Guest guest Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 What ACT texts are you working with? Have you done any therapy? > > > I am looking to make contact with someone who is using ACT specifically for > OCD. I have struggled with OCD form many years and have done a lot of reading > on the subject including literature on ACT and mindfulness. I am finding that > I am am needing support in the PRACTICE of using ACT and Mindfulness skills. > Understanding the concepts is not enough for me. The last few months my OCD > has been quite a challenge and I am trying to reach out for support in my > practice of ACT and Mindfulness skills. Any support or input would be > appreciate. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 I have lots of OCD symptoms too. This is a good place to begin if you want to share some of what your struggle is. Welcome! terry > > > > > > I am looking to make contact with someone who is using ACT specifically for > > OCD. I have struggled with OCD form many years and have done a lot of reading > > > > on the subject including literature on ACT and mindfulness. I am finding that > > > > I am am needing support in the PRACTICE of using ACT and Mindfulness skills. > > Understanding the concepts is not enough for me. The last few months my OCD > > > has been quite a challenge and I am trying to reach out for support in my > > practice of ACT and Mindfulness skills. Any support or input would be > > appreciate. > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 10, 2011 Report Share Posted July 10, 2011 Hey , Good stuff. I would imagine that all of us here have some OCD, it's hard to imagine anxiety without that mixed in. Have you read any books by an author named Twohig? From previous conversations on this board, he is supposed to be a very good ACT reference on this issue. Also, here is a video on OCD by Shinzen Young that I find insightful. What kind of meditation do you practice? > > > > > > I am looking to make contact with someone who is using ACT specifically for > > OCD. I have struggled with OCD form many years and have done a lot of reading > > > > on the subject including literature on ACT and mindfulness. I am finding that > > > > I am am needing support in the PRACTICE of using ACT and Mindfulness skills. > > Understanding the concepts is not enough for me. The last few months my OCD > > > has been quite a challenge and I am trying to reach out for support in my > > practice of ACT and Mindfulness skills. Any support or input would be > > appreciate. > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 10, 2011 Report Share Posted July 10, 2011 This is interesting. Seems like any urge you feel might be (1) a legitimate reflection of the need to be careful in your job, in which you would follow its command or (2) an OCD-induced overreaction that hinders productivity, in which you would bring mindfulness/acceptance in. But, if you conduct an internal debate with yourself as to which is which, that will create more entanglement and distress... AND... every urge is going to vigorously claim itself to be part of (1) anyway, hence the problem. Here is an idea. Can you remember a situation at work where you did something, rigorously checked it once, and then found out that you stupidly missed something that would have been caught on a second check? If not, then your experience tells you that, outside what your urges might say, one check is actually more than enough. Then, a new possible approach might be, " At work, I will check things once and only once. Beyond that, if I get further urges, I will work with the urge itself using mindfulness/acceptance. " > > > > > > > > > I am looking to make contact with someone who is using ACT specifically for > > > > OCD. I have struggled with OCD form many years and have done a lot of > >reading > > > > > > > > on the subject including literature on ACT and mindfulness. I am finding > >that > > > > > > > > I am am needing support in the PRACTICE of using ACT and Mindfulness skills. > > > > > Understanding the concepts is not enough for me. The last few months my > >OCD > > > > > > > has been quite a challenge and I am trying to reach out for support in my > > > practice of ACT and Mindfulness skills. Any support or input would be > > > appreciate. > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 10, 2011 Report Share Posted July 10, 2011 Makes sense. If you had to decide beforehand how many times to check the typical tedious item at work, *without* using the strength of your urges as a guide, but rather using a cost-benefit analysis based on your experience how many checks are actually useful (the tradeoff = more checks, more accuracy, slower time to completion), how many checks would you prescribe for yourself? > > > > > > > > > > > > I am looking to make contact with someone who is using ACT specifically > >for > > > > > > > > OCD. I have struggled with OCD form many years and have done a lot of > > >reading > > > > > > > > > > > on the subject including literature on ACT and mindfulness. I am finding > > > >that > > > > > > > > > > > I am am needing support in the PRACTICE of using ACT and Mindfulness > >skills. > > > > > > > > > Understanding the concepts is not enough for me. The last few months my > > > >OCD > > > > > > > > > > has been quite a challenge and I am trying to reach out for support in my > > > > > > practice of ACT and Mindfulness skills. Any support or input would be > > > > appreciate. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 10, 2011 Report Share Posted July 10, 2011 Another thing to think about is this. Is there a point in the checking process where you start feeling guilty/ashamed that OCD is happening? You might to be able to use that as the cue where you shift gears and work with the urges rather than actually doing another check. For example, if you are filling out a payment form that asks for your checking account number, I doubt you would feel guilty/ashamed if you checked that number once before turning it in, but if you checked it 14 times over a period of 30 minutes then you might start to get that " Here we go again " feeling. That might be the cue that you need to work with the urge rather than doing what it is recommending. > > > > > > > > > > > > I am looking to make contact with someone who is using ACT specifically > >for > > > > > > > > OCD. I have struggled with OCD form many years and have done a lot of > > >reading > > > > > > > > > > > on the subject including literature on ACT and mindfulness. I am finding > > > >that > > > > > > > > > > > I am am needing support in the PRACTICE of using ACT and Mindfulness > >skills. > > > > > > > > > Understanding the concepts is not enough for me. The last few months my > > > >OCD > > > > > > > > > > has been quite a challenge and I am trying to reach out for support in my > > > > > > practice of ACT and Mindfulness skills. Any support or input would be > > > > appreciate. