Rise Above Your OCD Themes and Intrusive Thoughts

How do you Rise above your OCD Themes and dthoughts and why would that be important?
First, DO YOU NEED MORE HELP?
If you are exhausted and frustrated with OCD, I can help you.
Find out more about my course called, FREE from Pure O & OCD:
www.paigepradko.com/ocd
If you are wondering if you have OCD,
here is a link to a FREE SELF ASSESSMENT:
www.paigepradko.com/ocdquiz
Here is a PDF GIFT for you.
The Top 10 Things to Know to Practice ERP for OCD, Phobias & Anxiety: www.paigepradko.com/erp
And what does it mean to Rise above your OCD theme? And why would that be important?Have you ever noticed that your OCD theme changed? Maybe it used to be one thing when you were younger and then it changed? Or maybe you have several OCD themes? Your OCD theme is centered around your content, what bothers you, the specific subject matter of your obsessions and mental and/or physical compulsions.
It is very common for people to have several OCD themes and for some people to experience rapid change and cycling of themes.
So, why would I suggest that you rise above your OCD theme?
At the core of OCD are threats, something that scares you, that put you into a state of relentless doubt. Then, it manipulates and trains you to respond to it in specific ways. But OCD wants you to respond NOW, it has an urgency to it, doesn’t it?
But OCD doesn’t care about your themes or your content at all. OCD is a disorder. Everyone has slightly different content and slightly different fear triggers and things that bother them. OCD is a disorder; it doesn’t care what theme you have. It just wants to grab your attention and control you and convince you do something to make the anxiety go away.
When you respond to OCD, you are training your brain to make your OCD stronger. These compulsions are little made-up behavior experiments. And as soon as you notice your anxiety go down, your brain associates those rituals and compulsions with the reduction in your anxiety or discomfort. You never gave yourself the chance to learn that it would have gone down on its own anyway.
The specific theme doesn’t matter at all. OCD works the same way regardless of your specific content whether it be contamination, just right feeling, checking, relationship doubt, etc.
You may know this logically. That OCD is OCD. But you may still be stuck in your theme and not know how to get out of it.
There is an answer. First, you get unstuck from your theme and your content with ERP. Then, you gradually incorporate and shift to a more global treatment approach to OCD. Once you make this shift, your theme no longer has control over you.
I have a method for doing this. First, I will teach you how to do an easy to follow 3-Step process for ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) so that you can get unstuck from your content and your OCD theme. Then, you will gradually incorporate a more global treatment approach to OCD.
The I. A.M. method is a global approach, and it gives you a technique to use whenever OCD pops up, in any form. It doesn’t matter if the theme changes or not. You will always know what to do. The I. A.M. method separates you from the OCD, just by identifying the thought, image, or sensation as OCD. And it reminds you to not respond to it or attend to it. The I. A.M. method is a method of keeping you in response prevention.
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How can I help you? Feel free to leave me a message. I would love to hear from you.
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Until next time...I will see you in session,
Paige
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(Although Paige Pradko is a licensed psychotherapist, the views expressed on this video and this KZbin channel including comments or any related content should not be taken for medical, psychological, or psychiatric advice. Always contact your physician and mental health provider before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.)
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[@PaigePradkoTherapy]

👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼SELF ASSESSMENT for OCD: www.paigepradko.com/ocdquiz 👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼 A PDF for The Top 10 Things to Know to Practice ERP for OCD, Phobias & Anxiety: www.paigepradko.com/erp 👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼 Learn how to do ERP the right way: OCD course www.paigepradko.com/ocd 👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼 Coupon Code for 10% Savings on Course for my KZbin Subscribers YTTENOFF

[@usha6844]

Hi.piege I like ur videos I hv ocd but I don't hv money to pay ur fee so plz help

[@curtisdickey9503]

Very helpful,thank you . I'm going to work on that.

[@AbbyWoodlandAuthor]

This is great! Thank you for sharing!

[@PaigePradkoTherapy]

🙏❤️

[@Joethebro101]

Excellent video Paige, it’s helping me.

