OCD & Negative Thoughts

Sometimes people with OCD get stuck in a bad pattern of thinking. Something triggers a thought – like a song or a scent, and they are transported back in time, reliving a bad memory over and over again. They can also project themselves into a nightmarish imagined bad future. Bad thoughts produce bad feelings. I have been a victim of this type of thinking in the past and now realize that the bad feelings only multiply and seep into the present.

It’s important to be aware of these negative thought patterns. If we can recognize that our minds have become stuck in a non-productive and damaging pattern of bad thinking, and bring our thoughts to the present moment, we can change our emotions and consciously carry better thoughts with us throughout the day. I heard Rhonda Byrne say in The Secret, “Remember to remember,” and this has become a very important sentence for me. When I find my thoughts drifting to a bad place- a bad scene from the past or sometimes negatively anticipating a future event, I “remember to remember.” The future has not happened yet, so I try to project a better scenario.The past is done and there is only now, so reliving it is worthless. It takes practice and I haven't mastered this yet, but I am aware of it, and that can only be a good thing.

Being aware of what you are thinking can not only help your OCD, but it can make your life so much better!