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Don't Give Up!


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My wife and I had a laminated card with a poem entitled this, and it was stuck on our kitchen wall where we could see it, and take strength from it. 

And we all need this approach to stay the course in OCD treatment, and make recovery. 

Put simplistically we need to, in CBT therapy, see our OCD theme as a consequence of a false, exaggerated, or revulsive negative core belief which, through trigger intrusions, makes us connect with it - give it belief - and as a result engage in focused repetitive thinking about it, carry out compulsions to "fix" it, and suffer anxiety (disorder) as a result of it. 

We then need to :

 Spot those intrusions, stop giving belief to, or connecting with, them. 

Refocus away, treating them as "just my silly obsession". 

Stop carrying out compulsions as a result of them. 

In ERP expose to the triggers, one at a time, staring them out in the cognitive knowledge stated above as to how this is OCD at work. 

The result, in due course, should then be triggers fading in power and frequency, anxiety reduced right down, and recovery to hopefully a great extent. 

OCD will try to scupper recovery by throwing up a demand for certainty and playing on doubt. 

The fact is, those of us that stick to this approach, accept a few blips along the way but treat them as such, are very likely to get better. 

Those that can't keep up the CBT approach until they begin to cross the gain line, well they are not going to achieve that recovery. 

It's all about believing what we are told, committing to carrying it out, and being patient until the magic of CBT starts to sprinkle its stardust. 

So don't give up folks. Believe, accept, apply and look to see the gain line getting nearer. 

There is no more wonderful feeling than when we sense, for the first time, that we are actually going to make this work. 

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What a Great post very informative and accurate seeing all intrusive thoughts as ocd and refocusing works well for me. I really appreciate this post today thank you the tough part is OCD latches on to everything.  Mine questions myself and becomes intrusive gets stuck and when it reached this stage every time I refocus away it pulls me back in. On a good run I can refocus easily any tips on ignoring the doubts when it feels so real and you get stuck thank you

Edited by angels
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When you note those intrusions coming back angels, regrouping, trying to hook you back in to doubting, connecting, here is what to do. 

Expect it to do this, and when it happens just be dismissive "oh that's just my silly obsession again, trying to pull me back in", don't give it meaning do your refocus and get busy. 

Only when we truly keep this up, and the thoughts get no attention, will they fade in strength and frequency. 

OCD is a bully looking to hold its victim in a stranglehold of false exaggerated or revulsive thoughts. 

But if we don't go along with this, don't give in to the bullying, it will hoof off and look for someone who will believe its worthless nonsense. 

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I really appreciate this post today I come on the forum when I am having a tough week which I have OCD wise this week. I must keep ignoring not buying into the ocd and refocusing hopeful it will lift again very soon had 5 good weeks ocd in control and two were it  on top of me. It may win the battle sometimes but we will win the war thank you for your solid fantastic advise 

Edited by angels
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