Kind of a rough start to the week. The intrusive thoughts are ramping up because of all the ERP and I’m starting to fall into OCD’s trap again. I hadn’t googled anything for almost a week but I gave in tonight because OCD told me I hurt someone in the past and I have to figure it out and confess. I’m doing my best to tolerate the uncomfortable feelings that come with uncertainty and continue to live my life but it’s hard. Any tips for resisting checking and doing other compulsions such as mental scanning?
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MyOCD123
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Hey! You made it a week and that's amazing! While I don't have any sure ways of dealing with resistance....you just need to tell yourself that this is OCD talking. Feeding on your doubt. Progress not perfection. If it's a very repetitive check my therapy has me wait and limit how much info I check each time. Also with all the exposure I think its totally normal for the trap door to open and really scare you. That's why treatment is so terrifying and difficult. You're doing great!
Oh also I listen to a lot of music! For me it's soothing and distracting.
What helps me is to delay checking. Like tell yourself, "I'll check, but not for 20 minutes." And then if you do check, put a time limit on it, like set an alarm for 15 minutes and then stop checking & reward yourself with a little treat. Getting outside also helps me, even little errands or a walk around the block to remember it's a big world. And I agree with music. Find a song that puts a smile on your face (for me, "Uptown Funk" always cheers me up). Good luck. Not easy to resist checking!
All of the ERP tends to trigger a revolt by the OCD! That is completely normal
Falling back into the trap is simply a way to observe your own head from the outside. You went a whole week, which, as Chiboo said, is nothing short of amazing.
I am glad that you are putting in your best effort to tolerate the uncomfortable feelings that inevitably come with uncertainty! That is, of course, why they call OCD the “Doubting Disease.”
It is hard. It is very hard. I know exactly what you’re talking about.
I like to use the “That Would Suck” method. It only works when you’re in a good mood, but it forces you to keep moving forward without checking back.
For example, if I am not sure that I have the 25 dollars that I put in my pocket, I say to myself that it would really suck if I didn’t. That way, I realize that I will make it through the situation without checking.
3 thoughts: My best therapist once said to me, “You don’t have to be comfortable to function.” This helps me to remember that it is therapeutic to sit with the discomfort. Second, I firmly, but kindly, tell myself, “No checking!” and do something active to refocus myself away from obsessive thinking. Lastly, a therapist named Beth has a feed on Instragram which you can join called life_without_anxiety, and she puts daily encouraging notes on post-its that are right on, very affirming, yet challenging in a way that helps you to keep on keeping on. 💜
It’s so funny you mentioned Beth! I found her page a couple weeks ago and love seeing the notes pop up on my feed! You are definitely right, you don’t have to be comfortable to function and it’s hard for me to sit with the discomfort but I know that I’ve done it before and I can tolerate it. Thank you so much for the encouragement!
My ocd is unwanted intrusive thoughts, and my way of not correcting them is to tell myself that at 9:pm I will go back and correct them. This works sometimes, but when it does I never go back and correct them at 9pm. This is my time to relax, and I only do for me, like listening to music, watching TV, playing the guitar, or phoning a friend.
It's also good to reward yourself with something you really like. (mine is ice cream) I hope this is helpful for you. Let me know if it works.
Nothing is easy but try to think about something else to distract the thoughts or include doing some task around the house that distracts and breaks the pattern?
Thank you! I just did a hard exposure in therapy today so the urge to check is pretty bad but I am delaying it successfully and I think I’ll do a nice face mask to reward myself!
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I do something very similar, but had not given it a catchy name like this one, haha!
someone help! 
ERP is Awesome.
Trying not to give in to OCD right now!!! Help!!!
Fears of loved ones dying *possible trigger warning*
Just-Diagnosed Teenager
