CBT recommendations?

[Joewest439]

Can anyone recommend any web reachable CBT experts or people who can help me?

All the 'specialists' in my area seem to know less than I do about OCD, and books do not address my specific circumstances. Perhaps there's a website service or something. I know CBT is probably better applied in person, but I'm rather optionless here.

Having recurring intrusive thoughts that those intrusive thoughts will never fade is not something I can find much information on so far. I no longer respond with compulsive ruminating, but I hear CBT can also help with the interpretation of intrusive thoughts.

Thanks people

Edited March 28, 2017 by Joewest439

[PolarBear]

Okay, I don't quite understand what you mean by intrusive thoughts that intrusive thoughts will never fade. Can you break that down for me a bit?

[chaosed]

well in CBT, as far as I know, we learn about the irrational thinking patterns. Then you take a thought which causes you intense emotional responses, you analayze it and determine why it is irrational: it may be all or nothing thinking, catastrophizing, etc. Then you explain why this thought is irrational (eg just because it happened once, it doesnt mean it will happen every time. Then you think about why this way of thinking is unhelping for you. Then you think of a rational alternative to your thought (maybe the thought was fired by an event, so what would be a more rational way of looking at that even, for example) and finally you asses what feelings the rational alternative of looking at an event may bring.

So, have you tried looking online for irrational thinking patterns and rational alternatives to them? I'm sure there are a lot of resources online on the subject, and you can apply them, through the exercise above, which is called ABC, to your particular situation.

[Joewest439]

What I mean by my terminology is: Although I have given up trying to work out that obsession that I spent months and months trying to work out, it took over my life so much that it has now mutated into a fear that it's going to stick around regardless. Like impending doom. Like I'm too used to having it hang over me to fully move on.

As in, I now keep getting intrusive thoughts along the lines of - 'What if it clings to me forever despite my letting go?' 'Is it still bothering me?' 'Have I really let go?'

It's not the original obsession anymore, but the fear it'll stay with me despite my letting go. Do you know what I mean?

 

Chaosed: I understand your discription, but I find that whole process not always possible, when the thoughts are coming thick and fast, and wouldn't analysing etc be the last thing one should do? 

[PolarBear]

I understand perfectly what you're mean. You are not the first person to get caught up in their recovery or having intrusive thoughts along the lines of "Will I ever get past this."

Like with any other OCD situation, you get intrusive thoughts and you do compulsions. You've figured out what the intrusive thoughts are. Now you need to figure out what your compulsions are. I'm betting your big compulsion is ruminating. You probably sit there and go over the questions in your head, time and time again, trying to figure things out, trying to find an answer, trying to find a solution to the problem. That's the big compulsion and that's what you need to work on.

From a cognitive standpoint, you need to realize that you can't be 100% sure if those intrusive thoughts have left you for good or not. You have to be okay with that. Take one day at a time and deal with what you've got when you've got it. It's okay to be unsure.

From a behavioral standpoint, you've got to work on your compulsions, notably ruminating. You need to slow it down. You need to catch yourself ruminating and stop yourself then refocus onto something else. You need to do that each time and every time you start ruminating. Take the attitude that it's okay to not work it out. It's okay to leave such questions alone and just get on with your day.

[Joewest439]

I see what you mean, and to be honest, your advice has been by far the main foundation for my recovery over the past few months. Not responding to my intrusive thoughts has been pretty much the only thing that's worked, compared to some of the more complex methods.

The disturbing thing for me is that, for the past few weeks or so, I actually do not really sit here ruminating, or if I do, it's for like a few moments or so. The margin for error is tiny and I feel even a moment of slipping up can result in days of anxiety.

Sometimes an intrusive thought will pop up, I won't react to it, but the fear it inflicts will still stay with me for days regardless. I'm surprised it's this hard, but I suppose I created a monster when I was trying to work out an obsession for months on end, now I'm paying the penalty.

Some days I can be great at batting the fears away. Sometimes I literally forget how to not react to them. 

The whole theme now is based on the fear of never recovering. I take solace in the fact that I've had this theme before, but I ended up moving to Ibiza as a distraction that time (which actually worked for a while).

When I recognise that that fear of never being myself again is an intrusive thought, it's so much easier to get on with life. I think it's important to have the combination of recognising intrusive thoughts, and being okay with uncertainty anyway, right?

Edited March 29, 2017 by Joewest439

[PolarBear]

Absolutely.