OCD Treatment Lifestyle

OCD Treatment Lifestyle

So maybe you have done the treatment for OCD and anxiety. Or you’re currently working on it.  The treatment that I love and focus on his exposure and response prevention. This treatment can be tough as nails. I mean were telling you to completely forgo everything you think you know and change it. To face your fears. Responds completely different to them. Stop doing those things that made you feel comfortable and gave you relief.  Man, this treatment can be tough but it is so worth it.

 As you are going through your treatment journey for anxiety and OCD I wanted to give you some information to help you through gaining more success in these treatment strategies.

So if this is the first time you’re hearing about exposure and response prevention, man you’re in for a treat. And you also found what is in my opinion the best treatment I can help you with your anxiety and OCD symptoms.  We broke it down by just the name of the treatment. 

Exposure =  you are exposing yourself to perceived threats.   Meaning, your brain is going to be throwing out a lot of threats.  Mixed with a lot of anxiety, and we are choosing to face these fears with uncertainty.  Almost like you are doing an experiment to see if the threat that came to your brain is actually going to happen or not….  Sounds scary right.  What we find time and time and time and time again is that the threat doesn’t happen. We can never be 100% sure what we are willing to take that risk.. 

Response prevention =  This is the way you were responding to the fear.  You cannot face the fear and continue to respond as if it’s a big deal. Is that still has meaning and power.  The response to me is one of the most important aspects of this treatment.  When we respond with almost the complete opposite of what we normally would do and must imagine your brain exploding. Saying,  what the heck are you doing?  I’m warning you you’re in danger and you’re completely acting like this is no big deal.  If you’re saying this is in the big deal and you can show me that over and over and over again maybe I need to stop telling you this is a big deal.  Some people respond was smiling,  they respond with words like maybe maybe not.  Sometimes they agree with the threat.  Yeah I would totally love if that happened.  And it doesn’t matter what seem or topic anxiety or OCD is attached to.  We can use the same response techniques.

 So with this treatment of exposure and response prevention.  One idea I would give you is to find times in your day and life to practice uncertainty.  Even with things that actually don’t bother you or cause much anxiety. This can be like, what time my going have dinner today? I don’t know,  could be 3 o’clock 4 o’clock 5 o’clock 6 o’clock.  

 I wonder how long it takes me to get to this location,  I don’t know.  I could hit traffic, could take  10 minutes longer,  maybe I’ll get there five minutes sooner. 

I wonder if this person likes me or not…. You know they may or may not like me.  I may never know for sure.

 I wonder if people think this video is boring?  They may or may not…  I may never know for sure.  Except for I can see my stats.  And if you’re watching this right now this current moment,  thank you for sticking around,  I appreciate you. 

 Essentially, you don’t need to know anything unless it’s super important. We spent our day looking for certainty. When we can  take opportunities to practice uncertainties in most aspects of life we actually are more free.  We no longer are trying to control everything. 

 My favorite phrase is maybe, maybe not.  I use this every single day in some aspect or another.  Of my brain never says what if,  the answer is maybe maybe not.  If it’s something that’s really not that important but I am catching myself trying to problem solve it,  I may just answer with them maybe maybe not allow myself to move forward. 

 This is something you can practice with yourself,  with your family,  with your kids.  Allow kids to be uncertain.  This helps them prepare for this uncertain world that we live in.  so when they say when we get to get there,  the answer may be five minutes,  10 minutes,  15 minutes.  One of those three.  We leave life ambiguous on purpose. 

 Allow yourself to face uncertainty in life,  daily activities,  and especially anxiety moments where you do not see an immediate threat.

 So what uncertainties can you face today?  Let me know in the comments below.

 Thank you so much for watching,  and I will see you next time.

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