Jump to content

Anti-OCD core fear song!


Recommended Posts

Hi guys
As per ACT therapy, I've put my core fear into a rather jolly song! (Tune is same as "glory glory hallelujah".) Thought I'd share it with you:
I don't know what I'm doing!
I might be getting everything wrong!
I might have already ruined lots of people's lives,
And there's still lots more to go!
(Altogether now...!)

I worked it out on the way to work last week when I was anticipating a very triggering meeting that would show me up as incompetent. I also decided that I would aim to be myself in the meeting, as if I was already good enough and didn't have to prevent them seeing how bad I really was. I suppose I wanted a positive aim of doing my own best, to be an antidote to the triggering I thought would happen. Kind of like, I might get told off, everyone might judge me for being a sham/failure, but that's under their control not mine. What I can do is to say and do what seems best/right at the time.  (I'm thinking that's maybe all we can ever do, so by definition that's good enough...?  That's what I think in principle of course, if I thought that in practice I wouldn't be here!).  The meeting went well - it didn't trigger me during or afterwards.
I need something similar today. I have a social event to go to, last year's version of which started off a disastrous obsession that's still bothering me massively a year on. So I'm a little nervous. Planning on using the song and aim of just doing my best at the time and being myself again. Woke up very scared about going but this tactic seems to have made me feel stronger so far.

Edited by Nellie
Clarifying
Link to comment
19 hours ago, Nellie said:

(Tune is same as "glory glory hallelujah".)

Side note 1: The name of the song you are thinking of is The Battle Hymn of the Republic, though that is actually new lyrics to a previous American song called John Brown's Body.
Side note 2: The tune has been repurposed for many songs since (you are part of a proud tradition), including to my great amusement during my first visit to Japan, the theme song for the electronics chain Yodobashi Camera.  If you want to be amused by a jazzed up version with lyrics in a foreign language you can do a search for Yodobashi Camera song and you'll find a few different versions.  Some of the major store branches had their own versions with regionally specific lyrics.

 

Link to comment

Thanks for the replies :)
I went out that night and as usually happens I said something I regretted saying and started the spiralling thoughts about being rejected by people because I'm so awful..... Then I thought, I could add a new verse  to my song where I simply repeat the thing I'd regretted saying through the whole verse, loudly (still only on my head!) and with gusto! It does feel uncomfortable of course but I think it works because you're right in the face of the feared thing  in a way that doesn't automatically draw you into ruminating because it's not ordinary thinking, and it's a bit silly. It also feels rather empowering to go on the offensive like this :)

P.s there are various similar ideas in ACT therapy which is where I got this from

Edited by Nellie
Adding p.s.
Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...