daja Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 Had a nice few day break in London but have a severe fear of people who have travelled here from a country that had a nuclear disaster about 8 years ago. Once they are here and washed I feel as though they are decontaminated. But they arrived direct to the hotel from the airport which I didn’t expect. My OCD has gone crackers because of this. I would love to visit their country but don’t feel I can by any stretch of the imagination. I know what you will say: do nothing, ERP, CBT, etc Link to comment
taurean Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 (edited) Then you treat this just as you know we would think . What do we tell everyone NOT to do - listen to what their OCD is telling them If I had listened to what my OCD was telling me, I would never have been able to leave our house Edited March 17, 2019 by taurean Link to comment
Andrea Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 Hi Daja , You have to learn to accept that you can't control other people's habits. Honestly, to be worry about a nuclear disaster that happened 8 years ago is something that only your OCD is telling you to be worry about. So, don't listen to your OCD. big HUG Link to comment
Avo Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 I had a not unrelated incident last year, I received a letter that was related to my works pension - I noticed the office it was posted from was in Salisbury. Bearing in mind the tragic events that unfolded in that town about a year ago for a while I worried that there could be some horrible substance on the letter. I considered throwing it away. I then realised the danger was being massively exaggerated by my OCD. It shows how OCD can adapt and use any situation to try and lure you into its trap. Link to comment
daja Posted March 17, 2019 Author Share Posted March 17, 2019 Avo, I can really relate. I would have worried about that too. Link to comment
taurean Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 And I wouldn't. Partly because I don't have contamination OCD, but also because this is a classic example of a massive exaggeration, catastrophising and consequential compulsive urges. The trick I have learned is to relate the threat to the underlying core belief of our OCD then, having spotted what is happening, gently but firmly ease the thought away before we have time to connect with it - at the same time throwing our focus elsewhere. OCD intrusive thoughts will only be able to carry on spooking and scaring us if we believe and connect with them. As we learn NOT to do this, and regularly practice this, they lose power and frequency. Link to comment
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