8/11/2023 0 Comments Treatment for intrusive thoughts![]() ![]() The only way to overcome a fear is to face it. When you have a choice, always go toward the anxiety, never away from it. Instead, try to simply focus on carrying out each day’s therapy homework, one day at a time. Don’t get too impatient with your progress, or compare yourself to someone else.Įveryone goes at their own pace. They won’t always be there when you need them, but YOU are always there for YOU. Remember that dealing with your symptoms is your responsibility alone.ĭon’t involve others in your therapy homework (unless your therapist tells you to) or expect them to push you or motivate you. Scott Fitzgerald) and, as they say in AA, “You can always start your day over.” 7. Also remember the sayings, “Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat,” (F. To do that, you would have to forget everything you have learned up to that point, and that really isn’t possible. Remember the saying, “A lapse is not a relapse.” This means that you never really go back to square one. Even if you have a big setback, don’t let it throw you. It is normal to make mistakes when learning new skills, especially in therapy. The good news is that you are in this for the long haul, and you always get another chance. If you slip and do a compulsion, you can always turn it around and do something to cancel it. Try to not be a black-and-white, all-or-nothing thinkerĭon’t tell yourself that one slip up means you are now a total failure. Your motto should be, “If you want to think about them less, think about them more.” 6. Studies have shown that you cannot effectively stop or push down particular thoughts. This will only have the opposite effect and lead to thinking more thoughts. Don’t waste time trying to prevent or not think your thoughts. Try not to get too detailed when agreeing - simply say the thoughts are true and real. The questions they raise are not real questions, and there are no real answers to them. ![]() Never analyze, question, or argue with them. Always try hard to agree with all obsessive thoughts Reassurance-seeking is a compulsion, no matter how you may try to justify it. Reassurance will cancel out the effects of any therapy homework you use it on and prevent you from improving. Instead, tell yourself the worst will happen, is happening, or has already happened. Never seek reassurance from yourself or others. ![]() Remember that not recovering is the biggest risk of all. Risk is an integral part of life, and as such it cannot be completely gotten rid of. Also, if new thoughts appear, be sure to tell your therapist so you can keep them informed. Be prepared to use your therapy tools at any time, and in any place. Don’t be surprised when old or even new ones occur. You can have an obsessive thought at any time or any place. Here are my 25 tips for succeeding in your OCD treatment. I originally wrote this list for my own patients, and then I realized it would be useful to others out there who are just starting or who are currently engaged in treatment. This article was initially published in the Summer 2014 edition of the OCD Newsletter. IOCDF Scientific & Clinical Advisory Board Member Psychologist/Executive Director Western Suffolk Psychological Services ![]()
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