This online article helped me understand my anxiety.

[TrueBlue23]

I have been struggling lately with anxiety caused by innocuous thoughts, and I found this article online which helped me:

adaa.org/learn-from-us/from...

[deValentin]

Thank you for the article. In my opinion, a lot of excellent ideas in it, but I'd nuance some.

For instance, the author says, "When you have a thought that your relationship partner might leave you, that's just a fart noise in your head. Treat it as such: ignore it and move on with whatever you were actually doing with your day."

I'd be less categorical and say, "Maybe that idea that popped into my mind has merits, maybe not". When I have some free time, I'll give it reasonable attention, and dismiss it if I find it baseless; it'll fade with the passing of time".

In my experience, it's easier to trust your judgment and ability to dismiss unsupported thoughts when you process the intrusive ones in a timely manner, as an OCD-free individual would.

[Sallyskins]

Interesting and helpful, at least in part. But it says 'don't worship your mind'. I certainly don't - to do so borders on narcissism - but I recognize that my mind is part of me.

I think the point is to stress that the brain is extremely complex and responsive. It is constantly making new connections and processing information and there are bound to be a few problems!

I suppose it could be likened to a city transport network - though that's a bit simplistic. But it's not surprising if there are snarl-ups, the occasional collision and thoughts getting lost and going in a loop.

Random connections are common in the brain, but our sense of what is reasonable and rational usually dismisses them immediately. It's OCD that makes them 'sticky' and makes us go over and over them.

Our brains are part of us. They get things wrong, often. Our instincts play a part as well. One scientist, when asked what his gut feeling was, answered 'I prefer not to think with my gut; I prefer to think with my brain.' Amusing, but not altogether right. Our guts and hearts are part of our neural network and though gut instinct can also be wrong, it shouldn't be dismissed entirely.

Our bodies and senses pick up on things unconsciously, and help us make decisions. Dogs do this - and so do we. In decision making, it helps to have a heart-mind coalition, not a contest!

[Natureloverpeace]

Thanks for sharing. This article is written by Dr. Stein, an OCD specialist who is sharing some of the basic psychoeducation that is important for anyone with OCD to understand. Knowing OCD’s playbook is foundational to defeating it.

[AlfiePoppy]

really good article thanks for sharing !