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Stopping mental compulsions


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Please can anyone give me any tips on how to stop mental compulsions? I’m going crazy here. I don’t even get intrusive thoughts anymore, I just feel bad and that somethings not right most of the time so I’m just creating all these scenarios in my head of things I don’t want to like to test how I feel about them. Sometimes I feel I enjoy them sometimes I don’t but it goes round and round. And then a new scenario takes over, then another, then back to one of the old ones. How do you actually stop doing this? My therapist has said go cold turkey for a day on, a day off but most I’ve managed is a few hours so I feel like I’ve failed massively and I’m scared I’ll nwver be able to stop.  It’s not like I feel panicked most of the time, just that something isn’t right and must be sorted out but I know testing isn’t going to change anything anyway. I know I shouldn’t be doing it but I can’t seem to stop myself. Please can anyone help at all. This is so so difficult and has taken over my life. I feel myself and my life slipping away more and more each day. 

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Hey. I know exactly how you feel, you aren't alone. Stay strong, you can handle this, it will pass.

I get this a lot. Mostly my OCD triggers from a new event (or different take on an old event) that sends me down the rabbit hole. But other times it will trigger simply because I have a feeling of general anxiety (sense of impending doom). My brain doesn't know how to process this feeling, so it looks for reasons as to why the anxiety exists (checking obsessions), so it can find a cure (compulsions).

The only way I've been able to relieve this, is to not engage in the process, and instead, work on increasing my physical sense of well-being. If your body feels good, your mind will follow.

Here's what I do to get some relief:

Sit in a chair and take a few deep breaths. Now place your mind's eye on the feeling between your feet and the floor, what does it feel like? Breathe slowly, and count to ten - one count for each full breath. Keep focusing on the feeling of your feet on the floor. Every time an intrusive thought or feeling occurs, mentally label it as an "intrusive thought", then return the feeling back to your feet. Do this for five minutes, minimum. Every time your reach the count of ten breaths, return back to the count of one and start again, constantly focussing on the feeling between your feet and the floor. This will take the energy away from your head, and into your body. It should take the edge off the anxiety, and allow you enough time to focus on another activity. Make sure it's physical and relaxing. I like yoga or qi-gong. Try to resist the urge to check if the feeling of terror is still there after finishing (hard I know). Instead, focus on any feeling of well-being you've generated.

If I'm really in the thick of it and can't see a way out, I'll sit down with the hair dryer or vacuum cleaner on for 15 minutes. That may sound strange, but the drone-like noise stops me from being able to think, so I can't obsess. It's enough to take the edge off.

On top of that I make sure to:

  • Take my meds
  • Take daily vitamins
  • Get more sleep than I think is "enough"
  • Get at least 20 minutes of exercise
  • Drink plenty of water
  • Listen to uplifting music (sometimes I listen to angry music, just to build up energy)
  • Socialise with others (even though I don't usually enjoy it)

Each of these only gives about 10% increase in well-being on their own, but when put all together, it really makes all the difference.

Remember, this is just your OCD. It will produce unsolvable conundrums in your mind, it will suck you in to it's toxic process and make you think there's something wrong with you. But it's just your OCD. Don't engage with it, focus on increasing your well-being.

 

 

 

 

 

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You do have obsessions. You said in your post above what they are. You said a new scenario takes over and off you go. What is that scenario? It's a thought, that pops up in your head. It is intrusive (you'd really prefer it wasn't there) and it causes distress. Your reaction is to do compulsions. That's OCD in a nutshell.

Most mental compulsions can be grouped under the heading ruminating. I did a YouTube video called How to stop ruminating. It's been seen more than 10,000 times. Check it out.

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I know what your going through I have the exact same problems with regard to mental checking. 

Some of the things I have checked date back to 40 years ago.....

My worries are all about things before this moment in time, and I then have to go back in time to think about the thing that is worrying me until I get a feeling of 'fine' (another words saying theres nothing wrong with it/nothing to worry about - essentially it's reassurance) and then I get some relief. But the relief is short lived and can sometimes be only for the matter of seconds until I have to do it again due to the high level of anxiety and negative emotions it creates. 

The one thing I have noticed though is how some of the major worries I've previously had appear to drift away and sit in the background when I'm focusing on a new worry even though that other worry was the world's worst not that long ago.....im still no more certain about it... But because I'm not actively reassuring myself/performing compulsions about it, it seems to sit in the background and not bother me. 

It would be nice to get to a stage where none of my worries bother me anymore and they all sit in the background and not have to focus on another worry to make it happen. 

I guess what I'm trying to say is think of all the worries you've previously had that were your worst and now they aren't bothering you anymore.  And see then that it is the attention you are applying to it that is causing the problem.

It seems the more you think about something the more you have to, but the less you think about it the less you hace to. 

It's finding a way to stop thinking about it that's the problem.... 

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Hi,

I can relate to each and every word within this topic, like my mind spilt out over the page. It is all OCD. I can't even begin to think how much ruminating I have done in my head by testing myself. Don't be fooled by the intrusive part needing to be HUGE, the compulsion to ruminate on said things is enormous and that includes made up scenarios.

I definitely get the retrieval of past themes and tiny fragments within the themes/events/images/experiences. OCD is like an UBER mental census - it will retrieve anything and everything to throw into its mix - it is all there for you.

I work for an enormous company and one time a more than very Snr Mgr and I had a chat. He ended up telling me something he had never confided in anyone. He spoke about how his dad had electro-convulsion therapy and how that affected the family. I explained my ocd and we shared a moment. Later on my mgr explained that the chap mentioned to him that I must have so much mental capacity and speed of intelligence '...to have all that going on in the background and still work.' Maybe that is how we role, certainly how I feel sometimes - like I could dabble in and somehow realise it is all ocd and get that hit of CALM, the OK feeling. There is a super computer in background spinning about waiting for us to dip in on all the **** we have filled under OCD and when not confronted with a current set of obsessional things to ruminate over we can't get enough trying to re-clarify old things and make sure just one more time. Just make sure finally. Yeah, as if. I find I dip in all the time - when feeling ok about things also - just to be 'sure' but then go down that rabbit hole AS IF THE THOUGHT JUST HAPPENED !

Ah, F it who knows, I just know we are more alike than not :-) so we are all a little fruity.

What I do know is that I am grateful every time I read posts - they are hugely encouraging and supportive with direction to boot. Check out the clip from Polar, I know I have. Some of the words if not all in the above posts are borderline genius.

Just keep trying and remember, you most definitely are not alone.

njb

ps - one day I hope to post something actually useful !

Edited by njb
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I can't even quote people correctly as so technologically inept but wanted to add how positive the posts are.

Edited by njb
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4 hours ago, MentalChecker said:

Njb your reference to computer hit a nerve for me. 

I can remember conversations word for word from 20 years ago.... 

I hope in a good way ? I’m same.

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