How to understand mental compulsions 

"trying to get the right feeling, before doing something" that exactly the OCD is, at least mine is. an ocd person always trying to comfort mind which is baffled between thoughts.

Hey mark! I just want to let you know that I’m back, after two years! I went almost two years without any aggressive ocd patterns because of a comment you told me. You said, why are you trying to chase certainty ? What would you rather invest this energy into?” I have kept this close to me every time I felt uncertain, I tell myself “certainty is never attainable! Life is uncertain, and that’s ok, I invite the uncertainty and the certain, what if it doesn’t work out? Well what if it does. What if this intrusive thought doesn’t go away? Well if it doesn’t it doesn’t, if it does it does, it will not affect my peace however, what matters is my reaction to the thoughts, recognizing that thoughts, are just thoughts, unless I attach meaning to them. Thank you again. I’m back because I’ve been having major stress and triggers lately but I know with time and self love and compassion, I’ll be aight. You’re amazing

This is amazing! I have (thankfully) been almost entirely compulsion free for almost 2 years now and it's because of a breakthrough moment I had in therapy...I discovered the fine line between the intrusive thoughts and the compulsive thoughts. Like you stated, for a long time, I didn't realize I had mental compulsions, I simply believed it was just how I thought. You articulate it all so well! Thank you!

I been doing this for 2 weeks I'm already seeing a drastic change, I mean there was a couple times I felt panic attacks about to happen but as soon as they started I was able to stop them, but it feels like my mind tried to relapse with a certain thought but like you said there just clouds

Thank you so much for sharing all this mark you're saving many people's lives

I just realized I've been doing this for as long as I can remember but in the past six months it's become debilitating

Am I the only one who has the last minute or so of video freeze with just audio playing?

could you make a video about the compulsion of repeating/making conversations in our own heads? I never thought of this as a mental compulsion. thanks again for the video

This is awesome, thank you very much. How do you deal with intrusive thoughts that are uncomfortable memories or imaginations using the technique you suggested? Thanks again

Also used your ten minute meditation this morning which was excellent. Listened to all the reasons why I shouldn't start today and did it anyway. You are an excellent and generous teacher.

my ocd tells me to reason out everything I do,for example if am studying some articles,my ocd comes and tells me or rather asks me how am able to read that particular article and this leads to a fear that i may not able to read if not able answer my ocd..at the end of the day It takes me a whole of my 24 hours thinking of answering my ocd..... please help me out...am suffering form this problem for about 6 years,my whole education graph came down..please help me.....

I had something tough happen to me within my marriage over a year ago now. We worked through it and it kind of saved my marriage because it bought us back together after a period where we had grown apart. It was hard for both of us but I have had a tougher time because my mental compulsions and ocd have caused me to relive the hurt over and over. It’s only been since I found your videos that I’ve been able to start to let go and not engage with these mental compulsions. They’re cropping up still, but I’m learning to disengage quite quickly and bring myself back to the present moment, instead of getting into that conversation in my head about what happened, why it happened, why it’s ok now - just the same conversation over and over again! It’s feeling good to be able to disengage from this constant internal dialogue and come back to the present moment. Thank-you! 👍

I almost think mental compulsions are worse, having gone through both, because thoughts are all the more confusing. (Just my opinion and experiences.) And it's easier to sleep when your mind is quiet verses compulsions you only do when you're awake. But this insight is helpful.

Seems like thinking in my head about what will I say to this person and what should I have done/said instead this etc are some of the subtle compulsions. Sometimes I tend to keep repeating this in my head too. OCD is so nasty and rumination is most common and probably most difficult to cut out.

I have a lot of trouble finding out what my compulsions are, all mental that I know of other than little things I have tiny ticks I guess you could say however over the last 8 months or so my OCD has come leaps and bounds and has gotten so much better thanfully

love your video! thank you for explaining, suffer with all this for over a year, im 22 and its literally killing me 😢

Ohhh this is sooo good!!! And if I can make the external displays of the mental compulsions them seem grandiose and funny that may help break the energetic attachments to them! Thank you so much!

