Resisting compulsions

[Guest stuckinmyhead]

I managed an hour without ruminating, this is going to be so hard

[PolarBear]

Congratulations. So you build on that. Next time, one hour 15 minutes. Onward and upward.

[Guest stuckinmyhead]

Would it be true to say that after ruminating for some months/ years on these intrusive thoughts there's now no relief gained from the actual ruminating. As in it doesn't give me that "just right feeling" that I didn't do anything wrong. It just gets more and more believable over time.

[PolarBear]

Any relief garnered from compulsions is short lived anyway. Soon enough doubt creeps back in or you're slammed with another intrusive thought and off you go again.

[Guest stuckinmyhead]

So do the conpulsions become more foggy and confusing and more believable the more you have gone over it?

[PolarBear]

I would say, yes they can.

[Guest stuckinmyhead]

I've seen people on here say that the more they went over it the more real it became, which I think what's happened with me.

Had a great morning with no rumination!!!!! Only thing is I had no intrusions? Aren't they supposed to increase when you stop rumination?

What has happened this afternoon is I've had intrusions about a different obsession and I got caught out straight away.

[PolarBear]

Be happy you had not intrusive thoughts for a while. Don't analyze it. Just enjoy the break!

[Guest stuckinmyhead]

What I can say is my anxiety has started pretty high all day though.

What's frustrating me now is a different obsession which I've had on and off for years. Regarding a sexual encounter and his behaviour afterwards- I'm trailing my mind like mad looking for evidence that I did something wrong. I'd had false memories too but now it's like my head is looking for something else saying to me have u forgotten something? Did I do something wrong? What if I've forgot because I was drunk? Etc

[PolarBear]

So what you're saying is an old intrusive thought has popped up and in response you're ruminating like crazy. Put the breaks on that compulsion. It's not going to do you any good.

[Guest stuckinmyhead]

So treat them all the same? No compulsions?

[PolarBear]

Of course. It doesn't matter what theme you're dealing with. Compulsions are compulsions. They do absolutely no good, make the situation worse and you're better off without them.