Today I had a funny experience at the grocery store. I was getting a salad from the salad bar, something that used to cause OCD issues but doesn't anymore (yay!)
But I walked up to the end of a conversation between the two people ahead of me. They seemed to be discussing germs on the salad bar tongs. The man was saying, "I'm not worried, I haven't had a cold in 8 years." The woman said, "wow, how do you manage that?!" And the man replied, "I mostly avoid people." Ha, not really a viable solution now, is it, although many of us have probably tried it.
In other news, I've finally started reading a book I purchased months ago. It's "Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Life" by Stephen Hayes and Spencer Smith. I'm only about halfway through but I'm finding it wonderful. It's the first workbook (of MANY I've read) that's actually motivated me to do the exercises. I like it much much more than the Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety, a book that spent what seemed like half its pages telling me why ACT was so much better than all other totally crappy therapy (ERP included, mind you). Anyway, one quote jumped out at me, because it reflects my experience so well: "The best way to do this is practice, practice, practice. You won't be able to make these techniques a part of your behavioral response patterns without practicing them. You can't just read them passively and hope to 'get it.'" Oh, how often do I do that, hope that just understanding how treatment is supposed to work will make me better. It just doesn't work like that.
Anyway, the authors are very interested in the roles language and symbolism play in the way human brains work, and based on the Amazon reviews for this book, not everyone appreciates this approach, but I like it. I still think ERP is my best bet for my contamination fears, but for rumination, I think this is the best take I've seen. Will hopefully provide an update on how it works out.
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You are stronger than you think!
7 months ago
Sounds interesting. I tend to dislike workbooks, especially the parts that often come where they say that you shouldn't need medication. I realize that I exagerate what they say, but still, it can be discouraging, and get my brain back on it's, "If you would just do the right things enough, you would feel better; it's all your fault that you feel this way" monologue. I'll look forward to hearing more about your book!
ReplyDeleteAnd that comment at the salad bar is pretty funny.
Sounds like an interesting book. I have a hard time with workbooks, too, and have to be really motivated to do the exercises. I'll be interested in hearing more about it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, Ann. Looking forward to hearing more when you finish the book.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that salad bars are not a struggle for you anymore. Yay!!
I replied before but don't think it uploaded...I apologize if this is a repeat. Anyway, it does sound like an interesting book. And "practice, practice, practice," is true for so many things, isn't it? I finally realized that just thinking about working out doesn't keep me in decent shape,,,,,I actually have to do the exercise!
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