[@PaigePradkoTherapy]

Thank you, Sal 🙏❤️

[@cristina6657]

These videos are so, so helpful!! Thank you so much!!

[@PaigePradkoTherapy]

You're so welcome! Thanks for watching 🙏❤️

[@Totallyking]

Glad you have came back. I know you have been busy making your courses, they will help many!

[@PaigePradkoTherapy]

Thank you. That is my hope 🙏

[@marycarrington3713]

Another useful abs great video thank you Paige :-) I didn’t really realise that I even had OCD till I watched these two videos and did the self assessment! My checking and worrying are very frustrating and I know that your therapies will help me work through it, thank you again

[@PaigePradkoTherapy]

Hi Mary. Yes, checking and worrying is an ocd cycle if it causes you stress and takes up your time. I do cover what to do for checking ERP in my course if you need more help. 😊

[@KaifArslan]

Concise and nice explanation.

[@PaigePradkoTherapy]

Glad you think so! Thank you.

[@paromitadesarkar1677]

I am so grateful for you Ms Pradko. My tendencies are all thought based. I have been following your methods and it has helped a lot. somedays i slip and then it becomes very hard to have the control to follow on the helpful methods such as "I a m". mind keeps regretting the moment of slip. I have developed these habits in the last few years. is it possible to not inherently have OCD tendencies and then develop them all of a sudden in your mid 20s because of anxiety? I hope someday i can become myself again.

[@PaigePradkoTherapy]

Hi Paromita. It is common to become aware of OCD in your twenties. We do not try to be “perfect” at treatment or recovery. Even if you slip and notice that you are mentally checking or analyzing or ruminating, just interrupt that mental activity and redirect your brain to the I. A.M. method. Shift your attention to doing something in the moment instead of thinking about something. You will improve with practice. 😊

[@paromitadesarkar1677]

@@PaigePradkoTherapy thank you ma'am for being so kind. Yes, i tried this approach yesterday- "shifting focus to doing something in those moments". It was very hard initially. But i kept at it. It became easier once i went past the first " pull" feeling that i usually get when i fight rumination. I has been getting easier since then. Little by little. Getting this reassurance from you , means a lot to me. Take care Ms Pradko. Lots of love. ❤️😊

[@ananddayal1631]

Madam, I admire your global social work which is exceptionally impacting our lives in an incredibly positive way.

[@PaigePradkoTherapy]

Thank you 🙏❤️

[@natlify]

Paige, could you do a video on the compulsion of checking your emotions and ruminating? That would be so helpful and appreciated!

[@PaigePradkoTherapy]

That’s a great suggestion. I am adding that to my list right now. Checking your emotions is very common in people with ocd and health anxiety too. Thank you for the suggestion.

[@natlify]

@@PaigePradkoTherapy Amazing, thank you!!

[@dpabercrombie]

That’s me. Constantly evaluating and ruminating mentally. Torture

[@fazalnaqvi8436]

Hy dear i am very thankful to you. I am sufferer of Pure O...a word accurd in my mind Suicide and i become emotional. I have a pure for two years and many trigger are made by Ocd. I am watching your videos and taking help. If you can provide more service i ,ll be thankful to you miss...love and respect for you.

[@PaigePradkoTherapy]

Hi Fazai. You may know that I am offering a course for people with Pure O and OCD. I can help you if you need more help in how to do ERP for your thoughts. Here is a link www.paigepradko.com/ocd.

[@gabrieldiaz7236]

There needs to be a CURE or pill to manage it. It's mental anguish and is bullsh**t anyone ANYONE has to endure this. But hey let's give more money to other countries, military, space programs instead of mental health.

[@PaigePradkoTherapy]

I agree. Mental health needs to be valued, prioritized, invested in and valued by people and at all levels of the government.

[@MALI-jf6pe]

well my OCD revolves around material things, i will write a paragraph on my computer then all of a sudden i would realize there is something wrong with the formatting to the point that i need to scrap all of it and start over. another one would be using the way i hold my phone, i feel like i'm some how bending it or damaging it if i dont hold it the `correct` way. so the way i deal with it is that i just let it be the way it is, let it be `dirty` and i`m happy to find out that that is the correct way to deal with it. Thank you.

