One of the hardest things about OCD is accepting uncertainty. It's at the basis of most intrusive thoughts. Here Dr. McGrath talks about how you can learn to deal with and accept uncertainty.
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Chapters
0:00 Uncertainty and OCD, the doubt disorder
2:44 How do we start accepting uncertainty
5:23 OCD and Thought-Action Fusion
7:15 Goals of OCD-specific therapy
8:28 Get started with OCD therapy
Ocd is not only a thinking disorder but a feeling disorder as well😢
It is!
How so
Yessir
Yessssss
Exactly. Intrusive feelings to me are much more triggering than intrusive thoughts
To everyone living with OCD, please remember you’re not alone. We’re all fighting the same battles and we can get through it. The ERP can feel like a nightmare but it’s worth it to get to the other side of this crappy disorder. We can beat this!
Thank you same ❤
Thank you for all that you do for people who suffer with OCD. You are such a blessing. To give so much help to strangers is so selfless and such a blessing to so many. Thank you!!!
“It’s fine to have uncertainty in these areas, but not these areas” perfectly describes how it feels with the specific topic you are hyper focused on until the next one comes and then it’s that topic you can’t have any uncertainty in or gray areas. Almost feels like you forget the other topics and this is the first ocd symptom you’ve had until you look back and think, hey maybe that wasn’t so normal either😂
Anxiety definitely shifts from one area to another - and it can be so illogical how it can be fine with you taking certain risks but not others.
Key takeaway : he is NOT here to stop a thought from happening, no matter the pain that it gives you, trying to stop a thought is like FEEDING it. His philosophy is who cares if the thought happens - it doesn’t mean it’s true and it doesn’t mean it’s real and it certainly doesn’t mean you’re going to do. You have to be okay with not totally knowing whether something will happen or not
Once you start ERP you realize that you can beat OCD. The thought of doing something is always worse than the act of doing it. You can do this.
Sometimes the fear is so so big for even 1% chances of a bad thing happening. This is where ERP plays an important role.
Thats the way I feel 😌
true
what’s ERP? (I didn’t finish the video)
Tell me about it 😊
@@burdenedwithgloriouspurpos851 exposure and response prevention
Does anybody else wish that they had this doctor as there therapist? I would literally pay double per session
True man
I reached out to him by email a year or so ago he responded but couldn't see me because we aren't in the same state.
@@Smiley35S Where did you get his email?
This guy just described my problem to a t. He obviously knows this condition very well and can treat it. If only I could have therapy with him.
Yes! Me too!
"it's demanding certainty but it will never accept it" THANK YOU FOR THIS
5:53 I like how the cameraman is recording the room to see if there's anything happening 😂
this man is a Godsend
That was awesome. What a relief to know I don’t have to get rid of the thoughts but learn how to deal with them and gradually their power will leave. How evil is this OCD. Thank you.
I also feel like watching these videos in some way is a reassurance habit even if it may be helpful information because I find myself doing this a lot
I DO Agree👌
You're the best coach I have ever heard on this and there is many out there. Awesome work Dr. McGrath. Listening to your stuff has made me realise how f*cking stupid this sexual OCD thing has been, it's absurd. The only thing I would love to hear more of is instead of saying "OCD says" is "OCD makes you feel like", because yes, it does say those things but it's attached to the most convincing feelings which makes it your reality when you're stuck in the horror show. I feel like I am moving out of that space now, patterns are changing but I am getting there fast.
I don't have OCD, I have Social Anxiety Disorder, but I am finding sooo many similarities. I get intrusive thoughts that people are observing me and scrutinising my behaviour, so a safety behaviour of mine is to 'act natural' all the time. I got a bit lost walking home the other day, but when I noticed, I didn't turn around because I thought that someone might notice that I had made a mistake and that they would find this amusing. I just 'casually' continued walking in the wrong direction. I had to try to find my way back home by making it look like I knew exactly where I was going. If there are no people associated with the thing I'm doing, I'm mostly alright. But people are associated with most things in a person's life.
That might be symptoms of ocd and social anxiety disorder.
