OCD free fall

[HangingOver]

Anybody fellow OCs out there tonigh? I'm currently falling down the lift shaft. We're going away tomorrow for a week and there's absolutely no way my pets are not going to die while I'm away. Nothing is working. I feel totally frozen and choked by it. My brain is scurrying from bargain to bargain to bargain. What do you do when you've fallen well and truly down the well? 😢

I’m so sorry to hear that, OCD is truly the worst. I’ve had debilitating OCD at times and whilst it still can appear in my day to day life it doesn’t overtake my days now if that makes sense.

A few things that help me -

1. your thoughts are thoughts with no meaning, if you think you’ve won the lottery and you’re a millionaire - does that mean you are? no, because thinking something doesn’t mean it’s a fact.


2. laugh at the thoughts so you can’t ruminate on them, actually laugh or just internally laugh


3. sometime I’ve tested myself to carry on thinking the awful thoughts because so much of ocd is about getting rid of the thought as quickly as you can, I’ve challenged myself to see how long I can think the same thought and then I often realise I was distracted by something and it naturally left my conscious without me forcing it out.


4. look after yourself - read or listen to a podcast, go for a walk, watch a film. look after your brain and body by doing nice things for it.

Wow what a great reply. Number three is a really interesting one. Sounds like a great idea but probably much easier said than done. How did you discover you could do that? I can imagine things would have to be really bad for me to be able to try that. I find saying the thoughts aloud virtually impossible.

Thanks for the great tips.

Look up unhooking from thoughts

Google preview the ACT book for OCD - Marisa someone or other.. You'll get to read some of it for free..

Tell yourself for now you're not going to think these thoughts but tomorrow I have full permission too, then tomorrow say the same etc etc xx

It’s horrid when your brain tries to trick you, isn’t it. I used to do bonkers things to distract myself, some helped, like counting the baked beans on the label on the tin, it’s so stupid you do something else and your irrational thoughts bugger off!
I also did the one where I decided I wasn’t doing it now but in much shorter chunks, ten minutes, fifteen etc.
I really hope you manage to have a good holiday.

OCD Is fucking awful, I’m sorry to hear you’re struggling

i totally get you, the first time i thought of it i was drunk on a girls night out, drunk was usually a state where they didn’t bother me as much so I was really upset that they’d appeared on what I thought would be a rare intrusive thought free evening and I guess the drunk confidence helped me so I just tried to hold onto the thought for as long as possible.

my ocd had taken over my life at this point so I would’ve just tried anything. do you receive cbt? maybe have a look at a few techniques online to see if they may be helpful.

I had a lot of CBT for my OCD, one exercise I did was to write down the what was happening, so the actual facts, then write my worst fear that could happen and then what was actually the likely outcome.
It really helped me.
So in your case

1. you are going away and leaving your pets with people you trust
2. they are all going to die
3. the pets will all be fine and you’ll have a lovely holiday

My dd’s psychologist recommended voice recording her intrusive thoughts. Speak into her phone.
it involved setting up a WhatsApp group. Calling it CBT. Adding just one person to it ( me ) but then removing that person immediately before even starting a recording. This allows you to voice record and keep a record of it but no one else is in the group.

DD found it helpful because when she played back her intrusive thoughts she realised how unlikely these things were going to happen. It obviously hasn’t cured her ocd but it’s a method that helps her along the way.
I see how distressing ocd can be so I wish you the very best of luck.