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Reframing ocd and positive affirmations what is your thoughts.


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Struggling with this ,I had a therapist few years back and we developed a tecnique that worked really well for me and I had my ocd well under control. We used recognising ocd thought and not reacting and refocusing. We also reframed thoughts that is ocd speaking ignore it or that's doubt refocus. I also used positive affirmations I am strong I am capable and confident. These build me right up and I felt so much better. I was triggered in December and my old therapist can't see me anymore she has moved on. So I found a new one in march and she agreed my tecnique worked but told me not to speak back to ocd or use positive affirmations etc incase it is reassurance. Did it her way for 5 months and just didn't feel any better I am an integrative counsellor myself and belive in different things working for different people we are all unquie. Now I just want to go back to what worked for me which was a combination and every time I do I get the intrusive thought that I am reassuring myself. I just want to get better but now the seed of doubt has been planted.

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34 minutes ago, angels said:

Any longterm sufferes beat there ocd and what worked for you.

I cannot claim to have ever beaten OCD but what I can say is that at this point in time my OCD is more in the background.  My OCD is probably best desribed as episodic and is related to depressive episodes.  Low mood=OCD in much more control and my ability to function is restricted.  Lifted mood=OCD in the bacground and I am more in control and I am in much better control of my life.

What has worked for me is what I describe as having acquired different tools in my OCD therapy toolbox.  Thirty years ago, the emphasis was more on diversion therapy and mindfulness.  My latest therapy was more CBT based - recognising the obsessions and learning how to tackle compulsions.

Which is best?  For me both approaches have great value and combined they have increased my ability to keep OCD in the background.

I would say if something works then stick with it but also be open to new ideas - and they will come.  Who knows what the preferred therapy will be in another thirty years.

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Thank you Northpaul it's the same for me I've never really beat it completely but it was in the background and I was so much happier. Using the not reacting to thoughts and reframing and positive affirmations did really work for me. But I've been doing compulsions on and off all day googling and things are saying using affirmations are talking back to ocd reframing. Is neutralising or reassure seeking. Now I feel ill cause I am not doing what works for me. When i do my tecnique it works but the doubt intrudes your doing it wrong your reassurance seeking. I'd love to ignore these thoughts and say will this works for but the doubt is so strong. I feel so sad at the moment and consumed. Thank you so much for you reply. I pray 🙏 I get back on track soon.

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On 12/09/2022 at 22:18, PolarBear said:

There's nothing wrong with positive affirmations. However, if you are doing them in response to an obsession and the distress it causes then it is a compulsion. You would be doing it to alleviate the distress you feel.

 

I feel I do the affirmations like this is ocd I am not getting into this, separating myself from it makes me feel good as in I am nit ocd. I am confused if this is seen as reassurance do i say nothing to make my self feel better. or I'd I get intrusive thoughts about my character I'll use affirmations like I am a strong confident woman this is ocd talking this i see as more reassurance and it lifts and I feel could but the thoughts come back or doubt. The counsellor has told me not to this as she feels it may be a compulsion. I've been talking to myself and reassurance in my head my whole life.  Now what iam working on is just not reacting to the thoughts not using affirmations or talking back to the ocd and I feel my head is stuck.... I can refocus and have conversations work etc but it's always in the background. It's like I am monitoring myself constantly I am trying to refocus but it won't shift. I am afraid to say anything to myself incase it's ocd but I am a audio person. I learn through repetition is there anything I am doing wrong and could do to improve polar bear. Then the doubt kicks in your doing your tecniques wrong your reassurance seeking. I have been stuck like this on and off for 8 months really want to get better. Then I get moments where I think this ocd really is bull **** I am confident outgoing and fun loving when I am not listening to these intrusive thoughts. Then I can't even allow myself to let the good thoughts seep in because ocd is going your reassurance seeking.   What is your take on this polar bear and thank you for your time xx

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I don't use affirmations. 

But I do use reframing on occasion.

What does OCD do? It turns our core values on their head flips them. So if we look at how the OCD is doing that through the triggers, and we can reattribute the thoughts to OCD, we can take the sting out of the OCD without using a neutralising compulsion.

Then we can refocus back to what we were doing and get busy on that.

 

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