I have my final session with my NOCD therapist, Michelle Cuppari, (an angel here on Earth) this Thursday. I can say without a doubt that joining NOCD and going through therapy has changed my life for the better. I am so much less fearful and accepting of uncertainty. Before therapy, I was a crying , terrified mess. Utilizing ERP and the guidance of my therapist has completely changed me and my outlook on life. Sure, the fears can flare up, and I can occasionally engage in a compulsion here or there, but I am more in control. I even seek out and embrace exposures and am welcoming of uncertainty. Thank you all (and Michelle in particular) for the work you do and continue to do. You are saving lives. God bless you all. To anyone still suffering, there is hope. Therapy won't be easy, but it's worth it.
I just found this site and am watching some videos. My daughter has severe health ocd (and other themes) which has continued getting worse over time because there are no therapists even close to us. I'm on disability and providing for us both on my fixed income. I need to find help for her but I am so concerned about being able to afford it. I'm so happy seeing your comment and how much better you have gotten. Do you have any advice for us? She started having OCD that was noticeable after having a special education teacher that emotionally and verbally abused several students in her class on the autism spectrum who also suffered with anxiety and cPTSD. That was over 5 years ago and she has been unable to get her GED or driver's license. I am encouraged by your comment.
Which type of personality are mostly affected by obessive compulsive disorders?.
@@HIH247.Wdym "personality type"
ngl as an ocd person that "wait what?" made my day
This is profoundly useful. Just because you think something does NOT mean that it’s true. I have had painful OCD for 8 years, I was worried about contamination, harming, diseases, distressing images and more. But this I hope will be a part on my road to “recovery”. The way that he demonstrated this was GENIUS, It didn’t happen and he didn’t need to do anything to ensure that it didn’t happen. The momentary lift of anxiety provided by compulsions, is only short term and can come back in seconds. Learn to live with uncertainty as others without ocd do is vital too feeling better, it COULD happen, but thinking it doesn’t make it so and compulsions don’t reverse that (because thinking it never made it so in the first place.) THANK YOU
How are u now
I resonate with the nickname 100% The doubting is relentless
“What if” is the worst way my brain starts a thought
"What if" .....is a rabbit warren isn't it
Wow. This is so on point. I was just talking to my husband about being fine with uncertainty---or in my case having to be in control---of aspects of my life, but NOT in specific aspects. This is what I need to learn; how to accept uncertainty (or the fact that I am not in total control, ie health of myself or loved ones). I am finally starting to see that acceptance does not mean that we are okay with something. It just means that it is what it is. I can only do what I can do and that's it.
If ocd is overwhelming in all areas of life how to get to know which personalities are mostly sensitive to ocd and can hurt or harm by o.c.d?. 1:53
It feels like the west coast and most of the US has collective ocd about Covid, oddly enough covid was the straw that broke my OCDs camels back because it helped me step back and see how ridiculous my rituals and thoughts were
I had to remove myself from all my ocd groups when covid hit because I don’t have that type and I can’t relate to it and it’s all those groups wanted to talk about :|
i have listened this maybe 20 times just to remind me
Thanks Dr. McGrath and NOCD! You all are truly blessings to the OCD community ❤️
I mean, I can realize it as much as I want but that doesn't stop my anxiety from reappearing.
This was a great video. Just because a thought/worry is more intense, doesn't make the chances of it happening more true.
To hear you say how you picked up others' OCD as a side effect of helping them, wow ... that is so humbling to hear and you are a truly kind man
Precisely, because you knew it was irrational to do, but you justified doing it to appease their emotional disturbance. Which, is ocd.
I feel like for me, a person who spent 30 years with a narcissistic mother, the key to not buying thoughts is finding confidence and love for myself so I can feel secure in myself. If I keep feeling like I'm not good enough and that nothing I do matters cause I'll always mess up and be a had person that it's easy to accept negative thoughts about myself and others
Amazing work!!!
Great video
Amazing video
Just brilliant!
Great video!
Love this video
Super helpful, thank you
Thanks Dr. McGrath !
Such a good description! Thanks for this 🙏
Perfectly explained
Helps a lot
Thank you so much 😭…this helped immensely
Thank you from the bottom of my heart! ❤
Hes so good at explaining ocd and the treatment of ocd ,im currently in therapy with nocd and so far so good
great video, got me tears in my eyes
Such a awesome video. I appreciate the information
thank you this helps me so much
Valuable to me. Thank you very much.
