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Time to fight back on OCD big time.


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Hi

I have not posted on here much in the past few months but I now think that if I keep giving into rituals then that will just make the OCD come back again. If I keep giving in and doing the rituals I shall never get better. I think it is best to allow the intrusive thoughts to be there but pay them no attention. Let the anxiety build because whenever I do a ritual the OCD always says "One last time" but I know it is not and it comes back wanting more.

Ben

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Guest Annabel

Hi Ben,

Great plan, I'm trying to do the same! After all they're just thoughts, nothing will happen if we don't do them :)

Anna

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Guest bluebottomedfly

Its good being on this forum and seeing Im not the only one!!

Funny how we are all strangers yet our minds work the same.

Don't give into those rituals, you need to kind of embrace the anxiety, sounds crazy but you do, thats how I got over it the last time.

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Good plan. When it comes to OCD the right thing is always not doing whatever it wants you to do.

I find that when OCD is first pressuring me to do something I feel lots of anxiety and its hard to resist but if I manage to resist it initially and get one with my day. Later on if the thought occurs again, the anxiety levels are lower and I find it easier to ignore it. So yeah, its important to get past that first point of anxiety.

And obviously it's important to never give in, because when you do, you just re-convince your brain that it needs to do these things in order for everything to be ok.

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Also I do no more research online and am resisting any urges. it will stay that way. Let the thoughts be there but dont give in to them. Researching will just feed the OCD and if I did find something that made me spike I'd ruminate over it. OCD is a nasty illness.

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Guest sportlover

yeah great comments guys...i too feel the same, like you have to get to a certain point then you say enough is enough, sod it i will have to be anxious as this isnt getting in the way anymore. In facing and beating ocd there is no way round it. You have to face the anxeity to get through to the other side. Get angry with it...

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Theres a particular part of my ocd i cant find a way around because i think theres part logic in the fears,its when i work on cars or motorbikes i cant stop rechecking things because of fear of failure and i dont know how to tackle it..

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Guest koalahugs

Theres a particular part of my ocd i cant find a way around because i think theres part logic in the fears,its when i work on cars or motorbikes i cant stop rechecking things because of fear of failure and i dont know how to tackle it..

I have found that if I fight my rituals and routines then it makes it worse. Sometimes it's easier just to do the ritual and accept it. I don't know, it's hard to make sense of it all sometimes.

I did post earlier about this 4 step OCD programme that I'd been reading about online and it seems to explain OCD and ways to to deal with it quite well. Basically try not to take all the obsessions/worries personally and to realise that it's OCD making you feel that way and not you. Also, try and refocus yourself or do something else when you feel a ritual coming on, easier said then done I suppose.

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Theres a particular part of my ocd i cant find a way around because i think theres part logic in the fears,its when i work on cars or motorbikes i cant stop rechecking things because of fear of failure and i dont know how to tackle it..

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Guest hope*

Hi Bruces

I mentioned that to my CBT guy re feeling that some of the thoughts are real. He said that there is an element of truth in every obsession. But he didn't tell me how to then deal with that aspect! Must ask him next time I see him.

I presume you have to accept that doubt, it is the doubting disease afterall! Live with the doubt and say to yourself, does this feel like OCD, am I overly obsessing here, would a non ocd person be obsessing like this, or this OCDing is really not getting me anywhere and decreases my ability to live a good life or do a good job, I am not going to let it take over.

This is something I battle with myself, hope this helps a little

Hope

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Guest Kelg

My OCD used to be about logical things like cleaning--there was always some common sense to it-but then it really got weird--like controlling my exposure to certain images--based on preferences...there is some logic to that ina vague way as well---wanting to pass by people on the street that fit a certain positive profile, but it just goes into extremes.

With my mother's arm broken, i find it harder because I cant do my usual ritual and dont feel right about resuming normal activities like opening windows for the summer. All these restrictions due to the OCD-worrying for nothing.

I agree that not doing what the OCD asks is the right strategy but it can be so difficult to fight it sometimes. I dont think the will power aspect can be taken for granted. You can get fed up and fight it-but other times the will simply isnt there. But that could just be me rationalizing the rituals right? Saying there are times not to fight it-where I feel like I will have a heart attack if I make a mistake--but when its bad and I resist it, it can be really stressful.

Maybe that's when it has built up inside me--and the key is to keep the stress level at a low level as much as possible by not engaging in the small rituals.

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Good plan. When it comes to OCD the right thing is always not doing whatever it wants you to do.

I find that when OCD is first pressuring me to do something I feel lots of anxiety and its hard to resist but if I manage to resist it initially and get one with my day. Later on if the thought occurs again, the anxiety levels are lower and I find it easier to ignore it. So yeah, its important to get past that first point of anxiety.

And obviously it's important to never give in, because when you do, you just re-convince your brain that it needs to do these things in order for everything to be ok.

**I am remembering this as I deal with reducing my OCD.

To change the dynamic of how I think and respond.

Edited by Kelg
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Guest TOWIE

I have found that if I fight my rituals and routines then it makes it worse. Sometimes it's easier just to do the ritual and accept it. I don't know, it's hard to make sense of it all sometimes.

I did post earlier about this 4 step OCD programme that I'd been reading about online and it seems to explain OCD and ways to to deal with it quite well. Basically try not to take all the obsessions/worries personally and to realise that it's OCD making you feel that way and not you. Also, try and refocus yourself or do something else when you feel a ritual coming on, easier said then done I suppose.

That's exactly how I feel! But I have never attempted to fight back from my rituals! I think it's about time to start! The 4 step programme looks like a good starter!

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Guest legend

Hi Bruces as someone mentioned above the key is to

gradually reduce the checking and allow the anxiety and doubts to be there although it sounds hard that is the key to getting better

The thoughts aren't the problem the problems are the rituals that keep the irrational happy and the more we carry them out the more powerful the OCD becomes

I suppose it's all about taking that leap of faith because one thing is certain is that rituals do not make it go away

Legend

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Guest legend

Yes that's a common problem mate and it's a very debilitating illness and it does seem very unfair

But that said with the right approach you can change mate

Sorry to see your struggling are you able to do things that will help lift the moods like walking /bike rides

Look after yaself your bigger than this. We all are

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Guest legend

Trouble is when we are in a negatitive mind set is that we

tend to look at ourselves through a telescope and we paint a dark picture of ourselves. Where in fact we have very many positives but we don't actually see them

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