So at one point I was glad I was having anxiety/stress about these thoughts but now I feel like something has changed is it normal to not want anxiety and stress even tho it helps me realize these thoughts are not mine. Like the anxiety and stress is doing me no good and it's really messing me up. Is it normal to not want stress and anxiety after awhile or is something wrong with me
It’s normal for your feelings and emotions to fluctuate as you process and work through anxiety/stress. It sounds like it served its purpose, and now you’re realizing the stress doesn’t help you. I hope you have found tools to help carry you through the hard days ❤️
Yeah but what should I do about it tho, like I know the anxiety doesn't help but if I get peace and I have an intrusive thought I'm afraid something bad will happen or it means it's me
@Jesuslover28 You practice sitting in the uncertainty here. When you feel peace, before fears kick in, how does it feel? What do you like about feeling peace?
@MichelleV It feels good and I'm actually able to relax and stop worrying so much and if just makes me feel more connected to God, and it just gives me joy when I feel peace.
@Jesuslover28 Remember how it feels to be in that peace. I went through something similar, and still do sometimes now. When I first really started to notice my OCD stress levels go down, I was afraid, because it was unfamiliar. I wasn’t used to not having mental battles in my brain, and I got scared. But the peace is a good thing, even if your OCD says it’s not. If you’re having a good day, and your OCD says something bad will happen, then practice not engaging with your OCD. Maybe something will happen, or maybe not. You don’t know. And it’s ok to not know.
Hey there, what you are describing can be a common phenomenon within OCD. It loves to switch up the rules, keeping us confused and second guessing everything. I agree with what Michelle has been sharing. Focusing on what matters most to you and aligning your actions with those values will help you challenge OCD inherently. Here is a good article on the topic, I hope it helps you in your recovery journey! https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/values-over-fear-in-ocd
Hello Jesuslover28, as Jennifer highlighted OCD targets what we value most in our lives. Because these values change as we experience life, the specifics of the obsessions and compulsions will adjust accordingly over time. To address what you said about being normal. We are all different and have challenges. The challenges you face with OCD, do not indicate you are broken, just as a cut or scrap doesn't mean your broken. Both conditions are challenges that heal with the right assistance. Here at NOCD we provide the expert assistance in treating OCD. Please reach out anytime and we will be happy to assist!
No one ever wants stress or anxiety. We don't chose it or like it, but doing ERP means learning to accept it and expose ourselves to it so we can get better. Please contact NOCD and ask your questions. There are also lots of good tips on the Patrick McGrath Wednesday night webinar on the NOCD page on YouTube. Or really any NOCD webinar can be helpful. Go ahead and check out some of the videos. In addition you can contact NOCD for a free 15 minute call to discuss further. They can offer more detail than I can here. https://www.treatmyocd.com/about-us/contact-us
Is this ocd? I Have a thought or think something f harmful that I’ve gotten intrusive thoughts about - and get a feeling like I want/like it or it would give me relief??? Please tell me that will eventually go away and I’ll get my real feelings back??? Or have I just turned into those things? Sometimes things that make me upset it even feels like I’ll do them just so I can be upset about them.
These past few days I was fine. Minimal intrusive thoughts ,no anxiety etc(to add I'm on medication so maybe it's starting to work although it barely is 2 weeks) and today I got a sudden wave of anxiety and it started latching on some thoughts like" what if I'm in denial and I wanna break up with my bf? And what if erp doesn't work for me because I actually wanna break up with my bf?" But they didn't really stay long usually those thoughts would make me spiral for days or so, now they lasted for some hours. And now I'm trying to trigger myself into being anxious again because if I don't it means I don't have ocd and if I don't have ocd it means I don't love my bf and if I don't love my bf it means I have to break up. Idk if it makes sense but the lack of anxiety makes me wonder if I actually have ocd or not.
I’ve started ERP therapy with a really great therapist, and I haven’t gave into my compulsions but I still have anxiety and yesterday my brain was telling me that people were zombies😭 is this normal?
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