This was a very hepful explanation!
Hit the nail on the head with many points! God Bless Dr. McGrath and all at NOCD!
Thank you, thank you, thank you
Thank you so much for this video I love the example that you gave....
Thank you for this, very helpful 💜
I’ve never heard this guy before he is good!!!
Dr. McGrath is a RockStar!!! 🤘🎸😎
This is one of the best OCD videos I've ever seen.
your words are very true and feel like you are talking about me this man is amazing thank yuh
When he was doing the exercise of hoping the ceiling falls was kind of hilarious and helpful. Really put things in perspective.
Thank you so much for validating something that is a very real struggle for me.
Excellent video.. Thank you very much Sir
Best OCD video explaining OCD I've ever seen.
This guy gets it
The best video I've seen on OCD. Im gonna save it for the future
I absolutely love this guy he nails it right to a t and the examples are perfect!
My single favorite video on ocd on youtube.
Thank you so much. The example you give of how we accept uncertainty about many things, without question, has opened a door in my unhelpful thinking that I thought was shut for good.
Thanks. I really like the analogy of how we can live with the thoughts of getting in a car and not being certain we will get to our location and using the same approach to our ocd symptoms.
The best explanation I have ever listened.I salute you from Syria.
thank you so much for this!! i have struggled with ocd all my life and it got so bad a few years ago. it’s flared up again recently and even tho i knew it was likely my ocd i kept worrying it wasn’t. this really helps me.
Since I found out about NOCD on the internet and watched videos from some of the people who work there, I have come to realise so many things around OCD that no specialist I have ever visited managed to do so. Having watched this video, I am once again amazed at how accurately you tackle all that is around this dreadful disorder. I believe too you are just a blessing to the OCD community.
This is the video I’ve always been waiting for. Thank you so much Doctor! I will be sharing this video with all my family and friends who are close to me
Dude thank you .
NOCD don't worry that u do not have so much viewers even If u got 1 views u are giving life to one human.so thk u for doing this
Very true dealing with these Brain's distortions that are all false.
I truly aspire to be as intelligent and healing as Dr. McGarath. Seeing the work he’s done honestly inspires me to heal my OCD so I can eventually be a vessel of service for others as well!
Hello Patricia..... that was a lovely thing to say. I hope you are much improved 👍
This doctor gives super confidence but listening to his videos gives me reassurance which I should stop sometime but he is a gem
I couldn’t agree more!
I can't thank you enough. I have checking disorder that if I don't check then I couldn't be able to sleep.
Amazing
Damn helpful thanks sir
Thank You
This has helped me watching this, that im going to watch it again, I am at the point where I may contact them, I don't want to live like this anymore, I fight it every day, some days I do very well some days I don't, I know there is no cure but I want to rid rituals, especially cleaning rituals, Im doing better but I cannot give up all my compulsions....
thank you
Thank you🙏🙏🙏
Thank you so much, I struggle so much understanding this disorder, it has been rough to say the least. I'm forever grateful for people like you that dedicate their lives to helping people who struggle.
Courage and determination in babysteps ... EDIT - or jump in the deep end? Maybe a bit of both at this point. I've given up on hope but ya never know haha - thx for this Dr McGrath. Making me think about the risks I'm already taking - great vid.
this one is so good. I wish you were my therapist. My last therapist didnt help me at all
So did you stop going to your last therapist right after that?
Thank you for your clear explanation :D health anxiety type of ocd makes it really hard to accept uncertainty (for instance when you have risks of a potential disease, in my case ive got peripheral retinal tears and my obsession is Ill get blind) but of course the thought doesnt make it more real. It helps me think ok i could really die on a car accident tomorrow and ill have worried for nothing😅
Muito obrigado
In the last few weeks I’ve been experiencing pureo. Your “I hope the roof collapses” example kinda confirmed that I’ve been dealing with some type of ocd most of my life 😂. I’ve just brushed the thought away. Problem with me at the moment is I’m questioning real life and if this is all a dream yada yada. I get stuck in this spiral most days. Tryna work thru
The stairs ERP story is so funny thank you for this lol
Thank you
I have thoughts that tell me I always have to do things in a certain order or something bad will happen to someone in my family. I immediately pray every single time that God will place his hedge of protection around my family. I'm guessing the prayer is a compulsion? I found this video quite helpful! Thanks, Dr. McGrath!
