differentiate between ocd and not ocd decisions!

[Guest AJ45]

I'm finding it really difficult to decide if my reactions to situations are my ocd or not. My confidence has been destroyed which doesn't help, neither does the concept of if you think its ocd it probably is!! I find myself reacting to a situation, but being unable to voice an opinion because I'm questioning " is this my ocd? what if it is ? ", ( this questioning is done in an effort to recover not part of my OCD )then in general I don't have the confidence to speak out.

I am then left uncertain and destroyed because I cant be trusted to make the right decision or take the right action.

I know recovery is about taking the risk , living with it , but sometimes things are wrong and I just don't know !!!!

It's too much!!!!! This is a dangerous place to be.

[PolarBear]

I think it's fairly common for OCD sufferers to have difficulty making decisions. Sometimes the smallest of decisions. We tend not to trust our gut instinct.

I was certainly like that for a very long time. What I found is, once I got my OCD under control, I was no longer anxious over making decisions. I was more accepting of the possibility that I could make a wrong decision. I just kept on moving and making more decisions.

My point is, get your OCD under control and the decision problem should work itself out.

[Guest ADD]

We could never be trusted to make the right decisions cause we're too irrational and biased. Not stable and reliable cause we are controlled by what our OCD makes us feel and getting rid of the bad feelings through compulsions. Compulsions are not rational or proportional at least. No one could trust me cause of that. How do they know decision I make is cause it is what I would want if there were no triggers? How do they know they are not going to be the next thing I avoid cause of something they said.

[Guest AJ45]

I suppose it's a question of trusting ourselves and when we can do that without question , then we are heading in the right direction . Until then just make the best of it!

[Guest ADD]

I trust myself. I trust myself to do whatever my ocd wants!

[Guest legend]

Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain

[Guest ADD]

That depends on the effect/consequences!

[Guest legend]

Nope , live with the uncertainty

[Guest ADD]

I wasn't talking about uncertainty I was talking about consequences! If someone faces a fear of public speaking and it goes horribly wrong then it traumatizes them and makes them more afraid of it not less. If it goes alright then it kills their fear.

If someone faces their fear of driving while drunk and they hit someone, they'll be more afraid of it.

If someone faces their fear of something causing disturbing thought loops and it does, it reinforces their fear of that happening.

It only reduces fear if there are no consequences that they feared or the consequences are negligible.

You act like all fears are of improbable things. Not true. It's how the mind works to reduce or reaffirm fears.

[Guest legend]

so true

Edited November 29, 2014 by legend

[Caramoole]

Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain

I'd take issue with that a little....that's psychology theory and doesn't always pan out that simply.

I agree with the principle and the practise, it's a necessity but the death of fear isn't certain always and certainly not that simply. I avoid nothing, I don't seek reassurance.....have I eradicated fear? Often not, I live alongside it in those situations.

Don't get me wrong.....it's the only way to make proper gains and the route to pursue.......but it's a bit of a sound-bite that isn't quite that straight forward in reality.

imho

Caramoole

[Guest legend]

I'd take issue with that a little....that's psychology theory and doesn't always pan out that simply.

I agree with the principle and the practise, it's a necessity but the death of fear isn't certain always and certainly not that simply. I avoid nothing, I don't seek reassurance.....have I eradicated fear? Often not, I live alongside it in those situations.

Don't get me wrong.....it's the only way to make proper gains and the route to pursue.......but it's a bit of a sound-bite that isn't quite that straight forward in reality.

imho

Caramoole

if only !!, totally agree.

i apologise profusely

one should never had made that comment , in retrospect , intentions were there but hey , sometimes mistakes happen.

legend

[PolarBear]

It only reduces fear if there are no consequences that they feared or the consequences are negligible.

Then you throw in a cognitive distortion like overestimation of threat and you have a situation where the perceived consequence is out of whack. That can lead the person to shirk away from facing their fear out of fear of suffering a consequence that may not actually exist.

Isn't OCD fun?

[Caramoole]

i apologise profusely

Absolutely not necessary Legend and you are quite entitled to make it.

I agree in principle for what it's worth...... but just that sometimes there is a slight discrepancy between "Psychologists Speak" and what happens in reality......that can take a little longer and recur sometimes.

Caramoole

[Guest legend]

Absolutely not necessary Legend and you are quite entitled to make it.

I agree in principle for what it's worth...... but just that sometimes there is a slight discrepancy between "Psychologists Speak" and what happens in reality......that can take a little longer and recur sometimes.

Caramoole

Every person is unique, on there routes and roads of lifes journeys , and one must remind oneself of that

Sometimes my enthusiasm and inability to absorb information at times, over rides that situation so we tend to

end up in a poop

Step back legend, put oneself back into those shoes you onced walked in, then make good posts

Cest la vie, 99.9% i aim to please x ;-)

Sorry about that aj and add

Best wishes with everything

Edited November 29, 2014 by legend

[Caramoole]

Step back legend, put oneself back into those shoes you onced walked in, then make good posts

You're being too tough on yourself

[Guest legend]

You're being too tough on yourself

Yep !! That's how I roll ;-)

[Caramoole]

So what are you going to do next time it happens? (she says with tongue firmly in cheek)

Caramoole

[Guest legend]

So what are you going to do next time it happens? (she says with tongue firmly in cheek)

Caramoole

Do some handstands whilst whistling Dixie :

[Guest AJ45]

Then you throw in a cognitive distortion like overestimation of threat and you have a situation where the perceived consequence is out of whack. That can lead the person to shirk away from facing their fear out of fear of suffering a consequence that may not actually exist.

Isn't OCD fun?

Hi all, I can see what your saying L , if we face it, do it, deal with it, eventually we will be ok. But to me that depends on your personal OCD. I can only talk of my own situation and what happens to me . And in some cases I have faced it, ignored the thought, accepted that it there but know it means nothing , and guess what the OCD moved on, bites sometimes but it's still dealt with with the disrespect it deserves.

PB this is what gets me its understanding the perceived consequences; and are they ocd thoughts or not. How do We differentiate?

I hate this world - can't face life ; even as you try so hard to beat it ; it just sends in another complication - the doubt - but doubt caused by an unsafe world !!