Jump to content

How to change your mind


Recommended Posts

It's not what we think or feel in our mental health condition that causes the disorder - it's how we respond to it.

And the best way is not to. To accept that what we are experiencing is the thinking distortions of OCD, not connect with them or give them meaning, and refocus into a mindful distraction, or back onto a neutral path as you were thinking before the intrusion came calling.

We CAN change our thinking patterns like this. And when the OCD doesn't get belief or attention  it loses power. If really will.

So many times I read a tale of woe here and I feel like I want to shout at the screen to ignore it,  it's all the meaningless  ballooney that is OCD .

But its strength is that it is believable; it appears rational even though it isn't. 

This is where the "leap of faith" that we talk about has to be leaped. 

And until people make that leap and change their thinking patterns, stuck they will be.

For me  there is no magic potion that takes away the condition. There can be help from medication, in particular to provide "water wings" to help us "float" , but I don't see it can be the answer. Those thinking and behavioural changes are the game changers.

Link to comment

I thinks it's good to look at different approaches and ideas.

I'm sure most people know that pharmeceutical companies originally synthesised the active ingredients from natural compounds(evaluated them and also worked out profitability), although nowadays they often mimic those ingredients with computer generated models.

What the Neuroscientists are looking into is helping those who are 'treatment resistant patients: those who seek help, but do not improve despite multiple medication and treatment intervention trials'.

I think this point about this 'rigidity of thought' is important. It ties into my own concerns about habits and habitual thinking.

Habits make life easy, but that rigidity of thought is to me a form of 'mind death'. If we are acting habitually and thinking habitually we aren't really engaging with reality.

So the idea that we can challenge and change that rigidity by; being spontaneous, learning new skills or subjects, travel, opening our minds to new ideas, is obvious. It's not just about distraction.

At times I have done that; travelled and lived on another continent, where I knew nothing much about the countries and didn't speak the language. I felt really alive because every hour of eveyday was full of new stimuli and my old habits were useless. Also I decided to do a degree in a subject I had virtually no knowlegde of. Again I felt alive and engaged.

MP talked about how it's important to keep a sense of awe and wonder at the world around us, and I think habitual, rigid thinking distances us from that.

I'm also thinking about how long term disorders play out in our identities. Rigid thinking means people can put limitations on themselves and what they are capable of.

 

 

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...