Question

Same thing we do to not resort to compulsions, nothing. Sit with the uncertainty, separate from it, "I don't like this, but I'm going to allow it to pass"

My therapist gave me this idea: imagine putting your intrusive thoughts into a purse, a bag, or a pocket. You don’t try to make them go away, but you kind of set them aside so they’re not the focus. She explained that we can do the same thing with feelings like guilt, shame, anxiety, and stress, we acknowledge them, put them in a pocket, and keep going with our day. It’s a way of not letting those feelings take over, but also not pretending they’re not there. It’s not easy, but it’s one way to deal with them without letting them control you.

Hi Tony, I appreciate you sharing this! I’ve been in the same boat, feeling guilty because I know giving in to compulsions isn’t good for me, yet I still do it. Sometimes, we forget that emotions aren’t inherently good or bad; we’re the ones who assign them meaning. In moments like that, I try to be compassionate with myself. OCD is hard, and that’s okay. We’re going to make mistakes on this journey, and that’s okay too. What matters is remembering that one day doesn’t define our progress. We can notice the feeling of guilt, sit with it for a moment without doing anything, and then let it go. We just have to keep going and continue resisting compulsions. <3

I just feel the need to fix this, and or really regret my compulsive behavior from recent past and have no idea

It’s hard to believe my compulsion was a compulsion…. It feels like it’s not and ocd tells us it’s not… it lies to us.