it at all, I BELIEVED IT!!! i know it's clearly ocd, but i cannot tolerate the fact that i gave it validity and believed it even though not agreeing with it at all. what i want is for it to be wrong and for me to be confident about that, but this thing still happened. im very stressed and also disturbed and feel horrible for believing when i dont want to. i also had a forced egodystonic sudden thought like "huh why would it be wrong if one just did it for <pleasure>? doesn't make sense" in response to a particular disturbing ocd question but that was made it seem and placed as a generic question... as if i didn't want for it to be wrong under that generic circumstance and that is bothering me a lot, im afraid that even if it is egodystonic and i clearly dont believe it is right as i think with more effort and remove that cloud of momentary irrationality, that i still genuinely thought that for a moment, that that thought still happened, but i also remember it being an induced, automatic answer... maybe it's because it was formulated in a manner that made it for me to answer that way. maybe it was just an impulsive fast thought in reaction to the generic aspect and premise of that disturbing wrong question that wasnt thought enough and it doesn't really reflect truth and reality of what i believe. i cant tolerate that i had that thought. was i just manipulated into hearing out that question and i automatically believed that doubt and agreed with the doubt? i dont like that at all. I don't believe it is right, for me it's wrong and disgusting, so why did i have a suspension of the disbelief? im stressed the fuck out from this single moment. i hope that thought was intrusive, but also i know that i don't like it and dont agree with it, but still cannot tolerate that that thought took place. i don't know what to do. i cannot tolerate that i believed this ocd horrible take (even though not agreeing with it). im traumatised by what my ex friends did to me. im hoping it's one of the case that i call condition of existence, that in order to check a intrusive question your brain automatically sets it as "true" in the realm of that thought.
I am currently having a bad ocd trigger and doubt, and ocd is coming up with more what if’s? What do I do?
I’ve been getting stuck in my understanding of OCD lately. When I have intrusive thoughts, although I have OCD, I’m not supposed to label them as part of my condition? Instead I just say maybe/maybe not? It feels like it takes the wind out of my sails a bit in recovery? Like having cancer, but when I go to chemo, I’m supposed to say “maybe I have cancer, maybe I don’t.” Would anyone be able to speak to this and increase my insight and understanding? Thank you!
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