Damn you pen!

[BigDave]

Okay, so I am going to make to make this short and sweet. 

I was working at my computer with a little notepad no more than a foot away from the screen. Without noticing, the pen when lying on my desk rolled slightly into the book and as I closed the booklet up, the pen flicked up. Obviously with OCD being what it is, my mind went straight to "oh no, my pen just bounced off my computer screen and probably scratched it". The stupid thing is that I know that it probably didn't and I am looking for certainty which is impossible as I can't rewind time and focus on the issue like something out of minority report. Furthermore, if the pen bounced against the computer, it isn't necessarily the case that the pen scratched the screen. And even IF it did scratch the screen, that isn't necessarily the end of the world because the computer is a) not brand new which isn't really a great excuse but that it is b) just part of a product's wear and tear. I'm one of these people that obsesses over keeping these things in absolutely perfect pristine order and I'll end up reading websites and websites about how to clean and everything. It's daft, it's overly careful and it sucks the enjoyment out of having the product. Overall, I have nothing to gain from being overly pernickety about these items but here I am. I know the answer to. If I have no proof that it did hit the screen, assume it didn't. As secondary, even if it did, it's not a big deal. Furthermore, it doesn't say anything about me if it did get damaged. There aren't perfect people out there that never make mistakes and I shouldn't put so much responsibility on myself. So yes, I have figured this out in my head and I am angry at myself for writing this all out but I am making a point to prove that I know that my logic for getting all freaked out is stupid.

[PolarBear]

So, how's the weather on your side of the pond?

[BigDave]

Thanks for asking. It has been a lovely day today. I've had the fan on while I was working which was nice. And how about yourself my good sir?

[PolarBear]

Nice, spring weather. Got the itch to plant some flowers.

[BigDave]

I know the feeling. We have a palm tree that is looking mightily healthy at the moment too. 

[dksea]

3 hours ago, BigDave said:

Okay, so I am going to make to make this short and sweet. 

13 lines later... 

 

[taurean]

With perfectionism, pristinism etc. themes of OCD, exposure is to deliberately live with the anxiety of something not being perfect. 

Do this in structured sessions - you don't have to do it in a live response to a trigger unless you feel up for it - in those situations just note the intrusion but refocus away without connecting with it, without believing in it. 

In real life things don't have to be perfect. E.g. the windscreen on my 15 year old car isn't of course free of blemishes, but it's fine. 

The screen on this phone, the lenses on my glasses won't be immaculately clean. 

The laptop I have will no doubt have a scratch or two somewhere. 

So what?  say I and those without your theme of OCD. 

So, as with all OCD themes, to overcome them we need to apply logic, the common sense that others use, the cognive understanding of how the OCD works, and sit through arousal and distress in ERP until we no longer feel anxious in the situation. 

The key to all this working is not believing the OCD, rather believing what the C in CBT tells us about how our OCD works. 

People prepared to do  this work can get better, as I myself know. 

Edited April 24, 2019 by taurean

[helen10937]

Lol

[paradoxer]

'Obviously with OCD being what it is, my mind went straight to "oh no, my pen just bounced off my computer screen and probably scratched it"'

Well, obviously.