How to truly deal with OCD thoughts properly

[rainydayinsummer]

I've read self-help articles telling me not to ignore thoughts but not to engage with them either. It worked for me for a while after reading them, but honestly, after a while, it only feels like I'm numbing them. It's like, "Yes, I'm just letting the thoughts happen. Now what? Just because I could intellectually acknowledge their existence, it doesn't mean that I still don't feel a vague sense of anxiety."

[rainydayinsummer]

bump

[Carys]

Bumping up for you again - I'm not great at OCD knowledge - but I'm sure someone will come along who is.......

[rainydayinsummer]

OK, so I did manage to ignore my thoughts, but now I can't relax myself anymore and I'm numb.

---------- Post added at 23:16 ---------- Previous post was at 22:55 ----------

After a couple of minutes yesterday having both ignored thoughts and relaxed myself (It's like one cancels out the other for me), nothing truly works.[COLOR="blue"]

---------- Post added at 23:31 ---------- Previous post was at 23:16 ----------

I guess I just have to empty my mind or whatever after a bunch of failed attempts to relax myself.

[Scaldris]

Hi!
Have you tried mindfulness? I can recommend this app, maybe this will help a bit. :) https://www.headspace.com/

[MyNameIsTerry]

It's about showing the unconscious mind what isn't important to you. It learns to change it's behaviour.

This takes time though. So, keep going. The anxiety is going to be there at some level and over time this will change. You will see cycles being dismantled almost, I found stopping compulsions was first (have you looked at your compulsions?) and then the obsession is weakened but still there until it learns these thoughts aren't important.

[rainydayinsummer]

I'm better now at ignoring, but at the cost of the rest of my brain. My brain is like the American government: too many disagreements and it will shut down.

[rainydayinsummer]

OK, so I did manage to ignore my thoughts, but now I can't relax myself anymore and I'm numb.

---------- Post added at 23:16 ---------- Previous post was at 22:55 ----------

After a couple of minutes yesterday having both ignored thoughts and relaxed myself (It's like one cancels out the other for me), nothing truly works.[COLOR="blue"]

---------- Post added at 23:31 ---------- Previous post was at 23:16 ----------

I guess I just have to empty my mind or whatever after a bunch of failed attempts to relax myself.

Like, the good moments are better now, but the bad moments are now worse. It used to be in the moments of numbness and depression in the moments where I didn't have the mental energy to relax myself, I at least felt like I was inches away from relaxing myself, but not anymore. I now feel that the gap between my good and bad moments is bigger.

[rainydayinsummer]

http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forum/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/how-truly-deal-ocd-thoughts-properly