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How do you stop reacting to ocd thoughts


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Do you tell yourself when you get intrusive thoughts this is my ocd and I am not getting into this, then stop yourself from doing compulsions and refocus. My therapist tells me to just know on a deeper level it's ocd but not to say anything to the thoughts just don't react breath refocus. I would have said before this is my ocd label  it and I feel like this because I have ocd then refocus and this really helped me switch gear. Doing it this way is really difficult because the thoughts are making me feel bad.. I really just want to be free from ocd and I am trying really hard what worked for you part of me thinks I am being resistant and the other part thinks I actually had ocd free periods doing it the other way. It makes me sad but I still want to fight it. Then when you don't do it the way the therapist says I doubt myself.

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Intrusive thoughts are thoughts you don't put there yourself as they are intruding. Ignore. If you put a thought there yourself think of something else.

I believe thoughts are not OCD but getting stuck on certain thoughts is. 

I get my  B vitamins, rest, exercise, avoid stimulants, caffeine is one. 

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Thank you Handy I really appreciate your reply. I am struggling for a while and cant seem to shift it it. I used to do more of a 4 steps approach as label as ocd then  ignore the doubt and refocus. It did work well but returned. I am thinking more of trying to separate myself from ocd not listening to the thoughts. My new counsellor is telling me to ignore the thoughts know on a deeper level it is OCD and no compulsions. Which I get but I just feel constant thoughts and doubts and I am barely catching much of a break. It's just not lifting I want to tell my self this is ocd and shift the gear but my therapist is saying don't say anything. I need something to shift it more.

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The thoughts trigger emotions. It could be anxiety or shame or guilt. They are always negative emotions which make you feel bad or very uncomfortable. It could be that medication will lessen the negative emotions and assist in your refocusing. Switching your attention to more positive or more normal mundane thoughts.

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Thank you for your support I really felt like the four step brain lock tecnique worked for me. Telling myself this is ocd and refocus ignore the doubt it's ocd. I would talk to myself but it would shift and I'd be clear again I am working with a therapist at the moment and she would say just know its ocd but say nothing, but it's just not working it's been 5 months and I am still not catching a break the only time it lifts is when i am engaged in something then bang its back and I am doubting again . Should I tell her this isnt working for me. I nearly feel i need a mantra to help me switch gear.I feel I nearly use the therapist for reassurance also but I feel so over whelmed. I don't know if I am resistant or this just isn't working. I feel so sad and I am a fighter but it's getting to me.

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angels, one thing not discussed is we don't have a logic brain (neocortex) till age 25. Before that we have our primitive fear based brain, it's our amygdala.  I like to think things get better at age 25.  

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7 hours ago, Handy said:

angels, one thing not discussed is we don't have a logic brain (neocortex) till age 25. Before that we have our primitive fear based brain, it's our amygdala.  I like to think things get better at age 25.  

I am 41 Handy lol I was hoping to have a grip on this by now. I just pray to God I can sort myself out. Thank you

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21 hours ago, Handy said:

angels, one thing not discussed is we don't have a logic brain (neocortex) till age 25. Before that we have our primitive fear based brain, it's our amygdala.  I like to think things get better at age 25.  

You keep saying this but it is not true. It's not like a switch gets flipped at age 25. You could say that, on average, the neocortex is not fully developed until age 25.

As kids grow, they become capable of using logic, long before 25.

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14 hours ago, PolarBear said:

You keep saying this but it is not true. It's not like a switch gets flipped at age 25. You could say that, on average, the neocortex is not fully developed until age 25.

As kids grow, they become capable of using logic, long before 25.

I agree with Polar. 

Edited by njb
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20 hours ago, PolarBear said:

You keep saying this but it is not true. It's not like a switch gets flipped at age 25. You could say that, on average, the neocortex is not fully developed until age 25.

As kids grow, they become capable of using logic, long before 25.

Oh, you don't know much about the brain.  It's our logic brain but it has many functions. The neocortex, also called the neopallium, isocortex, or the six-layered cortex, is a set of layers of the mammalian cerebral cortex involved in higher-order brain functions such as sensory perception, cognition, generation of motor commands, spatial reasoning and language.

Our amygdala reaction time is 15ms & neocortex is 25ms. This says our fear center is first to react but by delaying the response we give our neocortex or logic center, a chance to react instead. Pretty simple.  

Children don't learn consequences until age 6 & are better at it by age 14.  Our brain functions vary by age. Can't apply one model to everyone regardless of age. Its illogical. 

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8 hours ago, Handy said:

Oh, you don't know much about the brain.  It's our logic brain but it has many functions. The neocortex, also called the neopallium, isocortex, or the six-layered cortex, is a set of layers of the mammalian cerebral cortex involved in higher-order brain functions such as sensory perception, cognition, generation of motor commands, spatial reasoning and language.

Our amygdala reaction time is 15ms & neocortex is 25ms. This says our fear center is first to react but by delaying the response we give our neocortex or logic center, a chance to react instead. Pretty simple.  

Children don't learn consequences until age 6 & are better at it by age 14.  Our brain functions vary by age. Can't apply one model to everyone regardless of age. Its illogical. 

Thank you for agreeing with me. "Our brain functions vary by age". They don't suddenly turn on at a specific age.

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