Stop Fighting With Your Brain! You Can’t Win!

[@erickk1992]

I wish someone would tell my amygdala the stress it’s putting on my heart is more dangerous than what it wants to tell me is dangerous.

[@jessicam7224]

real

[@bbb12124]

I mean!!! Heck, the suicidal ideation should be enough for these primitive mechanisms of the brain to correct themselves. Evolution sucks.

[@220years7]

The social media analogy was spot on! Reading through a comment thread and realizing how stupid it is to partake is exactly the same kind of “fuck off feeling” to apply to any and all attempts your brain uses to get you to engage.

[@miriammk8590]

I love the video. You did a great job explaining how ocd works and it made the picture a lot clearer...it's a bully that will never stop talking to prove us wrong, and all we have to do is walk away from the argument cause it's pointless and leads nowhere.

[@nowvoyagerNE]

hey Chrissie! i like what you are saying, and like you i love using metaphors when working with folks. you can play with the metaphor of "the hook" your brain tempts you with and tries to use to get you to defend yourself. imagine: you're the fisherman/woman, *you* have the fishing pole, *you* have the fishing line, *you* have the hook, *you* have the bait, *you* catch what *you* are fishing for, *it doesn't get to catch you.* if it tries to catch you, *you* take your fishing pole, *you* take your fishing line and hook, *you* take your bait, and *you* move away from the negative condemnation fishing hole (the part of your brain that tries to hook you in and tries to compel you to want to defend yourself), and instead *you* move to a positive fishing hole (the part of your brain that is receptive to positive thoughts, such as i am capable, i am strong, i am fearless, i am powerful, etc. then *you* take your fishing pole, *you* bait your hook, and *you* cast your fishing line and hook out into the positive fishing hole, and *you* fish for the positive messages from the positive part of your brain. thanks for posting this and your other videos!

[@akacyndi4318]

chrissie, i’m having an episode right now and i’m spiraling, but i wanted to tell you that you’ve saved my life so many times and whenever i feel myself stuck and feeling that doom, i watch ur videos and it makes me just feel hope ❤️

[@KendraMallaby]

Thank you for being such a big supporter for the ocd community. I feel so validated, heard, seen & understood by you, when 9/10 I genuinely feel alone. You inspire me to atleast try to get better.

[@sammullett17]

My thoughts feel so real 😢 I feel like a bad person who happens to have OCD

[@georgejohnson5904]

Very common

[@cherastarinian]

I can’t even begin to accurately describe how helpful these videos are, I’ve been diagnosed with OCD for over a year now and I’m also enrolled in NOCD and your videos are part of what gave me the courage to seek out erp treatment

[@thomasswords6837]

Love this. You’re so right-it is an unwinnable fight. I really like the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy expert Russ Harris’ metaphor of “The Struggle Switch,” which is very similar to what you’re saying. I ask myself if my struggle switch is on when I’m feeling miserable (about OCD, but it actually works for any of life’s challenges). If it is, I’m doing compulsions and I can just let the switch go. I don’t have to keep holding it on; it will turn off by itself if I just let go.

[@g-era8998]

I know this is not recent but I definitely needed this reminder. It’s hard to tell when I’m really doing compulsions in my head because it’s not physically visible. However you explained it so well I think I finally understand it. Thank You. I love how down to earth and bold you are. Never change!

[@nataliiad8252]

One of the best videos! So well explained! Thank you, Chrissie ❤

[@thechip2727]

actually I keep tearing my self over this thus having breakdowns. You're right. we shouldn't be focusing on the negatives. Good video x

[@jahkarl7376]

Lovely Chrissie Hodges 🌹 🌹 🌹

[@patrickc1862]

Loved the analogies! Definitely gonna use this when ROCD kicks in again!

[@khan-gi3fq]

Wow very good information about ocd thanks christie good bless you

[@alisiademi]

I don't think I have OCD, I have ADHD but I found this very relatable. Two books that really have helped me are The Four Agreements, The Body Keeps the Score, and The Power of Now. Also you're funny

[@matthewshoobridge1107]

Well said Chrissie!!

[@scorpioone1168]

Yes I do all that in my brain, and if I don't ingage I feel shame and guilt

[@나지태-j2y]

Thank you for your video. Please do not forget you are helping our community a lot. Continue this amazing videos please.

[@josephohrablo4866]

Your videos are amazing . You always give me perspective exactly when i need to hear it .

