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...

 Identifying Obsessions and Compulsions

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

As we know, obsessions are unwanted, persistent, intense thoughts, ideas, images, or impulses that repeatedly intrude or invade a person’s mind. The person with these obsessions generally experiences a great deal of anxiety, discomfort, and pain from these thoughts. And they recognize these...

Psycho-Education

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

In this post I will discuss the importance of Psychoeducation. I can’t seem to stress the importance of this enough….and unfortunately I believe this is something that is often overlooked and undervalued by most people seeking help for OCD and Obsessive Thoughts. But I believe that Psychoeducation is extremely...

Developing Your Dreams

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

Identifying and actively pursuing my dreams was vital to my victory over obsessive thoughts, and it will be vital to your victory as well. I believe that you will have a hard time achieving a life free from the obsessive cycle if you cannot first visualize it.

For that reason, I will introduce a concept that was...

Step Two for Overcoming OCD is Breaking Away From Labels and Mental Illness Stigma

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

When talking about the obsessive compulsive cycle, it is virtually impossible to ignore the notion of labeling or diagnosing people with the particular mental-illness known as OCD.

From my point of view, I don’t believe it necessary to place a diagnosis or...

The First Step to Overcoming OCD and Obsessive Thoughts is Developing the Right Mindset:

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

When it comes to beating OCD you really have to view the process like fighting a battle or a war. And Ironcially, I was very surprised to learn that one of the earliest uses of the word obsession has to do with warfare. Now, I found this to be quite...

Video Summary – The 10 Steps for Overcoming Obsessive & Intrusive Thoughts 

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

Two questions that often come my way are….

How do I Stop Obsessive or Intrusive Thoughts?

And How do I successfully overcome OCD?

Since the answers to these two questions are very similar, but at the same time a little complex….. I have...

Pure O OCD - How To Treat Pure OCD

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

A common sub-type of OCD is something known as “Pure Obsessional OCD” or “Pure O OCD” or “Pure OCD.” A person who suffers with Pure OCD will experience various obsessive thoughts, but will generally not display any noticeable outward compulsive behaviors (Hence the phrase...

Ego Dystonic Thoughts

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

When talking about OCD it is important to understand the difference between Ego Syntonic and Ego Dystonic thoughts.

It is important to recognize that obsessions are Ego-Dystonic.

As Dr. Richard B. Joelson explains,

“Ego Syntonic –  Ego Syntonic refers to instincts or ideas that are acceptable to the...