Has anyone overcome Solipsism ocd?

[phil06]

This evil genius must have a massive interest in very boring behavioural experiments then. And where is the evil bit? Merely that he put you in a jar? Surely evil would be making your experiences horrible? So why not a lovely, caring genius?

The whole "it's not real unless you look at it" reminds me of a character in the film Mystery Men, Invisible Boy. He is only invisible when no one is looking, a superpower the rest groan at for being BS. Later in the film they can't get past a laser targeting their movements towards a door. Up steps Invisible Boy who tells them to close their eyes whilst he strips off and disables the laser. Voila! But then they all open their eyes to congratulate him and are greeted with a very visible, and naked, Invisible Boy

I wonder what this scientist would make of asking others to comment on this? Therefore talking to one's self

If you are a brain in a jar, be a happy brain in a jar. Would it make any difference then if you lived a happy life? What would be gained by the true proof you were in a jar...other than finding your life is now extremely shitty?

Well let’s be clear I don’t say I actually believe Solipsism because after a lot of thought there’s more reasons to believe life is real than fake. People have said it’s easier to believe things are genuine. There is no proof of Solipsism.

That said it doesn’t stop my brain constantly asking if it’s true or asking why am I here what is life what happens when you die but I believe this is ocd. I said too I’m not comfertable with the brain in a jar theory is that not a bit like the movie Source code?

And don’t you want truth as to why you are here? I mean logically we came from our mum so the question isn’t why am I personally here for us to ask why are “we here” is that not a question like why did Adam and Eve get here? And if you look further back we evlolved from apes so who is to say Adam and Eve existed that’s just religion. If we evolved from apes why do they still exist?

Solipsism May be very wrong but that’s fine I still believe there’s something fishy about life since I had a breakdown people acted funny at the time like when I was on a walk would talk to strangers. At the time my life was almost Trueman show like. I also question why things happen? Is it a plan?

So my thoughts go beyond Solipsism because it really boils down to meaning of life and if everybody else is unique like me or are they all in on it.

---------- Post added at 19:26 ---------- Previous post was at 19:22 ----------

Phil06 if you are researching these things out of interest, that's fine.


But if you are researching out of fear then it is a pointless exercise that ensures that you are kept in the anxiety and OCD loop.


If you've read on here about my experiences with existential anxiety, then you will know I have suffered for many years with it, so believe me when I know for sure that it is a total dead end. You will never have the answer! You will never know the truth of why we are here or who put us here. Sit with that. Feel crap right? That's fine... let it. That feeling will eventually disappear.


If you don't want to think about solipsism or existential questions, you need to


1. stop researching more about it, not out of fear but to just give your mind a break really


2. The thoughts you do have, and the things you have read, go through each one by one - Yep, go TOWARDS them - and really think about them and feel that anxiety. Then realise, when it passes (because it will) that you are bigger and more powerful than these thoughts AND these feelings. Yep - you are bigger and more powerful than the biggest, scariest existential thought out there! You can go through the fear and out the other side EVEN with your scariest thought! That means that it means nothing!


3. Realise that these are all theories and ideas that imaginative people have come up with. They are not facts. You can believe in anything and it will have as much weight as believing in what that scientist thinks. We are all humans. We may have our ideas but we all actually KNOW as much as each other about why we are here.

4. Then you get to a place where you realise you are free to choose what to believe. So go religion/belief/philosophy window-shopping and find one you like! I chose Christianity as my belief because of my personal experiences. Or have no belief. That's a choice, too.


Remember - it still isn't the fear of the thoughts you are having. It's a fear of the feelings. Thoughts are neutral. Thoughts are images and information but they are not feelings. FEELINGS come after thoughts. They feel either good, or bad. It's the bad feelings that you are scared of, not the thoughts. So go towards those thoughts that create those feelings and feel those feelings. The feelings will then over time detach themselves from the thoughts because you are no longer scared of the feelings that you associate with the thoughts, because you go TOWARDS them instead of away from them, and thus, rendering their whole need to exist as pointless.

See I’m confused I’m not religious or philosophical so neither apply to
Me I dodge different ideas all the time.

I believe in reincarnation but that could be as the same person it wouldn’t disprove Solipsism.

People who have died and been brought back to life have shared different experiences there’s no universeal one so it goes no further in answering life questions whilst some persons experience is very believable others are very far fetched.

