Try A Little Love /Kindness Thinking

[taurean]

I certainly subscribe to the view that keeping busy - but not overloaded - helps keep OCD from overwhelming us. 

Indeed, in my early years as a sufferer it would be when I wasn't actively busy, such as taking a holiday, that it would home in on me

So that certainly helps. 

But also many of us get guilt or responsibility fears arising from OCD. This is a normal way of working for the disorder, and it can easily build negative self-worth and feelings that we are bad for thinking such things /fearing we might have done such things. 

We can learn this in CBT, realise what the OCD is up to. 

But we can additionally help ourselves by bearing in mind that OCD is attacking our true core character values, suggesting we have acted or could act opposite to them. 

And we can add to the mix the concept of love kindness. And meditate along that theme. 

For example, I had such a long journey towards finding the right approach to tackle my OCD. So I use the caring, kind, side of my true character to help others through these forums, in the hope we can shorten their own recovery journey. 

So if we steer our focus to all the kind, loving, caring aspects of what we have done, do, and can do in the future, this restores the self-worth OCD tries to remove, regains us moral high ground against it, makes us popular with others with whom we interact, and makes us and them happier. 

When I added this love/kindness approach to mindfulness-based CBT for OCD I, in my own case, found the missing tools I had been seeking for years to stop constantly-repeating horrible OCD intrusive thoughts in my mental chatter when in an episode of OCD. 

What works for one may not necessarily work for others but, for me, the more tools in the therapy tool chest, the more chance we have of recovery. 

And the love kindness thinking is a good, positive, attitude of mind to foster anyway. 

[tia]

True, love and kindness makes you and others feel much better, the world would be a better place if everybody did.  A little goes a long way. The news is so depressing, yet its amazing how many kind decent people are around which we must focus on although it is hard with all the bad news.  Its great when you find something funny or good in the papers and news.

[taurean]

I think we do well to practice this little anti-worry method. If we can do something about it, do it. If we can't, accept that and move on. 

I can't do anything about what's going on in the news. But I can ignore it, and focus on helping my wife, others, and keeping us all happy and spread that love and kindness. 

Smile at someone in the street and they smile back. 

There was a recipe for happiness and contentment up on the wall in a cafe I was in today - and it was mostly made up, I noticed, by things included in this thread. 

We aren't the persons OCD alleges we are. When we believe that, and spread some stardust around, joy and happiness will break through. 

[malina]

16 hours ago, taurean said:

Smile at someone in the street and they smile back. 

 

It honestly makes such a big difference to me when someone is just nice to me, even in the smallest way. Especially in a big city like London where people tend to ignore each other and can get a bit confrontational, when someone is just nice it really brightens up my mood!

[taurean]

Hi Malina I am on a day trip to Bloomsbury London today, where I had various clients when I was working, before retirement. 

It's full of happy tourists, and I got to see the Sutton Hoo treasure in The British Museum. 

Just sitting thinking happy thoughts in a beautiful square before the short walk to an Italian restaurant for lunch with long-standing friends. 

I can be both mindful entertained and reflective on a nice day out to my old haunts. 

[malina]

1 hour ago, taurean said:

Hi Malina I am on a day trip to Bloomsbury London today, where I had various clients when I was working, before retirement. 

It's full of happy tourists, and I got to see the Sutton Hoo treasure in The British Museum. 

Just sitting thinking happy thoughts in a beautiful square before the short walk to an Italian restaurant for lunch with long-standing friends. 

I can be both mindful entertained and reflective on a nice day out to my old haunts. 

It's a lovely day in London today, I hope you have a great one Roy!

[taurean]

Wow did all 8 of us have a GREAT time in the restaurant. Lots of fun, some catching up, and I only caught a bus back to Euston so have probably walked 4 - 5 miles around this gorgeous part of London today. 

Glad the trip wasn't tomorrow - storm Freya seems to be heading in

The Sutton Hoo treasure - and the Saxon and Roman exhibits - in the British Museum are wonderful, breathtaking. How did they make such exquisite things with only rudimentary tools?