I feel like giving in

[mozart56]

I need your support— My primary obsessions have to do with going to new places, especially restaurants. This evening I went to a restaurant I’d never been to before with my daughter. When we were done eating, I was determined not to give in to the compulsion of going back inside to “cancel out” the anxiety of having gone into a new place. I did not go back inside. But now I’m at home, thinking that I need to drive back down there before they close and go back inside; my OCD is telling me that if I don’t go back inside, I’ll turn into a mean, terrible person. I may never be able to be the person I was before I went in there.

I know I shouldn’t give in, but it’s just so, so difficult! Help!

[LuvSun]

Good for you for resisting the compulsion to return to the restaurant 💪. I have similar thoughts about becoming a “different” person if I do or don’t do something my OCD is telling me. I know how hard it feels during the moment but it eventually passes and so far I think I am still “me”. It’s a continual process - ugh 😣. I just have to keep telling myself it’s the OCD making me think this.

[mozart56 in reply to LuvSun]

Thanks. You’re perhaps the first person in this group that has a type of OCD similar to mine. And yes, I have to remember to tell myself it’s the OCD demanding that I do the compulsion.

[OrchidKoi15]

You are so brave for facing your compulsion like that. I have found that starting at the hardest compulsion to ban first is counter intuitive. I learned that when I face the hardest thing out right that I will get overwhelmed and panic. Try to break it down first. If I am understanding correctly you need to go back inside the place you were. Instead of going back inside, maybe start just going back in front of the resturant, or halfway there. Try to be ok with that first then you will see that nothing will happen and be able to do the hardest thing. I am not a therapist but I wanted to give advise that was given to me. Also, one of the biggest things I have the hardest time dealing with is uncertainty. The programs I have been through want you to live in the uncertainty to conqour ocd. Basically, when you respond to ocd with maybe or maybe not, or in your case," I may or may not turn into a different person if I dont do this. If I turn into a different person then what? So what if I turned into a different person? " I hope this helps a little. I realize the same thing may not worry for everyone. Good luck.

[mozart56 in reply to OrchidKoi15]

Thanks. Your support means a lot. I use the “maybe this will happen, maybe it won’t; there’s no way to be sure” phrase a lot when I write scripts. It is helpful.

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Hi Mozart - It's great that you didn't go back into the restaurant. Nothing bad will happen because of it.