So the urge lessens as time goes by, right?

[Ryukil]

Well, that is one of my options for how treat GAD. To just accept it and stop trying to figure it out and making it go away. So...that would be the same as me deciding to go with approach A and sticking with it, basically.

[PolarBear]

You are clearly spending far too much time trying to figure out how to proceed and no time actually proceeding.

So why don't you just do it?

[Ryukil]

Yeah.

[jimangie1973]

Yes Polar Bear you are correct, but I think, and you know, that the answer to your question is the unknown of proceeding is terrifying.

[Ryukil]

What is he correct about? Sorry I just want to specify you're talking about.

[jimangie1973]

He's correct that you're repeatedly researching how to conquer your GAD without actually proceeding with a plan.  I'm guessing the fear is you execute a plan and it doesn't work.  Is this right?

[Ryukil]

Yes, the fear is I'll try something for a few months and it won't work in alleviating my GAD symptoms. I'll then have "wasted time" not recovering from GAD, but I want to get better as soon as possible. I've spoken to other people who recovered from GAD. They all did acceptance, but they did it in slightly different ways.

[PolarBear]

You're afraid of wasting time. You're afraid you'll spend a couple of months on a method and it won't work. Be honest. How many months have you wasted trying to make a choice?

[Ryukil]

I know Polar Bear, I know. I tried again to just stick with something for (dropping it) and was doing pretty well, but for some reason I went back to compulsing...I can definitely do it...I just need to get past the difficult initial few days, you know?

[PolarBear]

It's going to be difficult. You want to leave the whole matter alone, not think about it anymore. But OCD is going to be fairly screaming at you to do more compulsions. Your anxiety will increase. The urge to do compulsions will be powerful. But you must stay the course and not go backward. Get your mind onto something else. Read a book. Go for a walk send notice the scenery. Rearrange cupboards. Clean out the garage. Anything to occupy your mind. And then just keep doing that.

Refuse to get into mind debates over how to recover. Leave the subject alone. Literally tell yourself you're just not going to deal with that right now.

[Ryukil]

Yes, I went for a walk and I told myself, "Well, I can always go back to obsessing in a few months if this doesn't work." Like if my GAD doesn't improve from trying to just drop the subject and move on with life, I can always go back and see what I've done wrong. And I had this obsession that I need to "figure out" why I'm so rigid and why I need to "decide" instead of just generally using a method...but I said to myself, "Alright, I can figure that out down the road if this doesn't work. I.e., I don't need to worry about it right now."

 

Thanks for your help. Hopefully I can make the break and just get on with my life.