Thank you so much Mark, you are so helpful and have a great positive attitude! I've struggled with OCD for over 10 years now and I honestly never knew compulsions could be physical AND mental. OCD has been affecting my daily functioning but I could never figure out why until I now learned that MOST of my compulsions are actually mental. Thank you, now I can actually see what is going on in my brain and how to combat it. :)

Thanks for the message this helps. In a similar way, sometimes I realize that I wouldn't send someone else down the downward spiral rabbit trails in their head that I send myself down. If I look at someone else I can clearly see... You're fine that's not the situation. But with myself, theres that lurking demon, "But what if?" And then it uses confirmation bias, because some of the things I have anxiety about do end up happening. The only way is to let go. Teach more lessons on letting go.

Your videos have changed my life, 🙏🏼

This video and learning how to stop doing mental compulsions like I stopped physical compulsions has completely changed my life. Thanks Mark, love you. Don’t stop helping people with ocd.❤️

i feel like giving people the finger even though i don't want to its really annoying

Hi Mark thanks for another great video. I cut out most physical compulsion but mental compulsion still bother me a lot. I try to not react a thoughts but because thoughts are come in to head all the time sometimes i forget and do some mental compulsions. Can You share more techniques? My OCD started with depression and its a main fear that i can be depressed again and it will be my fault because of my action and choices. Fear if im not doing compulsions that I just dont care or lose control any advice how to overcome this? Thanks.

thank you ...that means all i learned about my compulsion from your videos and also from other sources...how to give importance to what i value...how to ignore those self limiting thoughts...i cn now ignore thoughts more efficiently...i want to study whole day without having intrusive thoughts..i learn science..and some times i get stuck in some problem..it takes time while solving it...then sometimes intrusive thoughts come rather than focusing on that problem i used to think why i had those what if thoughts?...i was determined tgat i cant study if i seat intrusive thoghts negative voices will come...mark belive me i love maths . .i enjoy it...but negative thought that what if am not born for science what if i change my path...i know i won't...i love machines i am in love ...but the doubt lower my confidence levels...and i know i could do better in my exams...but i could only give 75 percent..with anxiety issues...as i used to panic...now i am taking medications and became aware of the fact that i need not to fear those thoughts...i need not to hate them or fight them...i should just follow my goals...however they seem hard...i dont care...i will study ..and i will prove that i am not weak...

I've been doing these things my whole life, learned how to cope while suffering with having continual dark parallel tussles in my thoughts of the catastrophes. The difference is that I'm willing to expose them and not put up with the damage of believing they could happen. I knew they wouldn't, but the 'what if' I felt just had to be explored what believing is hard for me. Trust is hard for me. Now, with the help of 'so what' skills, I can bat the worst case scenario off because the unlikely scenarios I created of losing my job, going to prison, being an older homeless social leper and a life failure in general.... just isn't happening. Pride can be a reason for allowing dark thoughts and feelings to escalate by coping on my own, until you break down, which thankfully I did in January/February this year meaning I could begin recovery. Now, I still feel the need to prove that I don't have problems but changing that mindset and can talk through my irrational thoughts, fears and feelings that leave me very uncomfortable at times. I have the problems and that's OK. I wished we never had problems, be able to live a life of hiding and avoid things but, I'm learning how to be gentle on myself. Safely go through exposures to allow myself to overcome challenges and learn to be comfortable eventually with uncertainty. These fears started as a teenager with social 'coolness' being the main facade that made me need to feel like I have to prove my sexuality, learned to cope and exhibit 'manhood', prove a successful development, unable to make mistakes to avoid being laughed at and eventually having a war within about what I want vs people pleasing with absolutely everything. I have identified some traumas, thank talking therapy, thank people's love, increase self care activities and journalling everyday. I'm on a path to freedom now and still scared about decisions, but the little light at the end of the path says, 'keep moving forward toward me, you're lovable as you are'. There is darkness but am turning one degree at a time toward the light. Be blessed. Peter Burke

Fantastic video. I have used this technique or analogy with mental compulsions. Managing mental compulsions is difficult due to identification and uncertainty. I approach mental compulsions like overt drug addiction. Compulsions are my heroin and this externalization is fantastic.

