Distracting vs. Repressing

[alyssa07]

Hello everyone!

As part of my mental compulsions I think about my intrusive thoughts to check whether they still upset me or not.

I'm trying to break away from this compulsion and was wondering if I'm say reading something and I subconsciously start mentally checking my intrusive thoughts, is focusing back into what I was reading and telling myself it's just my OCD and trying to continue what I was doing before bad? I know you're not meant to repress the intrusive thoughts so I'm just wondering if continuing to distract myself this way counterproductive? 

Thanks 

-Alyssa :))

[snowbear]

Distraction means getting on with something else and not engaging with the OCD.

5 hours ago, alyssa07 said:

focusing back into what I was reading and telling myself it's just my OCD and trying to continue what I was doing

Perfect!

Repressing the thoughts is where people engage with them, try to deny them, try to push them away or avoid thinking about them (while actually thinking the whole time about how to avoid and deny and repress them!)

Focus on the OCD = bad.

Focus on something else = good.

[alyssa07]

@snowbear

I get quite confused about the difference between avoiding the thoughts and distracting, but this makes a lot more sense thank you for explaining! 

[Rajesh Patel]

@snowbear

Hi Snowbear

I'm a new user and have come across this post so some of my questions may be a bit silly.

What are the benefits of thought distraction in the long term?  Are you just not running away from the problem?

Does it help with the treatment of OCD?

Thanks

[snowbear]

On 22/11/2021 at 13:03, Rajesh Patel said:

What are the benefits of thought distraction in the long term?  Are you just not running away from the problem?

Does it help with the treatment of OCD?

Hi Rajesh,

What we're talking about here is getting on with other things in spite of the thoughts, not engaging with the debate in your head and going about life as normal as if the thoughts weren't there.

It's not running away from the problem because the problem in OCD is when people engage with the thoughts and do compulsions to try to resolve whatever is causing them anxiety.

That's how it helps in treating OCD, because it is a way of stopping yourself from doing compulsions.

I suspect what you're thinking 'the problem' is whatever your thoughts are about. But as you learn about OCD you'll discover the thoughts are meaningless and the problem is actually treating them as if they matter.

Hope that makes things clearer for you.

 

[Caramoole]

The only thing I'd add Alyssa is to take care on the relabling of the thoughts.  To briefly acknowledge that OCD is the problem is fine, if it creeps into constant, repetitive statements, a mantra.....that is a compulsion, a sort of neutralising behaviour

[Handy]

Alyssa, you’re probably referring to Suppression, which is consciously keeping thoughts from coming up. Repression is unconsciously doing it. 
 

At any rate, you can choose what to think about.