The common thing I see amongst all posts…

You’re all ruminating!!! My therapist put it best when I told him, “rumination is my biggest compulsion.” He replied, “rumination is the overarching compulsion, every other one falls under it.” The real muscle you’re trying to train when it comes to uncertainty is the ability to stop ruminating. Rumination isn’t the same as regular thinking, it’s thinking with your will behind it. Your mind will naturally wander and generate thoughts, like clouds drifting across the sky, but ruminating is like grabbing a cloud and trying to squeeze rain out of it. That’s not natural thinking anymore, that’s you forcing the process. And here’s the part people struggle to believe: ruminating is a choice. You can choose not to chase every thought. The key is refusing to treat a thought as gospel truth. Instead, leave it where it is, neutral, just another car passing on the freeway. If you stop running into traffic and just let them drive by, the road gets clearer. The more you practice this, the stronger your “uncertainty muscle” becomes. At first it feels painful, like going to the gym after years of inactivity. But over time, the soreness turns into strength, and what used to weigh you down becomes easier to carry, or not carry at all.

Nica

Date posted: 3d

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

smilesplash

Date posted: 3d

This is something I’m just figuring out. It feels so urgent to think these things through! But I really don’t have to engage with every thought or scenario that pops in my head.

[Deleted]

Date posted: 3d

Comment deleted by user

slippery_salad

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 3d

@growwings<3 You asked that out of curiosity. Really, what you’re doing is searching for even a shred of certainty about the thought, hoping it will quiet down. But that is exactly how the cycle keeps itself alive. I’ll reassure you this one time: false memories are not the same as true memories. They are false for a reason, they are lies. Believing them is like arguing with a funhouse mirror; the reflection might look convincing, but it is distorted and not reality. The choice you have is whether to treat the lie as truth or to leave it where it belongs. The truth does not need you to wrestle with it, it stands firm on its own. The lie only has power when you keep giving it your attention.

Misstama65

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 3d

@slippery_salad I like this

Lemonmind_

Date posted: 3d

I’ve been doing ERP for 2 months now and it’s helped me so much with compulsions/anxiety to the point where I only act on them 1-10 times a day instead of hundreds of times , but my biggest issue rn is ruminating, I sometimes find myself subconsciously almost uncontrollably ruminating about a pointless thought and when I do let go of them and forget them not even 10 min later I find myself trying to solve that same thoughts again, it’s absolutely torturous to the point where it makes me feel hopeless/depressed but I try my best to be patient with myself (I’m the least patient person I know haha) but I am after all rewiring my brain and that takes a lot of time and patience. I would also find myself coming to this app everyday for reassurance and I would also notice how much people would too, so I now only allow myself to come to this app once or twice a week , just to learn about tools for ocd and help those I can .

kitchensink234

Date posted: 18w

Advice please!

I have really started to take control of my compulsions and im starting to string together better days! Still not great days or even good, but they are better!!! I have controlled my outward compulsions (googling, research, reassurance, checking) the past couple of days and felt the positive impact of that. But unfortunately, I am realizing that the rumination is still constant. My sexuality and relationship are the only two things constantly on my brain, and if they aren’t I freak out and wonder why im not thinking about them! Anyone have any advice on how to deal with the rumination. Sometimes I don’t even notice im doing it, but it’s taking up 90% of my day. Once I start to tackle this I think I may make some real big progress! Hope everyone is fighting today! ❤️

apeterpiper

Date posted: 12w

Sitting w/ uncertainty and your thoughts..then ?

Hello everyone! I’m starting to recognize when my thoughts begin to spiral, when i’m seeking reassurance or checking. But I still have the sense of uneasiness and anxiety. I was wondering what others do that allow them to move forward with their day when they realize this? I don’t know if I’m making sense, but what are ways you pull the focus back to the present and yourself? Like besides saying “maybe or maybe not”, more like what do you do with yourself after you recognize the thoughts? I feel like I’m at a “now what?” and don’t know what to do with my anxious energy. I’m trying to find something physical to help me so if you also have any hobbies or interests that help I would love to hear it.

smoody705

Date posted: 8w

Rumination as a Compulsion

I've been told it's impossible to "push intrusive thoughts away", but also that rumination is a compulsion. What is rumination vs. overthinking? And how do I stop ruminating properly and healthfully?

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The common thing I see amongst all posts…

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