Each time you want to do a mental compulsion, try to refocus your attention on the present moment no matter what you are doing. Say for example you are bushing your teeth, try to focus on the movement of you toothbrush on the teeth, try to feel the toothpaste on your teeth. No matter what you are doing , focus on it. And do this at every moment of the day each time you want to do a mental compulsion. At the beginning it’s difficult because you are used to figure out each thing that pops into your head. But then as you practice this technique, Exposure and response prevention, it becomes easier and easier. Then you will experience like a brain switch. You will naturally do it. Mark has several videos on the subject and also Ali Greymond. Moreover, Dr Jeffrey Schwartz talks about ERP in another way but I found that it was quite the same concept; he talks about active mindfulness but basically that’s what you do in order to not engage in mental compulsions. As I am writing this, I feel the urge to figure out something in my head, to figure out if I need to figure out something = which is figuring out. That’s a mental compulsion. So what Am I doing instead? I am focusing on every letter I am writing. And that’s normal and you know what? People that don’t have ocd try to be experts in mindfulness, be in the present moment. With ocd and when healing ocd, we have an advantage over them, we practice this mindfulness all the time because we have to in order to heal! Do you see what I mean? And it’s not avoidance as your mind might tell you (be careful not to reassure yourself about this not to become a compulsion haha) but really that’s what your minds tell you to prevent you from ignoring the thoughts. It tries to protects you. But no brain thanks. I am not in danger. Those are mental compulsions. Even if I am not convinced of this, that’s an illusion and I will take a chance and not respond to those signals, to those brain errors and go with my day. I hope my comment helps you. I am recovering from OCD and it’s been 8 months now. I must keep pushing. I hope Mark will see my comment and give his opinion on this! Actually I wrote this comment to respond to someone’s question but found itcould benefits others. Feel free to like :)

hi mark I stop all mental compulsions but sometime uncertainty or doubt pop ups instant when thought came I choose not to pay attention and focus around things but when thought come instant kind of reassurance thought with that thought come automatically its not thinking that thought but its itself a thought but its kind of reassurance thought how to stop this

I have Peripheral Staring OCD Is this mental compulsion or intrusive thoughts?: "Did I look at them inappropriately?". "Are they judging me?". "Did my eye dart over there?". "Are they thinking Im a creep?".

Thank you so much my OCD or intrusive thoughts are like you I repeat things e.g. conversations,my behaviors in my mind an I judging them in my head just as you said I am happy that I am not alone, and I actually know how to treat this but the compulsion sometimes gets me, I always think I have to think about them and clarify things, I always think If I act like that If I say that in the future or in the past why did I say that why did I act like that and conclude that I am a weak and stupid person and this thoughts cause me lack of confidence and sometimes I feel so miserable.

I saw an image on facebook of somebody in China skinning a dog alive. Now that image haunts me . I kind of sit through the image being there but I feel my body revolting and contracting. So there is resistence to the images on a level I cannot reach. How do I do exposure here ?

Are things like catastrophising or ruminating (on unanswerable questions about things in the past or 'potential problems ' in the future) compulsions? Or are they just other unhelpful mental behaviours to drop?

Thanks dude!! I went through this relapse lol but now i know

It happens to me that associate numbers and words with some kind of worry or issue, i believed that they were some kind of "messages" or meaningful coincidences now i realized that im actually LOOKING for those numbers and words that trigger my anxiety and fears

Dude this is so good!!!

Good video. Anybody ever tell you that you look like Peter Gabriel?

Hey Mark, hope you're doing well =) So I have a question... I understand that I have to stop all the mental compulsions, but one that I'm struggling with is just focusing on wanting the thought to go away. I notice that when my mind lets go somehow and I don't have that desire that the thoughts just fade away. But how can you put that into practice, into your life? Sorry if this doesn't make sense. I hope it does.

I'm on my way to full recovery for quite a long time but it still amazes me how deep OCD penetrated my life in 15 year of having it. I just realized I have a lot of anxious thoughts I didn't know I have. I was reacting to them so fast and switching my brain to "compulsion mode" in a fraction of a second there was no time (or no willingness?) to notice existence of those thoughts. And that was always ending with emotional and painful disaster.

Joined your Live chat today and you advised to look at my compulsions so I ended up here.. this video makes so much sense..thanks again Mark...eg I don't like to tackle tasks if I'm not relaxed and haven't figured out my problem. I need to tackle tasks no matter what my mood..right

I have where I repeating prayers it's hard for me to pray cause it takes forever most days

Is trying to imagine not a compulsion?

Thank you Mark. Helpful, as always.

