Think back in your life starting from when you were a child. Identify 18 things that you did not know how to do. Mark 15 things that you learnt to do even if with effort. Mark 10 things that you...
Although we have covered some of this in the previous chapter, I am putting this here to drive home the point...
There seems to be a common misconception among people that they would be expected to stop everything all at once. Some people come for therapy with a feeling of hopelessness and claim that they have...
Mindfulness is a grossly misunderstood concept, not unlike many other concepts in psychology. This chapter is not...
The MAAS assesses two aspects of mindfulness - your attention and your awareness. Following is a simple exercise to develop better awareness to improve attention. Exercise to build awareness: Set...
1Set alarms on your mobile phones at one-hour intervals from the moment you wake up to the time you retire for the day.2When an alarm rings, observe your thoughts. Are your actions and thoughts in...
When your brain perceives danger, it responds with a ‘stress response’ and you feel anxious. Engaging in...
Some people feel that they have accepted their Harm OCD. But they do not accept it, rather they acknowledge its...
When I talk to people and mention acceptance to them, sometimes the skepticism is so palpable, I can almost touch...
When you are struggling, it is difficult to find things to be grateful for. Your pain may blindside you to the...
1Think about what you have in your life that would cause discomfort if it were to be taken away.2Think about what would cause you discomfort if it was introduced to your life and be grateful it is...
Psychological insight means awareness of the rationality or irrationality of one’s thoughts. Insight is important in the maintenance of and recovery from several mental disorders. Depending on their...
The seventh pillar of recovery is compassion. Compassion has been defined as a feeling “that arises in witnessing...
After CBT, ERP, mindfulness, acceptance, gratitude, insight and compassion, the eighth pillar is a good diet. There is evidence that shows that certain types of foods can cause anxiety and certain...
The twelfth pillar of recovery is medicines. One section of people is averse to taking medicines because of the various side-effects. Plus, medicines do not cure OCD, they only treat OCD. So, there...
There is widespread confusion about some concepts on OCD, even in literature. Some literature says distraction is...
In your struggles, you may have experienced the following three states from time to time: Anxiety without intrusive thoughts Intrusive thoughts without any accompanying anxiety. Anxiety with...
Sometimes it helps to give your Harm OCD a name (Prudovski, n.d.). That is, think of your Harm OCD as a separate person. This has been recommended for children but it helps equally for adults. You...
We often say I got triggered by this or I got triggered by that. But what are these triggers? Triggers in Harm OCD are those events that bring about obsessions, which in turn lead to compulsions and...
Based on the cues, identify your thoughts, and write them down in the space provided. You can have more than one obsession for one cue. Sr. No.CueTriggerObsessionEXAMPLESensoryViolence in moviesThe...