One of my biggest struggles in overcome OCD is that in moment where I feel invincible and feel really good, my mind itches back at me telling me that it’s too good to be true and I need to feel back on edge. I call this my OCD homeostasis, and my mind just needs to revert back to this. How has everyone dealt with this effectively?
Totally relate. My ocd always tries to latch onto something, even when I feel good. For me focusing on non engagement responses even in good times is helpful (“I can tolerate distress”, “distress is not danger”, etc.)
@Steven W NOCD That has been something helpful for me, I find it beneficial to see that my body is not trying to hurt me but it’s trying to protect me based out of biological defensive traits
It’s very common for OCD to create a sense of discomfort when things feel peaceful or good, almost as if your mind is trying to pull you back to a familiar state of anxiety. Recognizing this pattern is a great first step. Many people find it helpful to gently notice these thoughts without judgment and allow themselves to experience moments of peace, even if it feels unfamiliar. If you’d like additional support, feel free to book a free call with our NOCD team. We’d be happy to share more information and explore ways to help. No one has to live in fear of their own thoughts. Also here are some helpful resources: https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/my-journey-from-hopelessness-to-empowerment/ https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/self-care-for-ocd/ https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/singer-songwriter-sophie-may-gets-candid-about-ocd/
I totally understand this and can relate right now. I try to remind myself to be present in that moment, take some breaths, and then later that night use my therapy tool of mindfulness tactics
@Mindfullyme What do those mindfulness tactics consist of if u don’t mind me asking?
@iLikeDaniel I typically will do a leaves on a stream mediation which is great for ocd to calm the mind and thoughts and I’ll journal
my therapist outside of here has been trying to teach me that i have found comfort in being on edge and stressed out over things - despite how uncomfortable it makes me feel. its still a huge learning process for me too but i have caught myself realizing how true she is when i start reflecting on my days and seeing how i pull out the parts that were difficult to get through. i think developing a self-awareness of it and finding moments where you and pinpoint yourself doing it can be helpful to start labeling it and then it may work from there? Its still new to me too but thats where im at so far!
@Alison_cox Thank you for sharing! I’ve been mindful of catching myself in moment like that. At first I found myself thinking “what if this is not OCD” but with time I’m recognizing those patterns. How do you personally find comfort through it? Is it through your ability to identify it then steamroll past it?
@hernandeztdaniel I think it’s more of an “I knew it! See, I spent days overthinking it and worrying about it but I was totally right and that’s why I have to keep doing this because now I am not blindsided by it”. But the thing is when I’m wrong, I don’t say “hey, maybe you wasted all that time and energy distressing over this for no reason”. I just say “oh that’s good” and I don’t work through how much I negatively impacted myself unless it’s in my favor. Im pretty unkind to myself but don’t see it until I write it down and realize that that’s what I’m doing!
I hope that helps
Totally relate. There are many times I seem to get close to feeling inner peace (such as during breathwork or meditation) but my mind tells me I cant/dont deserve to feel that way. I also feel this way about a potential romantic connection, in that the OCD wont 'allow me' to appreciate the connection or tells me its too good to be true. I think Im so used to being miserable (and alone), and this is so much potential to be positive, it is unfamiliar and unknown. It is totally like OCD homestasis where my mind wants to go back to a baseline of distress and anguish (what is familiar, despite how much it sucks.)
My last and almost life long theme/sub-theme largely subsided recently and my ocd felt like it wasn’t even an issue. Then I went on winter break from uni and being alone made my mind come up with a whole new topic to obsess over. TLDR on my fears, my advisor wouldn’t email me back for a while about signing up for classes so my mind started to worry “what if he doesn’t in time and you can’t enroll this semester and you lose this whole life you just built and all these new friends” So when that issue was resolved my mind found other scarier ways I could be uprooted from my current life and friends that I’ve grown so attached to. Then my mind remembered back when I was struggling with false memories and scrupulosity and I essentially made a post on a forum 2 and a half years ago saying I did something or was convinced I did something that I never actually did. Now I’ve been spiraling about someone finding it reporting me and I either get seen as a horrible person or arrested or something over something I never actually did but “admitted” to out of fear of going to hell. My mind won’t let it go and keeps finding new reasons for it to be “valid” “logical” or even inevitable. I feel like it’s just hanging over my head and I can never rest easy. Especially when I try to focus on my daily tasks or plan for the future I get this horrible flair up of “why plan for the future when this could come back in that future and you get uprooted from all of it” my mind won’t rest without certainty being uprooted won’t happen but certainty doesn’t exist, at least not with ocd. This sucks and I miss being care free.
Anyone else feel that when they aren’t experiencing a theme that their ocd is almost non existent. It almost makes me feel like I’ve been faking it, and also makes me feel ridiculous for obsessing over things. I feel sorry for myself :/ I know that my themes are valid and felt very real in the moment, but after I “get over” them I just can’t believe that I was obsessing over something that either wasn’t true or didn’t apply to me. I would also like to know how to prevent themes from reoccurring. Health, religion and existential OCD themes tend to take turns throughout my life, I just didn’t know that was it ocd. Trying to break the cycle.
I suffer from religious ocd. My only goal in life is to live in God's will and to serve Him - to live and enjoy His eternal purposes & His presence. Jesus Christ is my life. That is my only desire on this earth, this short trip into eternity, and it's being stripped by ocd thoughts and intrusive thoughts 24-7. I have read many times that ocd can 'feel real', and this is true, our minds lie to us because of fear and anxiety we can't and were never meant to carry. I have begged and tormented myself in every way to find an answer from God. I think His answer may be that this is OCD, but I'm not sure. I started therapy again because I am so exhausted and this had stolen so much of my life in a spiral of negativity, depression, and constant anxiety & intrusive thoughts. I have spent about 2 years trying to figure out if my thoughts are real or not, especially with ocd it can deceive so easily as a spiritual matter when in reality it is just a thought, which is confusing and scary to say the least. Can anyone share their experiences with this sensation? No matter what the theme is... Thank you & Praying for your comfort
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