ReImagine Therapy, Warrington Videos

With some intrusive thoughts, we notice things like attractiveness. This is a really common type of thought. After all, as humans, we are drawn to notice nice things and things that stand out as different. This includes a 'cute' or nice element of a person, including children and family members. In OCD, it is common to mistake noticing someone that has an attractive quality for s£xual attraction. When directed towards children, family, or people outside of our relationship (in ROCD) or outside of our s£xual preferences (SOOCD), this can lead to really scary interpretations ans cycles of anxiety, shame and disgust. Just because you notice that someone has a nice quality about the way they look does not mean you're attracted to them in this way or that you would want to do anything with these thoughts. The fear of this quickly cycles and reinforces the OCD. I'm here to tell you that your thoughts aren't bad, you aren't a bad person, but you do need help to figure out how to stop these spirals. #ocdhelp #ocd #ocdtherapist #intrusivethoughts #obsessivecompulsivedisorder #rocd #soocd #pocd #cbtforocd #scarythoughts

Some key worries people have that put them off getting help when they need it. Even if you don't have a diagnosis, even if you can still function, even if you aren't sure this is OCD...what if you got help anyway? If your thoughts or how you're feeling is impacting on how uou want to live your life, what can it hurt to reach out for support? So try to stop researching it and ask for some help so one of us can figure out what's going on and how we can get you to where you want to be. #ocdhelp #ocdtherapist #ocdrecovery #obsessivecompulsivedisorder #worries #intrusivethoughts #therapytips

Here is an OCD formulation explained. By writing down what is impacting the OCD and how it works before we treat it, you always know the reasoning behind everything we do. It can also provide comfort and compassion to know why these things happen and how to prevent them from having such an impact in the future. #ocdhelp #ocdtherapist #intrusivethoughts #obsessivecompulsivedisorder #ocdtherapy #erp #cbtforocd

Is this something you have noticed? OCD is great as an avoidance technique. Got a big worry that makes you feel helpless? How about i make you think you have cancer so you can forget about that and can spend 2 hours checking for it so you feel like you're doing something about it? Feeling bad about yourself? How about i make that slight frustration with your partner into an intrusive thought that you no longer love them so you can systematically scan your feelings and memories of them today instead? Waiting on scary test results or a big break in your career? Let's give you a fear that your house is filled with asbestos and you can research this and get countless surveys to be proactive. Acknowledging the bigger stresses doesn't get them to go away and it also doesn't stop the OCD from making you want to carry out compulsions, but it can give you more insight into what's going on. It can let you notice patterns in advance and proactively set up your self-care to manage stress differently. It can get you to focus on the fact that you're anxious instead of on the actual thoughts, so you can focus on 'that thought is because I'm anxious, what can I do to help my anxiety today?' It can also help you with the most likely explanation: 'I know my OCD gets worse when I'm stressed and this situation is stressful. Is it likely that I have suddenly remembered something awful I did when I was a teenager that needs an urgent review, or is it likely that my brain is trying to give me a worry to manage my stress and therefore it's not likely an urgent situation?' Side note: this is why having good general self-care and coping strategies can help with OCD, as reducing stress can help the OCD. #ocdhelp #ocd #intrusivethoughts #ocdtherapist #ocdrecovery #anxiety #cbtforocd #icbt

This is one of the key ways we can support someone with OCD. We know that reasurrance-seeking is a compulsion that can reinforce OCD and that we need to work towards challenging this. Loved ones often play a big role in this. They aren't doing anything wrong, they just see someone they care about being really distressed and try to help in any way they can. There's nothing wrong with that. I also hear of a lot of loved ones panicking when they realise the role reassurance plays in OCD and so they try to stop this. The issue is, this tends to be not under the control of the person they are supporting, and can lead to more panic and also feel quite rejecting at times. So we want this to be done LED by the person with OCD, you can even agree on the wording of the response to make sure they feel comfortable with it. We want to initially validate that they are FEELING ANXIOUS so they feel we understand, not focusing on the actual thoughts or what they are asking for reasurrance about. This means we are helping them to place the focus on the fact they are wanting this because they feel this way, not because there's a threat. We then want to help them to realise that is what is going on, and NAME the fact they are asking for reasurrance. Then give them the OPTION of having it now if too distressed (exposure aims for a 6-7/10 anxiety, higher is often too overwhelming to challenge) but also offer them help with something focused on managing anxiety to help them to remember what they wanted to try. If they ask for it or come back, offer them the reasurrance for now, until they build up their exposure work to wanting to challenge it more consistently. It might sound like "I can see you're really anxious about something right now. You told me to let you know when I notice this and when you ask for reasurrance. Should we go out for a walk together and see if you still want me to answer that question at the end of it?" #ocdhelp #ocdtips #ocdrecovery #ocdtherapy #

A little tip for some types of thoughts. Here's how to respond to a 'what if' Let me know if it helps! #intrusivethoughts #ocdhelp #ocdtherapist #ocdsupport #obsessivecompulsivedisorder

You don't need to set huge goals, you're already managing loads as it is. Just keep focusing on challenging your OCD, you're already working on yourself more than most people are. #ocd #ocdtips #ocdrecovery #ocdhelp #ocdtherapist #obsessivecompulsivedisorder #intrusivethoughts #newyearsresolution

Sometimes, our brains dont let us enjoy good things. Sometimes, our worries can take over. It is important to decide how to respond to them. I could have checked on my toddler to get reassurance, but i had no evidence or anything in the here-and-now to indicate that something bad had happened. He wasn't unwell. I hadn't heard any noises from something falling. I knew he was put to bed in a safe space. If I had gone for reasurrance, it would have started a cycle of me needing to check more worries that had no basis in reality. I also could have disturbed him when he needed the sleep. So I sat with the discomfort and uncertainty. But it was uncomfortable. I couldn't sleep initially because my anxiety tried to push me to take action by bombarding me with intrusive images and thoughts about the situation. But i sat up and read for a bit, and then the worries eased. It wasn't long before the little terror joined me after that anyway. Standing up to your anxiety is hard but it does get easier. Sometimes, it is harder than others, like when we are tired in the early hours of the morning, or when related to something that we find really important. But try to do it anyway when you can. And remember, everyone gets the same types of intrusive thoughts at times. No thoughts are bad or wrong, but they can feel horrendous, especially when we interpret them to have meaning. #ocd #intrusivethoughts #obsessivecompulsivedisorder #perinatalocd #harmocd #scarythoughts #anxiety

OCD associates! I have 3 carefully picked associates for my OCD clients. I know a lot of you get in touch for help due to my content and website resonating with you. I supervise my associates and we all have experience in working with OCD, in addition to OCD-specific supervision, and we all work using a very similar approach. You can find a picture and short bio for each of them on my website. I'm still here to answer any questions and to pair you with which of us has your availability and suits your needs. Get in touch! #ocd #ocdhelp #cbtforocd #obsessivecompulsivedisorder #therapy

#ocd #ocdgoals #ocdtherapy #intrusivethoughts

#intrusivethoughts #childhoodanxiety #booksforkids