benjamin Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 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 Link to comment
Guest Annabel Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 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 Link to comment
Guest bluebottomedfly Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 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. Link to comment
Guest GreenPark22 Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Good to see you are fighting back! I am defo joining that fight now! Tired of it consuming my life Link to comment
bruces Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 i find the fight of trying to avoid the rituals just as tiring as doing the repetative checking.. Link to comment
Guest Annabel Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Hi Bruces, Yeah, I agree! but with time the less you do the compulsions, the easier it becomes to not do them! Link to comment
Guest J.D Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 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. Link to comment
benjamin Posted June 6, 2011 Author Share Posted June 6, 2011 OCD is like a wind up merchant. Retaliate and it will come back for more, ignore it and it will get bored. Link to comment
benjamin Posted June 7, 2011 Author Share Posted June 7, 2011 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. Link to comment
Guest sportlover Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 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... Link to comment
bruces Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 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.. Link to comment
Guest koalahugs Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 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. Link to comment
bruces Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 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.. Link to comment
Guest hope* Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 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 Link to comment
bruces Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 it feels so hard to describe its almost as if i doubt myself so much that i actualy forget whether ive actually tightened a bolt,it seems so hard to convince myself of something.. Link to comment
Guest Kelg Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 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. Link to comment
benjamin Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 I have learned not to do online research and it is set to stay that way. I just need to work on other aspects of my OCD. Link to comment
Guest Kelg Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 (edited) 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 June 11, 2011 by Kelg Link to comment
Guest TOWIE Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 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! Link to comment
bruces Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Im sick of having no self confidence or self worth,i feel like a second class citizen.. Link to comment
Guest legend Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 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 Link to comment
bruces Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Hi legend i just dont feel i have the fight and the willpower,when im down i just want to spend the day asleep,i feel so envious towards people that dont have this terrible affliction Link to comment
Guest legend Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 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 Link to comment
bruces Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I try to get out with the dog every night but i dont think it helps all that much,because of my low confidence h avoid doing things i now im absolutely convinced im thick.. Link to comment
Guest legend Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 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 Link to comment
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