Tip: “No thank you OCD”–Mental Dialogue Method

A common coping mechanism for dealing with OCD is to recognize and engage with an OCD thought by “denying” it when it pops into your head. I have used this exact method for years, and still continue to utilize it even today. The usual process is simple and consists of basically 3 steps.

1. The troubling thought arises

2. I have a mental dialogue in which I say something dismissive of the thought such as “nope, not today OCD” or “no thank you [insert triggering OCD thought]” or “jesus christ OCD, that is obscene”

3. I then let the thought “be there” (I will discuss exactly what this means in a later post) and continue on with my day

So the pros of this method are that you are identifying OCD thoughts and then treating them as unimportant (which is exactly how you should view your OCD thoughts). I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is struggling with their OCD thoughts or in the beginning of their therapy.

The one caveat to this method (which someone should worry about only when he or she is near the end of their therapy) is that you have to make sure that are not using this method as an alternative to a compulsion. If you feel like you have to do this method in order to resolve the anxiety of an OCD thought, then it is becoming compulsive and it might be time to slowly wean off this coping mechanism. For example, if you feel like you have to say “no thank you” to every OCD thought, try changing the phrase you say every other time to something like “hell no” or “uh no OCD”. The key is to avoid feeling like you have to do a certain thing in order to reduce your anxiety. Eventually, you will want to reduce the amount you use this method entirely (even if you are using different phrases) as the method is slightly compulsive in its basic nature. However, like I said above, this cutback is not necessary until much later in the therapy process when you are more adept at dealing with OCD. Early on, this method is great for building good therapy fundamentals and lessening anxiety in a pretty healthy and productive way. I don’t think this method has an official name, but I am partial to something in the vein of the “screw you, OCD” method. Hope it helps.