I received an email from Russ Harris’ mailing list with a link to a free ebook which you may find helpful. Here it is –
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Sk6o4LB86JcXTkLGQMQxwRBgNfZI7_9O/view?pli=1
The link gives you five simple ways to defuse from thoughts, or what is known as cognitive defusion in the trade. Cogntive defusion basically means unsticking from those horrendous intrusive thoughts that parade around in your head. By practising defusion, you can become separate from the misery. The thoughts are there, but they are not you. Eastern philosophy has talked about this for more than a millennia with what we have now come to know as mindfulness. The great Sufi poet Rumi talked about feelings being simply guests that you must learn to welcome – the good and the bad. The learning is hard – anything that is worth having is hard, I think! As an old yoga teacher of mine used to say, ‘the only problem with freedom is that it’s not free.’
The author of the document above, Russ Harris, is one of those amazing people who’s made it seem very modern and usable with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT – does what it says on the tin). The best ideas are the simple ones, after all. Check Russ out to learn more.
Reading through the document got me reflecting on last summer when I was in the depths of OCD hell, and, the glimmer of light that started to peak its way through the darkest of curtains on the darkest of days. Some of that was to do with ACT therapy, some was working with a great therapist who did gentle ERP as I do with my clients. Some of it was medication – I had to take and SSRI to get my anxiety down to a level where I was able to do exposure work. This is just my personal experience and not advice to anyone. I try not to give advice. As my husband says ‘take my advice, I’m not going to use it!’ I can just share my personal experience and what has worked for me. You can take what you want and leave the rest.
Back to ACT, last summer, and reading Pure O by Chad Lejeune, a book I have championed many times here. I think in the beginning of recovery from OCD, when I was totally desperate, I googled ACT books and OCD because a friend told me about ACT, and sent me some of Russ Harris’ stuff material. So along with Chad’s book, I used many of Russ’ techniques which can be found in the above link.
I hope you find it helpful. Just being willing to label an intrusive thought as a thought is a really great start (see the document and understand what I mean, or contact me for a session and I will explain – jessica@jessicadrake.biz).
It’s not going to be possible to recover from OCD in five minutes. It takes time. But as Chad explains it is the subtle tilting towards something else other than the darkness. That new pair of glasses that I mentioned in my blog a week or so ago. Being willing to just ask your wonderful mind to focus on the good.
Contact me for a session and we can use ACT and Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy (ERP) to help you with your OCD, GAD, intrusive thoughts etc. The two techniques are a wonderful combination. After all, as my homepage says, quoting the great Jodi Picoult, ‘anxiety is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you very far.’
Jessica Drake - OCD / Anxiety Psychotherapist 