Jump to content

Don't Ignore The Cognitive Side!!!


Recommended Posts

Some notes based on my own experiences as a sufferer, and things I have learned along the journey.

Identification

We need to understand how our mind is working to produce distressing intrusions, and why they damage us emotionally.

How a trigger thought or image, within an OCD theme,  launches the emotional reaction, and why that is.

Triggers

An unhelpful core belief will trigger an alert – inside our brain we have a sort of “sentry”, who watches out for threats, and when he sees a new one – or compares memories and finds a repeat threat – he presses the alarm button – an emotional response occurs which triggers a warning and may also trigger anxiety.

Core Beliefs

In my own very simplistic view, I see OCD as a mental disorder working alone, or in tandem   with cognitive distortions. Its base is fear, threat or revulsion  which it deploys via intrusions attacking us through core beliefs and cherished character values, producing a strong emotional reaction, anxiety and  distress;  and the urge to carry out apparently  mitigating (but actually strengthening) rituals , plus compulsive behaviours to try and find certainty against  the doubts and untruths of the intrusions.

In getting better, we need to  aim to identify these intrusions as actually mental chaff, in practice irrelevant to normal daily living.

A good starting point for me is finding our core belief(s) that the OCD is attacking. A standard way of doing this in CBT is the downward arrow principle, though you may determine other ways.

On a piece of paper write down a statement as to what you believe is causing your problem.
Then underneath it, draw a downward arrow and then write in the answer to this question. If this were true, why would it be so bad?
After writing in the answer,  put in another downward arrow underneath, and ask the same question again.
Keep going until no further answer is possible – your last answer should reveal the core belief.
Do this with each of your issues to find all your core beliefs.

Seeing How The Disorder Targets Core Beliefs And Cherished Good  Character Values

CBT tells your conscious mind what to do – not respond to thoughts, not give them credibility, phase out ritualistic and compulsive behaviour. It will bracket  negative and obsessional thinking into what theme of OCD do you have. It will identify other negative distortions such as mental filtering – focusing only on the negative, and exaggerations maximising things of completely minimal or no real relevance.

Within the mindset of someone with  contamination OCD will likely be a core belief yelling exaggerated risk, threat to you or others.

Someone with loving caring character values might find the core belief that they are bad, have done or might do wrong things or harm – effectively the disorder turns their core value on the head through an opposite damaging negative core belief.

This is an extremely simplistic way of looking at the cognitive side , but for me without having some understanding of this, tackling unhelpful behaviours and using exposure and response prevention may not be successful .

If we know those erroneous core beliefs that are thrown up, and how the OCD uses them, we are in a better position to challenge them and take away the power they have to evoke that unwanted emotional reaction.

We can choose to change our core belief, so the sentry does not respond by pressing the alarm button!

 

 

Link to comment

Hi Taurean, 

Great piece again, im not sure if I'm doing it wrong or not, could you please do me an example of the core belief part where you right down what you believe is causing the problem, then arrows underneath till only the core belief remains? I don't think I'm doing it correctly. 

Many thanks lost.

Link to comment
3 minutes ago, lostinme said:

Hi Taurean, 

Great piece again, im not sure if I'm doing it wrong or not, could you please do me an example of the core belief part where you right down what you believe is causing the problem, then arrows underneath till only the core belief remains? I don't think I'm doing it correctly. 

Many thanks lost.

Sure lost - I will go and power up the laptop, easier to do it there than from the phone. 

 

Link to comment
3 minutes ago, lostinme said:

Thanks Taureen, 

No need to do it now it's late I don't want you to go to any trouble, if you could just be kind enough to do it for me when you have a little time. 

Many thanks lost.

Its no problem - I'm retired, and the Mrs is asleep .

Let's give it a go in a simple way.

I am scared to leave my home

             arrow

If this were true, why would it be so bad?

Because I am worried about it being safe

arrow

if this were true, why would it be so bad?

I am not sure if everything is turned off 

arrow

if this were true, why would it be so bad?

there might be a fire if i left the cooker on for example . 

arrow

If this were true, why would it be so bad?

I fear that my home would burn down and it would be my fault.

arrow

if this were true why would it be so bad? 

Because i didn't check it properly before I left.

arrow

If this were true, why would it be so bad?

Because I always struggle to accept that I checked everything, even if i think I have . I have a fear that I didn't do it right, properly , even if my logic tells me i did, it will be my fault, the ;place will burn down, I might lose everything.. 

Link to comment
8 minutes ago, lostinme said:

Hi Taurean, 

Thankyou so much for your time and patience, I understand it better now, so I have to do this with all my fears? 

Is that right ? 

Thank you so much lost

Yes, but I would keep it to your OCD issues for now. 

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...