OCD Coping Tips

[Daniel E.]

Somatic OCD and Reclaiming Mindfulness – New Harbinger Publications, Inc

While mindfulness is one of the chief strategies for alleviating the symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), which is used to call attention to

www.newharbinger.com

The greatest exposure for this type of obsession is acceptance...It is the resistance...that causes so much distress.

it can help to be mindful of whether you’re attending or overattending to the present moment; if you’re over attending, to “acknowledge that your mind has taken the act of meditation and shifted it to a performance review.”

 

[Daniel E.]

The One Diagnosis All Therapists Should Understand

Obsessive compulsive disorder is misunderstood and may deter therapists from protecting their clients.

www.psychologytoday.com

On average, studies show that those with OCD suffer 14 to 17 years from the onset of their symptoms to the time they access proper treatment. This is sadly often the result of shame that many people with OCD experience because of the content of their obsessions, misconceptions about the disorder, and an overall lack of understanding about OCD by many therapists.

 

[Daniel E.]

Finding a Therapist for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Finding a Therapist for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder By Charles H. Elliott, Ph.D. PsychCentral blog: Anxiety & OCD Exposed May 20, 2009 We recommend that people with OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) get help from a therapist with experience and training in cognitive...

forum.psychlinks.ca

The last thing you want to do with OCD is to work with someone for a long time and feel judged, not heard, or not have a reasonable set of goals and plans for getting you where you want to go.

 

[Daniel E.]

Most of us aren't Hitlers or animal abusers. Most of us are affected by a long Christian tradition that, in matters of moral import, equates thoughts with deeds; on some level we feel that to think something "bad" is equivalent to doing something bad. So we carry needless psychic baggage in the form of shame and guilt about ourselves.

~ Timothy Beneke

 

[Daniel E.]

Stuck in a Loop of ‘Wrongness’: Brain Study Shows Roots of OCD

By studying hundreds of brain scans, U-M researchers identify abnormalities common to people who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder.

labblog.uofmhealth.org

“This is not some deep dark problem of behavior – OCD is a medical problem, and not anyone’s fault. With brain imaging we can study it just like heart specialists study EKGs of their patients – and we can use that information to improve care and the lives of people with OCD.”

 

[Daniel E.]

source

 

[Daniel E.]

“If uncertainty is unacceptable to you, it turns into fear. If it is perfectly acceptable, it turns into increased aliveness, alertness, and creativity.” —Eckhart Tolle

 

[Daniel E.]

"Healing may not be so much about getting better, as about letting go of everything
that isn't you -- all of the expectations, all of the beliefs -- and becoming who you are."

~ Rachel Naomi Remen, posted by @Cat Dancer

 

[Daniel E.]

"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself."

~ Saint Francis de Sales, posted by @Cat Dancer

 

[Daniel E.]

 

[Daniel E.]

“The deep meta-message of CBT is that you can behave differently, even in the presence of these thoughts. And that’s very helpful.”

~ Steven Hayes

 

[Daniel E.]

 

[Daniel E.]

 

[Daniel E.]

Low Cost Treatment Options for OCD

We are lucky enough to live in a period of time in which effective and evidence-based treatment methods for OCD and related disorders exist. Through Exposure & Response Prevention (ERP)... Read more »

iocdf.org

 

[Daniel E.]

6 Questions to Ask When Worries Arise

Attending to thoughts about the future can be extremely helpful in some situations and distracting and draining in others. How can we tell the difference?

www.psychologytoday.com

Am I trying to solve a problem or avoid uncertainty? We worry about a lot of things because we want to make the world certain. Yet this is not actually possible (a challenging reality we are all contending with during this pandemic). Although we seek certainty as a way of feeling more safe and secure, unfortunately, this often backfires. The more time and effort we invest into trying to find certainty in the uncertain, the more frustrated, helpless, and discouraged we become. When we notice this pattern, we can begin instead to focus on accepting uncertainty and turn our attention to the areas where we do have control (in other words, the actions we choose to take).

 

[Daniel E.]

OCD vs. GAD and How to Tell the Difference​

...Some more recently developed CBT techniques can be applied with equal value to both OCD and GAD. These newer techniques, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), are often described as Mindfulness Based CBT, or “third wave” CBT. These approaches are grounded on the premise that unpleasant thoughts and feelings are a normal part of the human experience, and that trying to control them actually makes them worse. This “third wave” approach focuses instead on accepting the presence of unwanted thoughts and feelings, without making an effort to reduce or eliminate them...

 

[Daniel E.]

Healing from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Mindfulness-Enhanced CBT Approach to Regaining Control and Restoring Peace of Mind

 

[Daniel E.]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/10/11/what-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-does-to-a-young-mind-when-it-grows-unchecked/

Students with OCD may appear to be daydreaming, distracted, disinterested, or even lazy. They may seem unfocused and unable to concentrate. But they are really very busy focusing on their nagging urges or confusing, stressful, and sometimes terrifying OCD thoughts and images.

 

[Daniel E.]

OCD and Loneliness: Causes and Coping Strategies

Many people self-isolate to manage OCD symptoms, but this can lead to loneliness and depression. Help is available.

psychcentral.com

OCD can be a tormenting, disabling disorder, and nobody should have to deal with it alone. There is no legitimate reason not to ask for help.

 

[Daniel E.]

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/cbl.30519?casa_token=_8du2wfYe1QAAAAA%3AvcyiDrDKniblvU-I92QW1ZCidtFto9z8EdRIv9TDJIK7SocJhpE3npVS7nLfnbeqzknqRZltWA6bSws

General uncertainty exposures may be a good starting point for both patients and their families before pushing on more ingrained obsessions/compulsions. It may be particularly good practice for parents in setting the precedence for nonprovision of reassurance.