Intrusive Thoughts (Pt. 2) - Why Suppressing Thoughts Doesn't Work

https://www.restoredminds.com/5-Rules-For-Recovery

In this video I discuss why suppressing thoughts doesn't work. I explain how a series of studies on "White Bears" conducted my Daniel Wegner in the late 80's and 90's actually show how thought suppression actually increases the frequency and intensity of thoughts.

Intrusive Thoughts (Pt. 1)- How to Overcome Intrusive Thoughts

https://www.restoredminds.com/5-Rules-For-Recovery

In this video I will discuss Intrusive thoughts and unwanted thoughts. Intrusive thoughts are basically thoughts that invade one's mind again and again. In this video I am going to explain why having intrusive thoughts isn't actually the problem - reacting to them is.

I explain how...

How to Stop Intrusive Thoughts

https://www.restoredminds.com/5-Rules-For-Recovery

Stopping intrusive thoughts is a much more difficult task than you might think. In fact, I often here from people that struggle with these pestering thoughts that the more they try to stop intrusive thoughts…the more they seem to pop up.

So in this video I talk about some studies that were done in the late...

Intrusive Thoughts (Part 1)

https://www.restoredminds.com/5-Rules-For-Recovery

Intrusive thoughts are thoughts that are unwanted that seem to invade a person’s mind. Intrusive thoughts can take on a variety of forms but generally fall into 1 of 3 categories

1. Unwanted Violent Thoughts

2. Unwanted Sexual Thoughts

3. Unwanted Religious Thoughts

One key point to remember is that Intrusive...

Pain vs Suffering

https://www.restoredminds.com/5-Rules-For-Recovery

If you wrestle with OCD or any other form of anxiety for that matter….you can probably attest that it is a very painful thing to experience. I know it was for me anyway.

So part of this video is simply me acknowledging that when you experience an anxiety spike it is very painful…and that pain feels very real...

Mindfulness

https://www.restoredminds.com/5-Rules-For-Recovery

To put simply, Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment, while specifically paying attention to your feelings and your sensations without casting any judgment on them.

And while this sounds like a simple process, you will probably find that it is a little more difficult than you initially...

So What is Exposure and Response Prevention?

https://www.restoredminds.com/5-Rules-For-Recovery

Well to put simply, the process of Exposure and Response Prevention has two separate components. The first component is the Exposure, which consists of a person directly experiencing the objects or situations they are afraid of in order to conquer the fear in a safe manner.  So, when I...

Understanding White Bears and Obsessive Thoughts

https://www.restoredminds.com/5-Rules-For-Recovery

Daniel Wegner was a famous social psychologist who conducted some fascinating research throughout his career. Specifically, in the mid to late 1980’s, Wegner conducted research regarding thought suppression and obsessive thoughts, which generated some fascinating results.

To breifly...

Accept, Sit and Breathe

https://www.restoredminds.com/5-Rules-For-Recovery

Accept, Sit and Breathe is a process that is rooted in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. And when it comes to this process it is important to distinguish that accepting the presence of a thought, does not mean you accept the thought to be true. This idea of “acceptance” can be very scary for people with...

The Roots of Fear

https://www.restoredminds.com/5-Rules-For-Recovery

The point of this Step is to discover why you are afraid of your particular obsessive thought. And by really elaborating and thinking out your worst case scenario, you will be able to take your obsession to its origin.

Now this may seem scary…..But you can do this!

This is a step designed to help you gain an...