How do you deal with an unexpected trigger?

[Sophhh]

Hey,

Hope everyone is having a lovely summer and making the most of the sunshine!

So, today I woke up and was a normal ish day and was feeling quite happy. Then something happened, just recently, which massively triggered me and i just saw it and immediately panicked. I can't say what it is exactly but it was so unexpected it just took me by surprise. 

Whenever something triggers me I usually just remove myself from the situation but it's not the same kind of thing and the thing that i saw is now just stuck in my brain and i cant stop worrying about it. 

I guess my question is how do you stop thinking about it? I feel like the whole house is contaminated now and i just can't deal with the thought of it.

thanks x

[Gemma7]

The quickest way to stop thinking about it is to show ocd that you are going to do the opposite to what it wants. If it wants you to avoid or clean something then use it and touch it. Don't play it safe. That way ocd can't keep telling you to do something about the problem. I would recommend doing this as part of a planned exposure using a framework like theory a/b from Break free from OCD, so that you don't feel overwhelmed and end up feeling the need to do compulsions.

Also, remember thoughts aren't important, they are just thoughts 

[Handy]

You know I used to jump in the cold ocean it’s a sure way to change my mind. There was a guy with OCD who jumped from a plane & only thing on his mind was pulling the cord. So that’s how we change what we think about. 

[leif]

I can relate. I find unexpected triggers really tough. I do find that if i can just move on with the day and not do any compulsions, it gets better. The thought and feeling might linger but it gets weaker. whereas when i resort to compulsions, the fear tends to get stronger. 

For the longer term i do find doing more controlled exposure exercises is helping me to deal with the anxiety in unexpected situations. I am getting more used to not responding to my anxiety with avoidance and compulsions.

[Handy]

Try to rate the exposure from 1 easy to 10. So we can see what you are dealing with.