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obsessive thinking - advice needed


Guest struggling!

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Guest struggling!

Hi all,

I have a question that I would appreciate some advice on. My OCD is not always overt in behaviours but I spend many many hours ruminating and 'checking' in my head - thinking how I know something is OK, evidence for and against situations or events occurring or having occurred! There are times when I get new thoughts about something that hasn't been there before - sometimes about events that have occurred in the past that I may have felt a bit apprehensive about but had worked through it at the time and felt ok about it afterwards. This can trigger off whole new OCD phases that I am scared will be there long term creating whole new senarios and worries - taking previous concerns and making more and more out of them.

I don't know the best way to challenge these thoughts. I never seem to understand about sitting with the thoughts, challenging them, what engaging with them is or isn't etc. I just don't think I will be able to move forward with challenging OCD until I understand this. I understand the 4 steps with the overt checking behaviours that I do (label, refocus etc) but how are thoughts managed?????

Struggling!

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Sorry that no one has responded to your post yet...

I have had some success with using the four steps with regards to my intrusive thoughts. Same steps apply: reattributing and relabeling the thought as just a thought that is due to me having OCD, and then trying to refocus my thoughts on to something more positive and constructive.

When I'm in a good place, I can refocus pretty well for quite a long time...hours even. However, if I'm in not such a good place, refocusing seems impossible.

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Guest struggling!

Hi there OCDCanuck. Thank you for your response. I will try and apply the 4 steps to obsessive thinking too then. I think I've just doubted the procedures before because so many people say that you should accept the thought is there and not engage. I suppose I don't know the difference between challenging and engaging.

Is challenging the labelling it as OCD then and focusing on other things?

Is engaging when you go over the thought and try to explain it away or what it is or why or why not something can happen? I think I have seen this as challenging it by putting all the reasons as to why something is or is not there! That may be why I'm getting in a muddle and ending up with the situation ten times worse!!!! :shy:

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The trick is to not challenge the thoughts at all. Doing so gives credence to the thoughts and allows them to come back stronger. Think of the thoughts as a childhood bully. Don't react and eventually the bully gives up.

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