Negative Self Perception and OCD

[probablynothing#34]

Did anyone have the experience of developing racing thoughts and OCD related to the cognitive dissonance of society and religion. I have developed looping negative thoughts about others and myself because of the trauma of separation from my family when I was younger. I was wondering if anyone had the same. Also an obsession with feeling alone all the time. Even in typing this I have a "trying to escape" loop in my head. It leads me to have a defeatist attitude sometimes.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

I haven’t, but it sounds like you could do with some professional counseling.

Boru

[Angrboda]

Obsessing is pretty typical for depression. I'm a bit OCD myself, but depression makes it worse.

[vulcanlogician]

Yeah man. It was especially bad when I was younger (teens and twenties).

Somewhere along the line, I learned to ignore the "theatrics" that went on in my brain. It was more complicated than just deciding to ignore, though. It took time and perspective. But it's far less of an issue these days.

Devoting your attention to something that requires your full intellect (like chess) can be a good way to fix things temporarily.

[HappySkeptic]

Is Cannabis legal where you live? A quick search shows that is helps OCD, though the help lessens over prolonged use.

[probablynothing#34]

Yeah I never did it much but have been thinking about trying it. Super broke right now though. I am doing online therapy and trying to meditate.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Yeah I never did it much but have been thinking about trying it. Super broke right now though. I am doing online therapy and trying to meditate.

Sometimes there are local support groups (similar in structure to AA) that offer free counseling. It might also help with the feelings of loneliness you mentioned.

Could be worth looking into. Best of luck.

Boru

[arewethereyet]

When you get in a loop, figure out something to do to distract yourself. Tell yourself to stop and do that. It takes time and practice and you have to stick with it but it can help.

Years ago when going through some rough stuff family and depression-wise, I started listening to stand up comedy on my drive to work. When my brain would start replaying conversations how they went or how I wish they had gone, I would pop in one of those CDs. When I finally got to a good therapist she said that was a great coping mechanism for me.

You will have to figure out what will draw your attention out of the loop...maybe a favorite song or movie or some sort of household chore...but it can help to break that broken record thing that can go on in your brain.

Tell yourself to STOP and redirect your attention. It takes practice and persistence but I found it helpful.

[Jehanne]

I used to suffer from OCD; the more that I learned about psychology the less I suffered from it. Today, I do not suffer very much, if at all. Understanding a mental illness is, in my opinion, a significant step in overcoming it.

[vulcanlogician]

Yeah I never did it much but have been thinking about trying it. Super broke right now though. I am doing online therapy and trying to meditate.

Cannabis isn't for everyone. Some of my friends don't like it. But it worked for me. (Either that, or that's what I tell myself because it gives me an excuse to partake.)

Racing thoughts can often make it difficult to meditate. One thing that worked for me was chanting a mantra (like "OM"). My favorites were Om Mani Padme Hum and the "Gate Gate" mantra. (A ton of others too.... the Ganesh mantra.... even the Hare Krishna mantra.)

If you (understandably) don't want to use a mantra with religious undertones, (I learned mantras when I was tooling around with Hinduism and Buddhism), I'm sure anything with a soothing "hummmmm" kind of sound will work if you chant it for long enough.

I "think too much" to just sit there and meditate. That's why I think mantras worked so well for me. Other people seem to have success with mindfulness meditation. I think too much for that shit.

edit: mantras have all kinds of supposed "meanings" according to the traditions they belong to, but what really makes them work is that they take your thoughts off of "whatever thing you're thinking about" and cause you to focus on something simple... like a word or a sound.