[@hydrogeddonn]

It's been 9 months since my darkest moments and seeking treatment for what I didn't know was OCD. I have leaned a ton, and according to my LCSW have made massive progress in a short amount of time. I am really struggling with self worth and esteem again. Just the outlook of living with OCD, constantly staving off the negative thoughts about myself and the symptoms, and feeling like I'm removed from normal life and I just walk around in a fog of sadness alone and isolated. It doesn't help that I am having issues with my sexuality and religion on top of OCD. It's hard to keep myself strong and kind towards myself at times.

[@martinw245]

Fantastic. As someone who's suffered from OCD since I was 8, that's 57 years, yikes, I can say you did a great job with that video, Chrissie. My daughter suffers, too, a different form, but I guess the gene is strong in our family.

[@yvonnethomas1537]

You are so good at what you doing? I just enjoy watching you. Thank you so much !!❤

[@brightmooninthenight2111]

Thank God ive found this channel. Ive literally been in Hell. Hodges is the most relatable and comforting and insightful person I've heard on this subject. Especially when she talked about the feeling of Doom I literally described it with that exact word many times before ive ever seen her channel. She just understands it because shes lived it herself. With ocd you feel like you are actually going insane, and not in a colloquial sense, no you feel like you have become psychotic, actually delirious or schizophrenic. Ive said to my family i belong in an asylum. With OCD you lose the ability of discerning reality and illusion. You cannot trust yourself. I don't know if anyone here experiences Synchronicities, but I do all the time, and my synchronicities are themed by my obsessions. Just knowing i now have this channel when I feel the Doom and the absolute alienation and aloneness is so comforting. I may watch these videos as forms of reassurance ill admit, but it is better than falling in the abyss alone. To hear someone articulate the hell your alone in is like a ray of sanity and hope. I am deeply grateful for what you do Hodges. Maybe one day I'll get better even though I've completely abandoned hope of ever getting so, but i feel some hope when I watch these videos. Maybe one day i will overcome this and i can be a counselor like you and help others who feel utterly alone and afraid, and lend a hand for them of comfort and knowledge and strength which has been calloused with the peculiar hell of this disease. Maybe one day this hell would have been for a purpose and could be for something good.

[@hamhead2765]

I've been watching your vids for like two days straight along with googling and researching and I am drained and very very fkd up

[@joejoe77_gold]

Looking forward to watching this. Hope you have a good day!

[@nicolas19676]

Love you

[@rainclouds38]

Thank you for all you do! I’ve been struggling with false memories. My false memories revolve around (sorry if this is awkward) masturbation and intrusive thoughts. My brain tries to convince me that they are just fantasies and I’m in denial. These false memories scare me but I know they are not true. I’ll try to not fight with my brain like what you referred to. Does anyone know how to deal with false memories? Thank you Chrissie for everything!

[@paulSmith-te8gq]

Love you Chrissie you have helped me so much!!

[@candechamorro]

You are amazing. Thank you. I need this so much

[@gavinduggan199]

Fantastic talk. Thanks

[@clumsygirl__]

Fighting against bullies (voices) is a hard work. You have to do all the job even the compulsions are getting harder and harder.... Now how to prove that huh?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! :)))

[@gavinduggan199]

That comment about her last breath is hilarious

[@bastienhuet656]

Thank you Chrissie, this is so needed!

[@karayursa]

I having intrusive thoughts every second and also bizarre why intrusive Thoughts sometimes slip into my dream

[@aparnaravi8658]

Since more than a year I am experiencing. And now I don't even feel shameful as I got used to this pattern. And for this I am feeling bad and worried and disgusted now

[@117_emaad5]

I freakin love you...thank you sooooo much

[@x.0.x.]

Im too afraid. I have egeryones lives in my hands. It's too risky

[@lstmind8279]

5:44 I can relate! 😂

[@emmagraeauthor933]

Chrissie! You always crack me up. My last thought on this earth will be, 'You like incest!' haha! I'm doing well by the way. We will catch up soon. Resisting the thoughts!!

[@douglasd327]

The 🧠 the ❤ I give up on the whole lot

[@Crum5h0t]

I hear you Chrissie I do, but the way my OCD works is, is if I don’t fight the intrusive thoughts and feelings then my brain says they’ll be true

[@Spankki]

It's not just your OCD, that's part of the OCD mechanism. In that case the compulsion is the fight motivated by a fear that without the struggle you will actually do whatever the intrusive thoughts are suggesting you would do. Like Chrissie said by fighting, arguing, reasoning etc. you're just feeding OCD.

