When OCD gets confusing

[RachelZ]

Don't know if I can explain this properly but here goes. Sometimes you get a spike and it's like you worry that it's maybe true...but sometimes I get a thought and it may well be true but the feelings are so similar. For example if I think something not very nice about someone...I'll quite often get this horrible feeling and try and erase or neutralise the thought. The trouble is I get a double spike then cos I think well if the feelings are similar for thoughts that aren't true or supposedly don't mean anything as for thoughts that are ones I'd rather not have but ARE true then maybe all the other one's I've been trying to classify as OCD type thinking are real after all...AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Does that make any sense? If it does to anyone do you have any pearls of wisdom...it worries me...but what's new huh?

Hope you're all doing OK...take care and thanks for reading...Rachel

 

[ObsessedButBlessed]

LOL I could have written that post myself. Short answer is that yes I've totally had that confusion.

Rachel have you heard of ACT - Acceptance and Commitment Therapy? Sometimes it's taught on the tail end of OCD treatment. It's a form of CBT - in fact I was just discusisng with a fellow OCD sufferer about how we are such feelers... some people are treated for OCD and can move on, but I will always be a feeler, and negative feelings will always get to me. ACT therapy teaches acceptance of negative emotions as just another emotion, and takes the importance off of it. Here's a website on it:

http://www.contextualpsychology.org/act

ACT takes the view that trying to change difficult thoughts and feelings as a means of coping might can be counter productive, but new, powerful alternatives are available, including acceptance, mindfulness, cognitive defusion, values, and committed action.

I read someone else had great success with "Cognitive THerapy for OCD" book: http://www.amazon.com/Cognitive-The...Professionals/dp/1572244291/ref=sip_rech_dp_4

I'm thinking of getting it myself - I think this might help with those confusing things OCD loves to throw at us.

 

[RachelZ]

Thanks so much Sad...as ever it's so helpful to know other's experience similar things...though I wish for your sake you didn't!

Thanks for the info...don't think I have heard of ACT although my Psychiatrist and Psychologist are really into Mindfullness. In fact that's pretty much what their treatment option was and is for me. (Don't see Psychologist any more.) It is definitely a helpful tool although I wish we could have done some ERP as well. In a way though I guess mindfullness does cover a bit of ERP as the idea is to just allow the thoughts and feelings to be there without trying to fix them.

When I read the title I chose for this threa it seemed a bit silly really...like when DOESN'T OCD get confusing! I think I still feel uncertain of how to deal with this one. I mean the test for determining if something is OCD or not is the accompanying anxiety or so I've been led to believe. So if even potentially real thoughts and feelings can bring on the anxiety that leaves me thinking well maybe a lot of what I fear is really true and I just can't handle negative thoughts and emotions. Does that make sense...as before I know what I mean but not sure if I've explained it clearly.

I'm still trying to do as you suggested a while back with praying for what I need...and I'm trying to keep it simple and stick to a couple of issues rather than ending up praying in circles...it would be so nice to feel an improvement in my relationship with God.

Anyway...thanks again...how are you doing? Well done for sticking to your agenda...re your recent thread...that mist have taken some guts...good for you! Take care...Rachel