Reply To: I REALLY need advice

[AndyFollettParticipant]

Plus.. another thing to think about is this.. suppose you go through your particular “hot or ruminative thought” whatever that may be in your instance… Just imagine for a moment that it simply didnt bother you! Imagine that!… being able to allow your thought to pass through your neural pathways without a spike in anxiety. My question for you is…”For that to happen (you remain chilled and unbothered by the thought same as everyone else without ocd would be) would it mean that you had become/acted/become capable of acting that thought”? The answer is..Of course not! No more than any one else in the population (actually less likely because youre petrified of the idea and most people arent even bothered by the thought). All it would mean is that youre unafraid of the thought. What im pointing out, is that being chilled and unafraid of the thought should be your aim. At the moment your OCD method of dealing with it is to prefer being afraid of the idea or thought. Your faulty coping method is to remain fearful of it as it implies you wont do/be or become whatever it is youre afraid of and if therefore the opposite must be true. BUT THIS IS THE ERROR in your ocd habit. But being unafraid of it is not the same as becoming it. The techniques and training you need to do might seem incredibly frightening because your aim is to focus on allowing yourself to give in to anxiety rather than resist it. Giving in to anxiety WILL NOT mean you have “given in to the thought.” Breaking free of the anxiety is how you break the cycle and learn the skill to swot ocd off as a nonsense. If you dont learn the techniques, which are simple if youre openminded, ocd remains a horrid energy sapping compulsion. but it absolutely IS something you are equipped to overcome. There is nothing wrong with your brain other than youve formed bad habits which is why its is important to find a good cbt trainer or someone who understands how to change your thinking style. But when you can have your hot thought and switch it off from anxiety, you will see that the fear and kerosene that keeps the thought first and front of your attention, evaporates in an instant.