OCD: Sayings to Keep You Sane!: Reminders, Affirmations & Slogans

Statistics suggest that even with carefully targeted medication and cognitive-behavioral therapy, a substantial percentage of patients do not receive substantial relief from symptoms. It becomes important, then, to develop technologies for long-term self-care and lifestyle management. One such tool is the use of daily meditations, reminders, sayings, and slogans. These reminders can help us to separate ourselves from obsessional thoughts and learn to disbelieve them! Like a refreshing slash of cold water, or a friendly tap on the shoulder they remind us that thoughts are just thoughts and need not control our reactions. And meditating on slogans or sayings can also have other benefits: Meditations and affirmations can also act as reminders of skills that one is developing through the exposure and response prevention behavior therapy process. They can reduce feelings of isolation – reminding us that we are not alone in our fight against obsessions and compulsions. They can assist us in generating hope that recovery from OCD is possible and remind us of active steps we can take to better our situation. They can assist us in developing and embracing new perspectives on living without the illusory protection of anxiety reducing rituals. They can assist in keeping a steady pace in the recovery process – a process that is won by continual, gradual progress resulting in very real change in the brain. But most of all slogans, sayings and reminders can assist us in separating ourselves from the lies and deceptions fed to us by our OCD mind. They help us to take a step back and examine our obsessional thoughts in the cold light of day – punching holes in the lies of OCD. With their help we can drive a wedge between the obsessions and our REAL thoughts and beliefs. And so, contained within this small-but-powerful book are dozens of the most helpful sayings that have emerged through thousands of interviews conducted by the OCD Recovery Center. Choose several and carry them in a wallet or purse for ready use when OCD strikes. Post them up in key locations around the house. Say them to yourself quietly as you confront an obsession and struggle to refuse a compulsion. This book is copyrighted, but the sayings contained within are for you to use on your journey of recovery from OCD. Use them freely and where you feel most need.