[phil06]

It all comes down to what you want to believe... Its a matter of choice.

Ok so what did you choose to believe were you able to discount Solipsism? Was it just a temporary worry for you?

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For me if Solipsism was true I surely would have to work and I would have choosen a life where I was important and rich. The fact I eat sleep and do the toilet like other humans I was a superior power or only one I wouldn’t waste my time with these pointless exercises. That leaves the conclision if life was fake we could all be part of an illusion but science tells us everything is made from atoms.

Also if Solipsism was true I would probably never have invented the worry as if I did pick my life out I would probably have choose not to know about it. And I would have skipped being younger as you don’t have much knowledge of the world when you are younger.

So yes to conclude I would be famous and be rich and wouldn’t do other human like stuff like eat if I did pick Solipsism.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Yes, I thought your worries went beyond this theme and you had just picked this up and find it has an OCD label so you can discuss it within your anxiety disorder. So your more about meaning of life and Solipsism is just one of many considerations within that.

I don't think I need to know why we are here. I don't know many things, I've learnt to accept I can try to learn or be ok with not knowing as someone who needs to know exists to fulfil the roles that deal with it. I understand how OCD can make you feel like you need answers to everything as I've been through that, the asking people to repeat what they say, the re reading to ensure I've absorbed it properly. The compulsions just keep tag behaviour going.

Does knowing the purpose of humanity change how I behave? What if the truth reveals there is no expectations on us therefore we can be have however we desire? Doesn't it only become relevant if it means we change to fulfill some purpose?

Solipsism is as credible as we got dumped here by the cat aliens.

Like Raindrops says it's a matter of healthy vs unhealthy. Having an interest is good but obsession isn't. Even healthy practices become unhealthy when obsessive.

You will never know why you are here, other than the reasons for that particular day your parents did what they did, so beyond looking at different possibilities and forming your own opinion there is nothing else you can do although you can learn to be fine with not knowing and not really caring either (which is more me).

[phil06]

Then it sounds like you don't believe in solipsism Phil. So why are ya worrying

Because it’s still a possibility yes it’s not probable but it’s like asking do aliens exist nobody knows.

As there’s no proof it causes me anxiety and I still ask questions

---------- Post added at 13:06 ---------- Previous post was at 11:43 ----------

Sometimes I have spells where I think everybody isn’t real or watching tv and nobody seems real.

[phil06]

Would it help if I tell people my Solipsism trigger?

I moved house twice this year basically I missed out on my dream house and had to take my second choice so I wondered is it fate? Is it mean to happen planned out and I started searching the internet for answers?

My anxiety got bad when I moved into a rented house for a few weeks as I sold up and had to move so I had a 5 week wait for my new house.

So yes that was the trigger that worry my life is preplanned and I found all these other ideas ones like Solipsism which doesn’t actually relate to a preplanned life that’s adjustment bureau anybody seen that movie? So yes there’s lots of ideas for example what happens when you die? Preplanned life, flat earth and solipsism. The other ideas I found like life being meaningless and other terms I never read much into as they don’t seem relevant in my head.

So well it boils down to do we trust science, NASA, biology or evolution or some psychology idea someone thought up? My views on actual psychology are that it’s not often correct for
Me sports psychology is very interesting but having seen phycologists when I was unwell with my breakdown they were curious to what happened to me and said I’m a fighter basically confused me to be honest they are too deep and interested in things I mean in ways they mess with your mind don’t they? Total recall style.

Just wondering what other people think of my moving house trigger and any experiences of psychologists?

---------- Post added at 19:14 ---------- Previous post was at 19:12 ----------

Also one thing I read and seen in videos people with solispsim don’t believe in death and they think that’s not real too.

---------- Post added at 23:09 ---------- Previous post was at 19:14 ----------

Update

I’ve had to quit another forum as they are telling me to believe Solipsism is true and I am the only one to stop me thinking as deep they also told me with my letter box worry to lick the letter box and put my hand down toilet and touch door so I feel this forum isn’t helpful.

The site is called OCD uk not sure if anybody has used it but it doesn’t help I find this forum helps more and people are more understanding.

