Cancelling Phrases

[Boxers1]

Can someone remind me why performing the cancelling phrase is not helpful in treating OCD. It seems I always feel so much better if I do the "Never is that true" or "No I don't accept that" after the obsession occurs. And my exposure therapy without the cancelling phrase is causing an all out war with my body and brain. Why is the cancelling phrase so harmful again if it helps me to cope with the thoughts better? I need encouragement again to fight the urge to cancel....

Thanks,
Boxers1

 

[kaykay637]

Can someone remind me why performing the cancelling phrase is not helpful in treating OCD. It seems I always feel so much better if I do the "Never is that true" or "No I don't accept that" after the obsession occurs. And my exposure therapy without the cancelling phrase is causing an all out war with my body and brain. Why is the cancelling phrase so harmful again if it helps me to cope with the thoughts better? I need encouragement again to fight the urge to cancel....

Thanks,
Boxers1

Someone else may have some other ideas but in my experience and opinion, "cancelling" is not the most effective because it keeps you focused on the thoughts coming. By even feelling the need to "cancel" you are giving the thoughts value. The more you can "devalue" the thoughts and truly, truly recognize that they have NO spiritual significance, the thoughts will more quickly disappear. Some may disagree with even permitting this, but I recommend if you really MUST to say one time and one time only to the Lord. "You know I don't want these thoughts. I renounce them and from here on out I will just ignore them in order to ultimately lessen them." Then do it. Never say that again and totally ignore the thoughts as they come from then on. Some might see that as a "concession" to the OCD but if you can say that only one time and move on, I think it can be helpful.

Just remember, these thoughts really are NOT significant to God. They are mind clutter, nothing more.

 

[gracealone]

Hi Boxers1,
Great advice from KayKay. It's more than OK to ask the Lord to help you to overcome your OCD .He already knows that your heart doesn't agree with the thoughts .
The canceling statements, from what I've learned are the compulsive activity that will keep the cycle going. I guess it could be compared to a kind of mind decontamination compulsion. You can't wash away your thoughts like dirty hands so you devise a statement to cancel them. But every time you do the canceling statements you are giving the unwanted obsession/ spike a validity that it doesn't deserve. The relief from doing the canceling statement is only temporary as it doesn't remove the thoughts but causes the mind to focus on them all the more intently. In this way it gets more stuck in the mind. The increase in anxiety when trying to ignore the thought is normal. But the more you practice not attending to the unwanted obsession and just riding out the anxiety the weaker the obsession will become. It takes a lot of patience and perseverance to press on in these efforts. It's OK to stumble in our beginning efforts as long as we keep trying.
I have to go back sometimes and re-read about exposure/response in order to bolster myself in these efforts.
Hang in there. I'm praying for you.
Mitzi

 

[marcb]

Just remember, these thoughts really are NOT significant to God. They are mind clutter, nothing more.

Yeah!

If we could just hold onto this.