Hi Mark, what are your thoughts on labelling OCD thoughts when they come in or cause me general discomfort? Are they necessary and are they considered compulsions? Thanks!:)

This is a perfect description of my experience

I just realized on Monday, one mental compulsion that I has been going around in my brain for a while; it felt tricky because it previously just seemed like two conflicting anxieties.So when I go somewhere, I decide which way as I go, and then get the automatic feeling/ anxiety that I "have to" go the long way. Then I think, no I don't, that is just a compulsion. Then I think "but if I go that way, since it is a compulsion, something bad will happen" So as a result I think I "should" take the shorter route, only to then think "Wait, that's just a compulsion to avoid the longer route in fear of something bad happening, which isn't true! What if I really do want to go the long way? (and it starts feeling like that more so at this point) Nothing bad will happen, I am going to take the long route to prove it, since I am feeling like I want to now!" *goes the long way*I realize now, it was just my brain getting me to do the compulsion, in a really [really] round about way! It reminds me of when I was in middle school and did things like repeatedly touch a table. I would do it once and then get anxious and feel like I did something bad; as a result of trying to prove to myself that it wasn't something bad, I would do it again and again. It felt like if I didn't, it meant that I was admitting that I was doing something wrong or "bad" by doing so. In actuality, I didn't need to; don't need to prove anything. I can do that thing if I want, but if it isn't something that actually serves my purpose, my values, then it isn't something I need to waste my time on. Phew. Lol.

Thanks bro m'y compulsion juste goes away Big pressure goes out

What if my thoughts are things that I actually want in life? Example, I day dream A LOT, I think about getting married, having kids, falling in love. And what happened in the past is that I have these thoughts and project on a person I met (and lead to a lot of phsysical compulstions). I have cut off the physical compulsions like, over texting, checking social media, over analysing conversations, re reading text messages etc... but I still day dream about these things over and over.

If you could HELP! When i was 26 i was doing my masters ,jobless , gaming i was a social butterfly so happy, now i hit 30 i have a good job , good life , i have everything I missed out earlier but i don't feel that happy anymore , I'm filled with people still i feel lonely, i don't feel happiness in the things I did before.. even though great things happen it's just empty, i miss that impulse or sense awe .. it doesn't come to how hard I try in two years.. i been looking at my past and seeing what did I miss, i cant figure it out.. if you would know please share

I cannot believe I never asked this : Will you make a video on dealing with pain in your body, recurring migraines etc when you have ocd. How do you escape the vicious circle of wanting to not experience migraine and ending up with migraine all the time ? Everytime you make an appointment with your friends, you think "I'm so looking forward to meeting my friends tonight. Haven't seen them in months. I hope I won't get migraine and have to call the thing off" and then you get the migraine.. and the problem is that you are a human being and cannot just accept that migraine is there and that you won't see your friends that you haven't seen in months because it is just too much of a thing to ask of you. No one wants migraine. What do you recommend ?

Is not doing compulsion and beware of compulsive behaviour is another kind of compulsion too?

Hi Mark I’m a nursing student and I️ been dealing with anxiety in all types of levels to depersonalization questioning my sanity .. which is very scarey and to the point where I️ was afraid of just thoughts how our brain functions , fear of death ... how do you get over this feeling of being able to feel normal again ...

Because of my OCD I have to twitch my eyes and I have to twitch my fingers😭😭😭😭

I have songs snippets played in loop in my mind and due to that I doubt whether I have fully understood the lesson read some minutes ago which led to revision of that lesson which also goes again and again revision of same text. How to deal with urge of thought which says to me that I have not fully remember the lesson?

Mark I was wondering how to stop checking mentally if you have ocd or not! It feels so automatic

Very helpful thank you so much

Mark Freeman Sir if i see anything. And then i feel urge to see that thing several times.i can't concentrate on doing anything because when my mind notice anything.for example when i am walking and i see a car .my mind notice it. And then i feel urge to see that car again and again .when i am in conversation i can't concentrate what the other guy is talking because i feel urge to see that thing again and again Is this compulsion? And how can i stop Should i stop to seeing to that thing again and again.

