Just a thought

[lostinme]

6 minutes ago, taurean said:

It's testing for you lost, and I can understand that. 

But as you say, only we can undertake our own therapy. 

I have taken on some really challenging news stories, and not shied away from them or tried to avoid them

And I have been doing that at a time the whole remaing parts of the home not being worked on by builders during the previous three weeks have been stuffed to the gills with displaced objects, meaning we have - quite literally - been camping.

It's important for us to continue to push back the barriers of the rules and restrictions imposed by OCD, not be fooled by its lies and uncertainty, take on board probability and use defusion skills. 

When OCD thoughts get no reaction from us, they do lose power and become less frequent. 

And when we get to that stage, when they do pop along, they can simply be identified and gently but firmly eased away, whilst we at the same time ignore the bad emotions it tries to evoke such as fear, we are bad or whatever, and refocus to love kindness happiness joy. 

 

Thanks Roy some good wise words  everything you've said is right I just need to remind myself of this. 

And well done it sounds like your doing good ? keep up the good work 

[taurean]

My thought for the day is this :

However challenging our problems may seem, however difficult our circumstances, some one out there will have faced similar issues and overcome them with practical knowledge understanding then making necessary thinking and behavioural changes. 

Everytime someone comes on here and says they are doing much better, this is the reason why - they have had the faith, in what they have been told, to believe it - and put into practice what they have been told to do, however difficult or challenging it has been. 

[lostinme]

I'm feeling so dissapointed with myself today 

I knew it was going to be hard being alone for two full days and nights something I haven't done for years. But this morning I got up with a positive outlook and was doing really well, even emptied the kettle and filled it  and made myself drinks etc, so all was going good ? 

However this afternoon one intrusive thought stuck to me like glue and unfortunately I made the huge mistake of giving it attention. I've spent all afternoon ruminating over it something I haven't done for quite a while now, so why did I pay attention to it  

I still don't know the what if even though I've spent all afternoon torturing myself ruminating over it and going over it over and over again in my head and I had already learnt this so why did I go there, I thought I'd conquered this part so now I'm feeling pretty low and so dissapointed in myself  I've managed to turn it around and to let it go now. 

Could anyone please advise me if this is normal and can occur when your working on things on the higher end of the heirachy ? 

Many thanks 

lost 

[PolarBear]

Good gracious, yes! You're going to trip up sometimes

 That's normal and to be expected. You know you went down the path of compulsions. Take a break, regroup, get a good night's sleep and carry on tomorrow. You have NOT wrecked anything or set yourself back. This is perfectly normal.

[lostinme]

Oh bless you PolarBear thank you for answering me so quickly, I was so worried about this and was afraid I'd had a major setback after I was doing so well. 

What annoyed me so much is I knew better I'd already learnt this and I let myself go there

Thank you so much for your kind words they have made me feel a lot better, I will get a good nights sleep and start again tomorrow 

[PolarBear]

Have some chocolate too. That always helps!

[lostinme]

 so so much! 

[taurean]

Good work PolarBear 

Spot on of course lost - we all have days when we get spooked /slip - but it's all part of the learning curve, nothing more than that. 

Your horse is waiting for you in the stables - enjoy your breakfast, then go and remount and be back on course again 

[taurean]

I got a bit spooked overnight by the task awaiting us to put the house by to rights. Not as such an OCD thought, it's rational as the house is a tip, each of the untouched rooms and the summerhouse, full of displaced stuff. 

So I stopped and asked myself how I was coping with this during the works - answer, just a temporary inconvenience for long-term gain - and re-applied that - together with the knowledge that we have plenty of time to put the house back together again

There is no gain without initial,temporary, pain! 

 

[lostinme]

It sounds like your doing really well Roy especially when you've had quite a stressful few weeks with the home improvements taking place  keep up the good work 

Its been a rough night and day not through OCD but family issues, but I'm doing ok and still fighting even though it's been a stressful time 

Didnt get the day trip to the city however, but planning to do it soon 

[taurean]

Family issues are tough - I feel for you. 

We didn't do much today other than a walk to TESCO (it's only 7 minutes away which is good). And I washed the bathroom bins for the bathroom and outside toilet. Other than that it's been dozing, watching cricket reading and listening to the radio. 

[lostinme]

Yes they sure are 

It sounds like you've had a nice relaxing day and I think you might have earnt it

 

[Snowdog]

Wow lost your post is doing so well since I was last on..well done Hun on your post it's a good post so proud of how far you have come 

xx snow xx

 

[lostinme]

11 hours ago, Snowdog said:

Wow lost your post is doing so well since I was last on..well done Hun on your post it's a good post so proud of how far you have come 

xx snow xx

 

Thanks snow I wanted to share our own personal experiences in doing our cbt good and bad, so hopefully we could share advice and coping strategies on how to overcome avoiding our compulsions and what helped us to overcome any hurdles we was struggling to do. But also to include the positives to help cheer each other on I think so far it's been a positive thread with lots of helpful advice

I'm fighting all the way and working hard ? it's a roller coaster of events lots of ups and downs, but the good news is it used to be more downs and now it's more ups so hopefully I'm doing something right 

Lost xx

[taurean]

Maybe you are beginning to get "found" lost

Its a good thread and people are adding positive helpful ideas and experiences. 

[taurean]

Today I am reading a lot on the forum about fear, anxiety and depression. 

Fear is a staple element in OCD - it uses fear and revulsion to create a falsehood or exaggeration then engages with us to create the illusion that something terrible is true. 

Anxiety follows the fear and creates mental and physical distress. 

Depression can be primary or secondary.

Often I find amongst the members it is secondary, the consequence of the suffering caused by the OCD. And that is how it is with me when my OCD flares up. 

[taurean]

Well I took on an exposure when reading yesterday - I kept on reading a book that kept on hinting a tragedy was on the way - I kept going, and coped with the tragedy. 

And this morning, reading the newspaper, the OCD focused in on a trigger. But I focused away and have been keeping on doing that - although it keeps trying to drag me back to that trigger

But nobody has ever said that dealing with OCD is easy: and no-one but us can put into practice what we learn we need to do.

[OceanDweller]

18 minutes ago, taurean said:

Well I took on an exposure when reading yesterday - I kept on reading a book that kept on hinting a tragedy was on the way - I kept going, and coped with the tragedy. 

And this morning, reading the newspaper, the OCD focused in on a trigger. But I focused away and have been keeping on doing that - although it keeps trying to drag me back to that trigger

But nobody has ever said that dealing with OCD is easy: and no-one but us can put into practice what we learn we need to do.

Well done Roy. And cool pic!

[taurean]

The laptop took the pic with its webcam 

[lostinme]

6 hours ago, taurean said:

Well I took on an exposure when reading yesterday - I kept on reading a book that kept on hinting a tragedy was on the way - I kept going, and coped with the tragedy. 

And this morning, reading the newspaper, the OCD focused in on a trigger. But I focused away and have been keeping on doing that - although it keeps trying to drag me back to that trigger

But nobody has ever said that dealing with OCD is easy: and no-one but us can put into practice what we learn we need to do.

Well done Roy your doing so well, we are cheering you on keep up the good work 

Its not easy no  but your right there is only us that can learn what we need to do. 

Celebrate ? and be proud of yourself