A lot of people say to delay the compulsion. How do I delay it?? I ruminate a lot and I have no clue how to delay it. It’s like I have no control over my own thoughts and it bothers me every single day.
Not going mental compulsions is hard and for me take a lot longer to stop doing then physical compulsions .I try to use the maybe or maybe not and try to be ok with the thoughts and not do anything with my ocd thoughts , just let them be there. Ocd is hard you really feel a huge urge to do something about it but really you have learn to not do anything about your ocd thoughts. I have harm ocd and I was able to get the point that hurting others ocd does bother me anymore took a lot work on my end , but I could tell the relief I felt. I am trying to get to that point with my self harm ocd thoughs. Keep working on it , ocd is hard and it takes time treat it .
Sorry you’re going through this. I can relate with the rumination. From time to time I catch myself going down the sneaky OCD ruminating rabbit holes. When I do, I give myself some compassion and accept the uncertainty (maybe, maybe not) - knowing that we live with it (uncertainty) everyday. At that moment I may practice some mindfulness meditation. Rather than to control the intrusive thoughts, I’m choosing instead not to engage with or judge them and let them float on like clouds in the sky. After a moment or two, I’ll move forward with whatever I was doing. Not as a distraction but as a choice that I have other things to do. It takes practice and you too can do it. Know that you are not alone. Hope this helps!!!
I’m having a big OCD relapse and would like to hear anyone’s tips on how to be present and healthily deal with these intrusive thoughts and the “need” to preform compulsions. Thank you!!
So maybe the title wasn't the best to to put it but when you guys start having obsessive thoughts how do you stop them before it turns into compulsions and anxiety?
I cannot for the life of me stop ruminating or checking how I feel about thoughts or focusing on thoughts or creating more thoughts. I feel like I’m losing my mind. I want to scream. I try not to ruminate about the thoughts, but trying not to just makes me think about them more. I try not to check, but somehow, I still check. I want to let a thought sit in the background, but the more I try not to focus on it, the more I end up focusing on it. I don’t want the thought to expand because that feels like engaging with it, but I can’t just stop it from expanding. It feels impossible. People keep saying I’m in control of my compulsions, and maybe that’s true for the physical ones. But when it comes to the mental compulsions, I swear I have no control. It feels like I’m missing something that everyone else seems to have, like there’s some tool they’re using that I don’t have. Controlling mental compulsions has never felt possible for me. I’m starting to fear them. And every time someone says I’m in control and can just choose not to do them, I end up beating myself up even more when they happen. Or when I *choose* I guess. I don’t know anymore. If this is my fault, if I’m responsible for this, then what does that make me? I feel like a monster. I am at my wits’ end. How am I supposed to control mental compulsions when it feels like they control me? I freak out when they happen. They don’t bring me relief, they just make me panic. I want it to stop so bad.
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