[@rohankulkarni4458]

So a few weeks ago I did a exposure to see if there is a evil supernatural being. But what I said didn’t happen. But something similar did happen. One of my classmates parent passed away. But I was not talking about him. So now I’m like what if the being misunderstood me or something? And now I’m doomed? Now I’m having thoughts about making those deals. I did the calculations and there was a 2% chance of something like that happening. Is this a coincidence? Can anyone else relate to these obsessions? Pls reply.

[@andrewreynolds722]

You need jesus. If you try to find peace some other way you wont find it.

[@rohankulkarni4458]

@@andrewreynolds722 so the being exists?!?!

[@harunrazak1866]

​@@rohankulkarni4458 What did you see?

[@gingerisevil02]

What about ocd that overlaps ptsd? i overly obsess over past events happening all over again over the smallest trigger, and I do try and fight those thoughts but they are terrifying.

[@bengrant1201]

Why my inability to not worry.

[@brandiharrison3145]

Chrissie, can you talk about OCD and substance abuse (alcohol)?

[@lelamisgina2179]

At the onset of getting intrusive thoughts I drank very heavily, about 3 years of drinking to calm the intrusive thoughts. This created a lot of additional emotional and social damage for me that made it harder to face my intrusive thoughts.

[@BrainMindFile]

❤❤❤I luv it❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤...........

[@michjagermeister6393]

Do SSRI's calm the amygdala?

[@thexsero4934]

Hey chrissie I have a question. I get sexual intrusive thoughts and i think it's from watching porn but it's hard for me to live without porn.. now what should i do?

[@patrickc1862]

In an earlier video she mentions that porn isn’t at fault for causing those thoughts. She also said it can be triggered BY porn but porn is not a cause of sexual intrusive thoughts. When you say that it does it brings more shame and guilt when it comes to the fact that we watch it

[@thexsero4934]

Thank you so much for your response! So should I stop watching porn forever?

[@patrickc1862]

@@thexsero4934 I would just try to avoid it as a compulsion (checking, masturbating as a compulsion) I would say keep track of why you’re watching porn. If it’s just for pleasure I wouldn’t worry about it, but keep track of the purpose for watching it.

[@thexsero4934]

@@patrickc1862 but what if it triggers even if i just watch it for pleasure?

[@patrickc1862]

@@thexsero4934 I’m not sure what I would do in that situation so I don’t know, but either way we’re in this together and you’ll get through it! It seriously sucks so bad but I promise you’ll get through this!

[@Alritealritealrite]

So what do we do when we're trying to figure out if something was a real event or a false memory? I've lost almost 2 months trying to figure it out. If it's not true things are okay and if it is it's not okay. Sleep is the only relief

[@9RvP9]

Hey Chrissie. I have a question. When my hocd developed and i had the huge fear I was so shocked and everything my head/feelings said that my fear was the truth. I could not fight it because my head only said it really is the truth. I think your video is very helpfull but I just dont know what my 'fighting' is.

[@jgilbertson636]

I was exactly the same with my hocd theme. I didn't fight it with defensive thoughts because I thought it must be true. But I suppose the "checking" too see if you are attracted to someone is fighting. And the fear of it being true. Being okay with being H would neutralize the amygdala. We have to learn to be okay with the theme being the truth. (Even though it isn't.)

[@9RvP9]

@@jgilbertson636 thanks for your reaction. Means a lot that im not the only one. Its really hard to sit with the ' feeling of truth '.

[@tmrsgamers157]

@@jgilbertson636 hi bro

[@tmrsgamers157]

@@9RvP9 hi bro

[@9RvP9]

@@tmrsgamers157 heej men

[@stephentreanor5044]

Hi Chrissie can check your messages on Facebook from me please? It’s a bit long to put on here. Xx

[@rjaliraza8219]

Felicidades, es un buen ejemplo. 349 sentadillas son unos YOURGIRLS.Uno muchas y un buen ejercicio. Se deja ver que hay muy buenos resultados 😍👍 Saludos desde la Cd.. de world 🌹😉💖 los mortalesx abian apreciado tan hermosa mujer.k

[@isobelramer2631]

🄿🅁🄾🄼🄾🅂🄼 😩

[@sammullett17]

My thoughts feel so real 😢 I feel like a bad person who happens to have OCD

[@lnel5485]

This was very helpful, thank you. And you are hilarious!

[@calklobuchar]

Everything you are saying is relatable

[@emmacowles50]

I find your videos so incredibly helpful. You have a really brilliant humour that hits the nail on the head for me. Thank you.

[@KNGKNG220]

🌹🌹🌹