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 11, 2011 Report Share Posted July 11, 2011 , Some questions and suggestions: Have you been able to identify your values, what all this checking is not allowing you to do, be, have in your life that is important, precious for you? I'm finding that a key part of the practice. Also, you mention having gone to therapy..any of what you learned there helping you now? And have you considered therapy with an ACT friendly therapist? What ACT work-books are you using? What sort of daily practice are you doing (if any)? I ask because there is only so much any of us can get in here. This community is very supportive and helpful, but there is nothing that can replace taking the work into our lives and practicing in real time. We can't get it by staying here, or figuring it out here, as this is essentially feeding the same process that got us here, staying only in our minds. And I ask because this work takes a lot of time and practice. I am setting daily goals for areas where I'm stuck, and sometimes they're really teeny, tiny goals (as I have grow easily overwhelmed with large steps and talk myself out of doing anything), but what's more important is that I commit to doing it. I like the suggestion you've gotten here about doing something daily.And the idea put forward about maybe just starting with committing to checking once. Another way to approach the checking behavior I'd suggest would be to set time limits around the checking/not checking. For a certain amount of time, no checking. Fully commit to it. What would be a small but definite stretch for you? Five minutes? An hour? And choose to commit to that. With curious, open, kind stance. And then notice what comes up around that. And same with your values. Pick a committed goal and fully go for it. With curious, open, kind stance. Just some thoughts on this Monday morning. Hope you'll let us know how it's all going..do be patient with yourself and keep breathing. peace, terry > > > > > > > > > I am looking to make contact with someone who is using ACT specifically for > > > > OCD. I have struggled with OCD form many years and have done a lot of > >reading > > > > > > > > on the subject including literature on ACT and mindfulness. I am finding > >that > > > > > > > > I am am needing support in the PRACTICE of using ACT and Mindfulness skills. > > > > > Understanding the concepts is not enough for me. The last few months my > >OCD > > > > > > > has been quite a challenge and I am trying to reach out for support in my > > > practice of ACT and Mindfulness skills. Any support or input would be > > > appreciate. > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 11, 2011 Report Share Posted July 11, 2011 In keeping with the baby step method, you may also choose to focus on home for now and not on work as a starting place (sounds a bit less risky from what I'm hearing)..for example, pick a day where you decline to re-check things at home. For an entire day. And then go from there. > > > > > > > > > > > > I am looking to make contact with someone who is using ACT specifically for > > > > > > OCD. I have struggled with OCD form many years and have done a lot of > > >reading > > > > > > > > > > > on the subject including literature on ACT and mindfulness. I am finding > > >that > > > > > > > > > > > I am am needing support in the PRACTICE of using ACT and Mindfulness skills. > > > > > > > Understanding the concepts is not enough for me. The last few months my > > >OCD > > > > > > > > > > has been quite a challenge and I am trying to reach out for support in my > > > > practice of ACT and Mindfulness skills. Any support or input would be > > > > appreciate. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 Yeah, if there is one thing I've learned is nothing will work if i stay in here. Or if I just do this work in a half-baked way, thinking about ways to do it instead of doing it.. Kind of like approach/avoid....pretending like I'm doing something and not really, just creating more drama and distraction, round and round.. If I'm avoiding, the least I can do for myself is notice that I'm choosing a " No " at the moment. Really own that. That move in itself is huge. Hope you'll report back and let us know how your ACT practice is going, ..lots of people introduce issues or ask questions, and then there is little or no follow through, so exchanges and connections here feel fragmented and wanting at times. For me, that is. Which also tells me about something I value tremendously! best to you, terry > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I am looking to make contact with someone who is using ACT specifically > >for > > > > > > > > > > OCD. I have struggled with OCD form many years and have done a lot of > > > >reading > > > > > > > > > > > > > > on the subject including literature on ACT and mindfulness. I am > >finding > > > > > >that > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I am am needing support in the PRACTICE of using ACT and Mindfulness > >skills. > > > > > > > > > > > Understanding the concepts is not enough for me. The last few months > >my > > > > > >OCD > > > > > > > > > > > > > has been quite a challenge and I am trying to reach out for support in > >my > > > > > > > practice of ACT and Mindfulness skills. Any support or input would be > > > > > appreciate. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 I don't know much about OCD, other than it sounds to me like a behavioral method of avoiding a feeling...maybe for you, the feeling of uncertainty...not too much different than other anxiety related issues My humble suggestion, is to always try to come from a place of acceptance first and foremost. If you look back, there is always a very good reason for anxiety related issues to be picked up in life. For me, it is panic disorder (crappy word), that was picked up when I first I had a panic attack after my father passed away of a heart attack..it made me feel like I was having a heart attack, dying, or going crazy...and in believing that, it makes perfect sense that I would fear it. Simple cause and effect. In looking back though, in reality, that is how I interpreted the event, as I would have no clue what it feels like to have a heart attack, die, or go crazy. Nor do I have any absolute control over those events happening. Be easy on yourself, try to accept that this formed out of necessity in the moment to protect you in some way, and treat it with kid gloves... Out of curiosity, what are you telling yourself would happen if you didn't check something? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I am looking to make contact with someone who is using ACT specifically > >for > > > > > > > > > > OCD. I have struggled with OCD form many years and have done a lot of > > > >reading > > > > > > > > > > > > > > on the subject including literature on ACT and mindfulness. I am > >finding > > > > > >that > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I am am needing support in the PRACTICE of using ACT and Mindfulness > >skills. > > > > > > > > > > > Understanding the concepts is not enough for me. The last few months > >my > > > > > >OCD > > > > > > > > > > > > > has been quite a challenge and I am trying to reach out for support in > >my > > > > > > > practice of ACT and Mindfulness skills. Any support or input would be > > > > > appreciate. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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