[@PaigePradkoTherapy]

I understand. OCD is so frustrating at times and time consuming. It’s funny that you mention the writing example, because I use that example in how to do ERP for perfectionism and checking in my OCD course. Yes…you actually want to leave things imperfect on purpose. 😊Should you ever need more help, you can find out more here: www.paigepradko.com/ocd

[@MALI-jf6pe]

@@PaigePradkoTherapy I appreciate the reply ma'am.

[@ninii3]

Hi, Paige. About 2 weeks ago i had a near miss when the brakes on my car went out while doing 70mph on a downhill freeway on ramp. i since then have not been able to stop fearing death/ feeling like life is extremely short and it’s taken my personality and life away. i get up to complete any task or leisure activity and my brain says “what’s the point if you’re going to die” i obviously know i cannot continue to live like this. i believe i’ve had ocd my entire life as i’ve always had rituals and tendencies and intrusive thoughts but this is the first time it’s ever affected me 24/7 for a long period of time. if you have any extra advice specific to my situation please send it my way! i will be taking your videos and applying them in the coming weeks as well. ❤️

[@PaigePradkoTherapy]

Hi Nini. I am sorry that happened to you. It sounds like that was a frightening experience and possibly sparked an existential ocd theme. OCD can jump to different themes randomly or based on what is happening in your life. It is clear that you value your life and that traumatizing incident seems to be causing you to doubt and question life itself. I suggest not responding to those existential thoughts by ruminating or analyzing them or researching them. I recommend using the I. A.M. method every time you notice an ocd thought. Here is a video where I review the I. A.M. method: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5-odGuvfsx5gck. You cannot stop the thought, but you can shift your attention in the moment. Your job is to teach your brain that you are not alarmed and are not concerned when these thoughts pop up. Eventually, they will not pop up as often. If you need more help, I cover treating Existential OCD and other OCD themes in my OCD course here: www.paigepradko.com/ocd.

[@yiddena]

@@PaigePradkoTherapy, I had a similar thing happen Nini and Paige. I was doing super well, and I could almost say that I was feeling at a 70% again in my recovery. Physical activity was my freedom and solace from my OCD. I knew I had control. Then three weeks ago I was in a scary bicycle accident, and since that's happened despite having a very minimal injury (I walked away with only a minor knee muscle injury) and I am walking on it now without issue, I am now questioning things everytime I take a walk, analyzing whether or not I feel pain in my knee. It is taking over my mind, so I am no longer able to enjoy physical activity as a solace. Help please!

[@PaigePradkoTherapy]

Hi Fiona. I am so sorry that happened. Health anxiety is a theme of ocd related to our health. It tends to pop up when someone has ocd and suffers a health trauma or health scare. It sounds like your knee injury may have triggered health anxiety ocd. Here is a playlist for health anxiety. kzbin.info/aero/PL1lUhuKpYUYonn-zlZxzTRR8V4myEHgCY. And, I have a course that walks you through treatment for health anxiety, should you be interested. Health anxiety assessment www.paigepradko.com/healthanxietyquiz OnLine Course: Rapid Recovery from Health Anxiety www.paigepradko.com/healthanxiety

[@zhengpaul1456]

Hello Paige, my reassurance revolves around the fear of holes, also something called trypophobia, it gives me chills when I look at my but I need to constantly ask people if they ‘ feel the same’ and it is tough for me to always to understand that people are different and my theme is soo unique, does theme really matter? How is ocd treatment all the same? I dont think my OCD has a theme, if it does, meaning that it is called trypophobia OCD? Please help!! Thanks

[@PaigePradkoTherapy]

I am so sorry that you are struggling with this condition. Trypophobia is classified as a phobia, but like most phobias, it is treated with ERP in the same way that OCD is treated. It does seem to make a difference whether you experience “fear” or “disgust” when you are triggered. People that experience “disgust” require a longer treatment of ERP than people that experience fear when triggered. Some people with different types of OCD, like some people with contamination ocd experience disgust as opposed to fear. I have heard theories that disgust is possibly an inherited condition that was helpful in their ancestors’ survival. Disgust also involves a more complex network in the brain than fear. ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) is still recommended as treatment, but the process is slower and requires patience and self compassion and understanding in the process. If you need help on how to do ERP, I offer a course and you can apply the 3 step process to trypophobia. You can find out more here: www.paigepradko.com/ocd.