This has been torturing me for years, and I had no idea how to deal with it, because every time i am in battle with myself writing essays to myself trying to justify my beliefs/inclinations, but the doubt even attacks mathematical logic under the pretense of ''WHAT IF'', and that is terrifying. This mentality of mine has held me back in many aspects of life.
All I want to know right now -after 2 years of this video being published- if Dr. Mcgrath pushed someone down the stairs … JUST KIDDING! I love this video because it underlines and makes it really clear that thoughts and actions are different things. It’s really well explained and just like all the other videos of Dr. Patrick McGrath, it’s full of very valuable information with great examples!
"You can never really satisfy OCD with what it wants." So maybe THAT'S why, after finding some peace about a troubling memory, my mind went on to say, "Yeah, but what about this other possibility? Could I have done THAT?" It sounds like the nature of the disorder...
5:58 I had to hold my breath even though I knew it most likely won't happen
I didn’t but if he had said it about someone else I would have :s
@@WithDiameter it is funny in a not so funny way because you know it is not true
SAME :)
It's really annoying because even when I have my answer, 100% certainty and confidence ocd will just make me doubt it😂
Trust me it is a pain in the backside. And yep that's why there is this "ritual" thing. Like say for me I check 3 times in a row. If something even interrupt me in the middle of this "ritual" I have to start over again. And it only gets worse and the worse it gets, the more doubt I get and the more checks I do. It becomes a pain in the backside and time consuming.
So now, are you still struggling with that?
Doubting with checking nightmare but key is take risks check one then new pattern begin.
I don't personally have OCD but I have depression and anxiety and obsessive thoughts that pop into my head about other things, namely worrying about love and big life events. Thank you for this advice I am able to apply to these sorts of things too
I’m same mine is round my marriage one day a week ago I thought I don’t love my husband what am I doing get off etc should I leave my home I cannot shift these thoughts All this from a non related panic attack 3 weeks ago This is now consuming my life it’s torture
@@crystalslade8056 yeah so relate!! our brains can be like picking petals off a flower 'loves me,' 'loves me not'?!??!, 'loves me!! ' 'loves me not!!' etc😩😩
@@dearjem how do u cope
@@crystalslade8056 if im honest i havent found a favourite strategy help. but looking at some of my favourite quotes that mean a lot to me/ get me to accept things, reading over messages from friends that are really kind and motivating, meditating helps. also keeping urself busy so u dont think about it as much but i get distracted easily 😂
@@dearjem Thankyou are you married? Hv u bin together long ? I rly dread the mornings so bad and at work I struggle
OCD can also affect our perception of the environnement. In my case recently i have been doubting about people in my uni judging me, knowing my ocd, knowing what is inside my head and thinking of me as a monster. If someone is mumbling something for example i will ask myself if they didnt talked about me, if they didnt said this specific word that i am fearing or if they didnt talked about me... It can be somehow very stressfull and paralizing in the moment. But later on i try to not fall into compulsion and reassurance and just accept this goddamn uncertainty
wish you worked where i live too..
Thats what cured mine age, time, life experience and Jungian shadow work😊 OCD requires an outlet and mine is studying Jung and trying to intergrate my shadow. This helps with morality themed pure-o. You must also expose yourself to your fears. If you have HOCD hang around with some gay friends. If you fear harming anybody do a job that involves the responbsibility of caring for disabled and vulnerable people. Your OCD will be annhilated eventually. You can take SSRIs if they work for you they take mine down 100%. However now I have kids and a family to support I often have general anxiety about getting the sack 3 or 4 times a year but at least its grounded in reality. Even though I have suffered from OCD, ADHD and GAD since I was 13 years old, I have had a fantastic and fulfilling life rich in meaning beauty and love. I am now 48 with two children both have OCD traits and one is Autustic. I have found with the wisdom of life experience and a good doctor/therapist my OCD is now a weak and pathetic husk of its former self. A sensible, healthy abd rewarding Hobby also helps. I would reccomend avoiding hedonistic vices such as drug abuse, porn, casual sex, alcohol , gambling, video game addiction etc. As I find that these habits will only strengthen your OCD and it will return with a vengance and kick your arse!!