[Juustopallo]

https://youtu.be/H_KSPDFD0v0

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kHkC58l193s

https://youtu.be/hZcaBLq7VXQ

Here are some very good videos about the topic. If you don't cut out the compulsions, your obsessions will not fade away. That is a fact. The more you try to figure it out, the more uncertainty you will experience. Cutting out all the checking and figuring it out while taking the uncertainty with you is the key. If you cut out 90% of the compulsions, your ocd will get 90% better. Now judging from your posts your life is constant compulsive behavior. You need to learn how to change that.

[MyNameIsTerry]

If you cut out 90% of the compulsions, your ocd will get 90% better.

I would agree eliminating compulsions is key to starting the work on this but it's not everything as the obsessions are underpinned by other things which also need work hence it's not as simple as this 90%. For example, Phil has issues with Perfectionism and that means working on his thoughts/core beliefs.

[phil06]

Tonight I felt an anxiety attack spell where I felt I was the only one in the world anybody else had this sort of thing? Again distraction was my only escape from it

---------- Post added at 02:00 ---------- Previous post was at 01:59 ----------

I would agree eliminating compulsions is key to starting the work on this but it's not everything as the obsessions are underpinned by other things which also need work hence it's not as simple as this 90%. For example, Phil has issues with Perfectionism and that means working on his thoughts/core beliefs.

Yes my ocd is wide ranging I would say it’s worse than my anxiety and I believe the ocd is fuelling my anxiety. The fears of going mad to existence questions causes me anxiety.

[MyNameIsTerry]

That's the DP/DR kicking in, phil. This is often present when anxiety is high and common after panic attacks. Bring the anxiety levels down, if you can. Distraction or refocusing on something healthier can be useful.

Don't get me wrong, I agree with Juustopallo about the importance of eliminating compulsions and you would see a marked improvement if you got to that point, I know I did.

Like they've said, don't be sucked into the obsession. There is no reason you can't produce evidence to counter a fear, it's a CBT technique, but you stop at that point. The fear is going to continue but you don't keep researching for more evidence because you have your answer so can refer back to that worksheet.

[phil06]

That's the DP/DR kicking in, phil. This is often present when anxiety is high and common after panic attacks. Bring the anxiety levels down, if you can. Distraction or refocusing on something healthier can be useful.

Don't get me wrong, I agree with Juustopallo about the importance of eliminating compulsions and you would see a marked improvement if you got to that point, I know I did.

Like they've said, don't be sucked into the obsession. There is no reason you can't produce evidence to counter a fear, it's a CBT technique, but you stop at that point. The fear is going to continue but you don't keep researching for more evidence because you have your answer so can refer back to that worksheet.

I’ve done lots of research to be honest I’m not sure I can do much more all I can do is try and counter the fear not accept it like other forums said as that’s like accepting if you have health anxiety you must have “x” illness.

I admit my issue seems to be ocd related compulsions to thoughts. This seems to trigger my anxiety to maybe keep safe I do partly feel I need to feel a little anxious to be safe.

Yes and yesterday I did suffer a lot of derealization. It’s a bit of a cycle symptom > research > anxiety. This condition has made me feel in a glass ball made the earth small like there’s no escape and nothing but me so yes I have found it the most difficult to deal with. That said my health anxiety was bad for years but I feel existence thoughts are harder not sure what you would say is the worst thing about anxiety? I just feel going mad and existance is the worst. Feeling nobody is real is difficult especially if you are sat a busy train with hundreds of people chatting it seems crazy to believe you are the only one.

It shows how anxiety can suck you in and make you only focus on you. Given my contamination worries have settled slightly I hope to tackle this and flying fear at my next therapy session next week. I feel slow progress is being made if I thought she wasn’t getting through I would have quit. But I feel she does actually want to help and spend that hour getting to the bottom of this.

For me it’s about getting to a stage where my anxiety is low again but mostly importantly a bit less ocd not saying no hand washing but finding a happier medium where the ocd isn’t controlling me. Intrusive thoughts are probably the worst. I find much of the advice on the first few pages quite helpful in challenging the Solipsism. To me challenging thoughts is the best way to recover accepting them isn’t an option because I believe it’s about neutralising them and being rational. Any acceptance of thoughts to me means years more suffering living with anxiety rather than recovering from it.

But yes I will update next week on how my 4th therapy session goes with no new thoughts this month it’s a good chance to talk more about the issues. Perhaps the fact I’ve had no new worries is a sign therapy is helping in some way?