[@wilber1586]

Hi Paige, everybody has problem in life right?! so I have too. but my issues I don't understand what to do next. that is, I feel like I have different types of problems and goals in my life but i don't know what are those. I now even feels like 'do i really have any problems?' i tried to write down my problems and goals in paper but nothing is coming even after knowing that i have problems in my life. I don't even know what to say because i kind of feeling stuck or block. So how to solve this?.

[@PaigePradkoTherapy]

Hi Wilber. Yes, everyone has struggles and challenges in life. It sounds like you are stuck or confused and wondering what your problems or goals might be. In my opinion, perhaps start with what is important to you. Make a list of 10 things that are important to you. Perhaps spending time with your family or exercising or learning something new or being creative. After you have your list of 10 things, then rank them. Put what is most important to you on top, and place them in order. Then, think of activities that hit or target at least 2 or more of those values. Make a list of those activities. This will create a list of what activities you can focus on and do that will make a real difference in how you feel. Do not go looking for problems. Spend your energy on activities that hit your core values.😊

[@waltersullivan5042]

I think my ocd is also linked to how I also get obsessed with someone I like. It all seems to play out the same way

[@PaigePradkoTherapy]

Hi Walter. Yes, obsessions can involve people especially if you have noticed the pattern before.

[@waltersullivan5042]

@@PaigePradkoTherapy Yes! The pattern always plays out the same way and sabotages my success leaving me utterly depressed and even more obsessed with the person. This has gone on for 18 years now. I need a new brain that works this time

[@PlanetWomble]

Thank you I still need help

[@PaigePradkoTherapy]

Hi Richard. If you need more help, I created a course that gives you step-by-step instructions on what to do. People have had great success recovering from Pure O and maintaining their gains after taking my OCD course. Here is a link for more information: www.paigepradko.com/ocd.

[@thererumnaturaezzzds4569]

I have found a lot harder to detach from the theme if is about something that REALLY HAPPENED not just in your mind. Retroactive jealousy OCD sufferer

[@PaigePradkoTherapy]

Yes, Retroactive Jealousy is a tough one. I have that on my list of topics to cover.

[@dandilizia]

Hi Paige, I'm struggling with doubts regarding numbers and fear that my situations are different. I fear certain numbers related to mental rituals, and that all my rituals are at bad numbers. OCD tells me I can't resist them all, only a few at a time. Since I have so many rituals and they're all at "bad" numbers, I always doubt whether I should try use ERP on all of them

[@PaigePradkoTherapy]

Hi Dan. I am sorry that you are dealing with ocd. The belief that there are good numbers and bad numbers is a superstitious belief and is exceedingly common in people with ocd. I cover this in my course and use multiple methods of treatment including ERP. You can use ERP by working on one ritual at a time and then groups of rituals. Most people are not able to immediately stop all rituals. This is a process and every ritual changed and eventually eliminated is a victory.

[@dandilizia]

Thanks so much Paige! My core fear is that all my rituals are at bad numbers. Would the goal be to eventually resist this entirely, even if it is somehow at that scenario?

[@dandilizia]

Also, is it ever a good idea to compulse? Regardless of scenario(s). Thanks so much again and happy new year!

[@user-mi6ie5iv7w]

Shifting attention is not avoidance?

[@PaigePradkoTherapy]

Avoidance is when you are trying to not have the thought. In the I. A.M. method, you are allowing the thought to float there in your awareness, while at the same time you are shifting your focused attention to something else.

[@jagboy69]

What's with the music??

[@PaigePradkoTherapy]

Sorry. I didn’t realize it was a problem. I have stopped using music in my videos. 😊

[@mimo01izito73]

I ned halp

[@PaigePradkoTherapy]

I hope that you are able to find that help.