OCD Action

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ACB33
Member

Hi Everyone,

Firstly apologies, I just posted the following on another thread but I think what I was talking about is relevant to this thread too. I haven't had time to read everyone's comments so I hope this does fit in with the conversation and sorry for repeating this post...

I just wanted to share this paragraph with everyone. It's out of the CBT for Dummies book. I would recommend it to everyone. It's a very well written and simple book that's been clearly researched and understood by those who wrote it.

The paragraph goes as the following...

"Trying to get rid of doubt by seeking unattainable certainty is like trying to put out a fire by throwing more wood on it. If you're intolerant of uncertainty, as soon as you quell one doubt another one's sure to pop up. The trick is to find ways to tolerate doubt and uncertainty - they exists whether you like it or not"

In my opinion this paragraph alone pretty much sums up what CBT is about (in a nutshell). Of course we are all different and CBT can be changed and adapted to many many issues. That's the beauty of this type of therapy it's extremely flexible but not at all easy!

I hope this gives some of you who are currently suffering of feeling low, trapped and scared a little comfort and knowledge that will help you either start your recovery, assist you in your battle or add to your success tools if you have come out the end of the tunnel. There really is light there and it's a powerful one and you somehow need to keep strong and determind you will get through it.

No-one gets life changing success without hard work, determination and experiencing all the crap that is thrown at each and every one of us. Giving up is NOT an option, don't try and find ways of coping, just PROMISE yourself you will get through it. Like I say it's not easy, if it was none of us would be on here sharing advice, tips and help to those you suffer just as much as you do.

Stay STRONG everyone, get as much help as you possibly can and good luck in getting to that light at the end of a very long bumpy tunnel.

Take Care all

ACB

Thu Jan 19 2012 22:15:27 #
Mike
Member

That quote about CBT is perfect, and I think would help Citaloman a lot. In fact, Citaloman, you might want to get yourself a copy of that book. It looks like it does a great job of explaining why OCD causes so much anxiety (the need for certainty), and how to effectively treat it (learn to live with uncertainty).

Fri Jan 20 2012 16:58:09 #
wannabefree
Member

I'm gonna seek out my copy of that book tomorrow, too tired tonight!
Wannabe

Fri Jan 20 2012 20:54:03 #
Mike
Member

How are you doing Citaloman? Did you have the 2nd appointment yet?

Wed Jan 25 2012 18:10:26 #
Citaloman
Member

Yeah, I hate it. Seeing things written down makes me feel really sick. But I have been told to stop seeking reassurance. It's my number 1 compulsion. It doesn't help that my mum has OCD so she asks me if I'm ok for reassurance all the time. I am going to try and not ask reassurance for a day and see how it feels. I don't see how things you worry about can just fade away. This has and sometimes doe make me want to end my life. It's week 4 of meds next week so hopefully something good will happen. My worry is the thought seems so complex i worry how I thought of it. But that was after I thought I had poked someone..!

Look I'm doing it.

Wed Jan 25 2012 23:26:12 #
Mike
Member

Remember, the more anxious the ERP therapy makes you, the better it's working. You can accept uncertainty for every topic except the topic the OCD is focusing on, so the goal is to make you be able to accept uncertainty on that topic as well. Inability to accept uncertainty is what causes the anxiety in the first place.

Wed Jan 25 2012 23:41:02 #
Citaloman
Member

Mike it's early days and your theory still scares me but we will see what happens. Shee doesn't want to know about my worries just how they affect me. It's all weird

Wed Jan 25 2012 23:49:56 #
wannabefree
Member

Hi Citaloman, well done on getting to your CBT... I'm seeing how you getr on as preparation for my own CBT... It looks really scary... I'm wondering if I can do it now! I'm wondering if I'm gonna cope with it... I'm very scared of ERP... I've been trying to do it on my own for months, and just end up giving up... Stick with it if you can, I'll be on board with mine soon, and I can support you... I accept to an extent that it needs to be challenging, but there's challenging and challenging... See how it goes... And give yourself credit for trying, which is really massive in my book...
Wannabe

Thu Jan 26 2012 16:32:24 #