That’s so helpful malina, thanks.
I agree that exposure to these fears is problematic. It’s top of my hierarchy so I need some exposure to it as avoidance perpetuates OCD. Exposure is meant to cause anxiety of course and eventually habituation occurs. I have done a detailed script of the different potential forms of torture/physical pain I could face in the afterlife (if there is one etc..). I actually don’t seem to get a lot of anxiety when I’m reading the script even when I dwell on the suffering. I think when I add the question ‘could I cope’ this is probably a compulsion-trying to figure it out, so I think I need to stop that. I finish my script with: ‘this is definitely going to happen’, ‘maybe it will happen’, ‘maybe not’.
I also completely agree with your point about my ability to live with uncertainty in this world.
The hardest part in this is letting go of trying to figure it out, and just getting on with life. Michael Greenberg uses the analogy of trying to hold onto a basketball when we need to let it drop.
Thanks again, so helpful.
Mmmmch