Oscar The Doubt Monster

I’ve been watching some really good Ted Talks about OCD lately, and one thing I took away from one I watched this morning is to not only label the thought and feelings as junk (and trust me, I know how hard that can be an how dark they can get), but to actually personify the OCD and then try to ignore it and be bored with it. I’ve decided to label mine as Oscar The Doubt Monster (copying the girl in the video), and so far whenever thoughts and feelings arise I simply say to myself “there goes Oscar again, acting up for no good reason” and then carrying on with what I was doing. It likely won’t always work, but I think it’s necessary to separate the thoughts from myself to realize I am not these thoughts.

Let’s me know if you have any interesting tricks like this!

[Hidden]

The way thoughts can be viewed is that they are put in an OCD box.

It is a box of doubt, uncertainty, feared consequences.

Since all of the OCD thoughts revolve around these themes.

I am still struggling with it on a daily basis.

But having the thoughts labeled as OCD is an approach to consider.

[MothFir]

When my daughter was a pre-teen and learning to become a smart aleck, one of her favorite sayings was "Thank you for your comment," as in, "I hear you, but I'm still not paying any attention to you."

I use that on OCD from time to time, especially when it concerns contamination and checking issues. If my obsessions tell me that the coffee might be poisoned, I respond "Thank you for your comment" and drink it anyway, as if the OCD is not so much an enemy as just an overprotective, paranoid friend. It's silly, but it helps sometimes.

[Hidden in reply to MothFir]

I like this tactic!

[Selesnya in reply to MothFir]

Yes, I do this as well. I thank OCD for looking out for me and then move on. OCD just starts off hyper-vigilant and omnipresent, but it will get quieter as you choose to ignore its advice. It's not me, it's just my OCD.