Let’s dive into today’s topic: the bad things, or what not to do when you have OCD or anxiety. When I say bad, I mean habits or behaviors that can contribute to feeling stuck and stalled in your recovery, or things that might actually be detrimental to you. These are behaviors that may feel helpful in the moment but just reinforce the cycle of anxiety and compulsions. So, let’s go through some of these and talk about why they don’t work.

Here’s a little preview of what we’ll cover:

• 6 Things That I Recommend NOT to do When You Have OCD or Anxiety
• How to Recognize Compulsive Behaviors
• What to do instead (what DOES work for OCD and anxiety)

Now, here are 6 things that might just fall on your “what not to do when you have OCD” list.

1. Challenging or Replacing Thoughts

When you try to challenge or replace your intrusive thoughts with positive ones, you’re actually just giving them more attention. It’s like giving attention to a bully. The least reinforcing thing to do is to let them be and ignore them. By challenging the intrusive thoughts and replacing them with good ones, you’re giving them power and keeping yourself stuck in the cycle. Remember, thoughts are just thoughts. They don’t define you or your reality. Trying to replace them with good thoughts inadvertently suggests that the original thoughts were bad and warranted a response.

2. Distracting Yourself

Another common behavior is distracting yourself from these experiences and intrusive thoughts. This might seem like it makes sense or provides temporary relief, but it doesn’t address the root of the problem. It’s like putting a band-aid on something that actually needs stitches. The anxiety will come back, often stronger, because you haven’t learned to face it head-on. You can’t always be in a distracted state of mind, and as long as you’re doing that, you’re just running away from the problem.

3. Trying to Calm Down or Be Happy

Trying to force yourself to calm down or be happy is counterproductive. It sets an unrealistic expectation and can make you feel worse when you inevitably feel anxious or sad again. It’s important to allow yourself to feel the full range of emotions—the good, the bad, the ugly, the uncomfortable—without judgment. Learning to feel how you feel and still do the things you need to do is a valuable skill.

4. Obsessively Focusing on the Positive

While having a positive outlook is great, obsessively focusing on the positive can invalidate your real feelings and prevent you from processing your emotions. It’s important to acknowledge and accept what you’re going through, especially if it’s uncomfortable.

5. Using Physical Distractions like Ice Packs

Using things like ice packs as physical distractions might provide immediate relief, but they don’t teach you or your brain how to handle anxiety. The problem with anxiety isn’t that you’re too hot, so an ice pack isn’t solving the root problem. You need to develop skills to help you face and reduce your anxiety long-term. Relying on physical distractions only contributes to the idea that you can’t handle anxiety on your own and makes you more avoidant of those experiences in the future.

6. Compulsive Journaling

Journaling can be a helpful tool, but when it becomes endless writing and ruminative, it can reinforce anxiety. I’m all for structured, purposeful journaling, but if it’s an endless stream of thoughts used to seek reassurance or confess things, it’s time to reevaluate your approach.

Recognizing Compulsive Behaviors

Everything can become compulsive. It could be journaling, exercising, anything. None of these are always compulsive! So, how do you know if a behavior is compulsive? Here are some signs to look out for:

• Repetitive and Ritualistic: If you feel the need to do more of it over time, it’s a sign it might be compulsive.
• Driven by Anxiety Reduction: If you’re doing something out of fear rather than preference, it’s likely compulsive.
• Temporary Relief: If the behavior only provides temporary relief and the anxiety soon returns, it’s not a long-term solution.
• Interferes with Daily Life: If it interferes with your daily responsibilities, it’s a problem. Behaviors that are good for your recovery should make your world bigger, not smaller.

Recognizing these signs is the first step in breaking the cycle.

What Does Work: Evidence-Based Practices

We want to engage with evidence-based practices like ERP and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). These methods focus on facing your fears, reducing avoidance, and learning to live with uncertainty. For instance, instead of trying to replace your intrusive thoughts, ERP encourages you to face them head-on without performing compulsions. ACT teaches you to accept your thoughts and feelings without trying to change them, helping you focus on living a meaningful life according to your values.

What Not to Do When You Have OCD or Anxiety

While it’s easy to fall into unhelpful habits, recognizing these behaviors is the first true step towards change. Focus on evidence-based practices like ERP and ACT to make lasting improvements in your mental health. This will provide you with long-lasting, sustainable change and real-life transformation. Until next time, stay bold, stay empowered, and remember, you’ve got this. Keep doing all the hard things. Bye for now.

Keep doing all the hard things. Bye for now.

👏 Unlock your free 40-minute video on “5 Must-Know Strategies for Handling Anxiety and Intrusive Thoughts”: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jennaoverbaughlpc.com/strategies⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🧠 Start your transformation today with the Mental Compulsion Mini Course referenced in this episode: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jennaoverbaughlpc.com/mental-compulsions⁠

💪 Ready to conquer OCD/anxiety? Explore The OCD and Anxiety Recovery Blueprint – with or without a therapist: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jennaoverbaughlpc.com/blueprint⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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