Hey mark i have cut my all the physical compulsions but I get mental compulsive when practicing erp that why I am not getting enough anxiety am i doing ot right. How to cut this

Thank you for posting this. I’m having trouble figuring out my mental compulsions that I end up confusing myself and don’t know what to not do and do. I already visited a psychiatrist but an official diagnosis is not yet available. Also I have a question, is a complusion something you do automatically or is it something you do to relieve anxiety how is this different from just a normal habit or quirk?💚💚☺️ Also I’m very confused because my intrusive thoughts focus on if I have OCD or what if anything I’ll do will worsen my ocd and what if something becomes a compulsion.

wierd question after i beat my ocd which is the violent intrusive thought type, will i be able to engage in things i used to like agan? like watching classic movies like war movies and such or even playing games with some violence ? as of right now im actually scared to watch or play anything like that and its really scary thinking i ll walk past a tv and see something that brings up another terrible thought

cool videos ... thanks

Thank you for doing a video on mental compulsions

this channel is really enlightening to me.. I started recording my feelings and thoughts daily, and I realized how I was a compulsive, obsessive thinker with rumination habit. I had no idea before I started recording them. but after seeing the pattern I realized I just couldn't see it because they're invisible. I'm trying to break this habit that leads to anxiety and depression. Love your insight and how you articulate this... I feel like often we don't even realize we do this because we just take all of our thoughts at face value and don't really see it in objective perspective. and you're so on point with how it takes you away when you're with other people and put this invisible wall between you and them!! that's what I had been feeling but I had no idea what it was! I used to feel so oddly preoccupied and busy(?) when I was with other people like I'm constantly checking something mentally...I think you need to get a better microphone though, your audio isn't very clear.. it's like buzzy and too quiet . Thanks for awesome videos!!!!

I'm not sure whether what I'm experiencing are mental compulsions or OCD? I tend to think someone has said something for example 'stupid' then I feel the need to repeatedly ask them whether they have said it or whether it was just in my head. I don't actually ask them. I just start behaving angrily towards them and obviously they react the same way in return. Then everything they do I believe is because there mad at me for example bang in another room. Then I feel the need to say I'm not in my head and then have a shower to make me feel better because they banged because of me

+Mark Freeman - One thing I have never understood is.. 1) Avoidance is bad 2) Rumination is bad don't these two phrases contradict each other? Should you ignore unwanted thoughts or accept them

Oooo! I got one! Whenever I’m trying to figure it out “is this ocd or not? Am I recovering right? What if I think I am but I’m not... what if I just accept that I’m not recovering but never recover? What if ocd just keeps evolving until it’s IMPOSSIBLE? What if I never figure this out” I translate that into a Rubix cube and actually take my hands and make motions like I’m solving an invisible Rubix cube

Hello mark I am suffering from somatic ocd and when I do my valueable things I am checking that I am fully focusing on my work or not ,is this is a compulsion??

Hi Mark, I am just recently struggling very bad with Pure 'O' and i get thousands of thoughts each day, so if i use this technique every time then I will just burn my self out. And even when I realise it is a compulsion, and accept it-- it gets stronger and or OCD manifests itself into another thought-- its impossible to deal with-- I've tried mindfulness, deep breathing, rationalising, and ACT and ERP, nothing really works- and I feel like I will lose it soon...

mark i am diagonised with ocpd..but your videos are helping me..i dont have any handwashing compulsions...i have intrusive thoughts...now i am anxious wheher all i learned about ocd is false because i have ocpd...i am really having problem...how can i be assured tha i have ocd not ocpd?doctor told ocpd but i think ocd..pls mark help me to throw out tha thought

How do you cut out mental compulsions though? I'd do it cold turkey if I knew how.

How do You stop the compulsions in your head ?? I feel like My mind wants to believe all the thoughts and irrational ones is always judging and analyzing scermerios how can I stop this ... is so paralyzing

hi mark, in your videos you said that things which might seem normal to you/others are also a kind of compulsion.I have a doubt regarding this.After taking a bath everyday i clean my specs,otherwise i don't feel clean.This thing is done by many,and doesn't seem like compulsion but after seeing your videos i fear that it also might be a compulsion.Also i have the routine of shampooing my hair every sunday.I mean most people have this kind of thing.But is this a compulsion?And there are so many other natural things which seems to be a compulsion now after seeing this video of yours.If you could please tell what exactly you mean and reply so that i can identify my compulsions clearly? -Arka

I sometimes have cases where I don't know if doing something is compulsive or logical. An example : I had forgotten I'd spat some dish soap on my stoveplate to clean it , and turned it on to cook my legumes without first washing it off. Then it started smoking and smelling . Is checking whether breathing this in is dangerous appropriate or compulsive. How would you find out for yourself whether to go to the doctor or accept ?

And yes I have typos

What about existential intrusive thoughts? I get an image of the universe over and over again (basically that humans are just ants on the Earth) & feel trapped, scared, and like life is meaningless.

So just a recap. Even if the compulsion in one area doesn't have even the slightest relationship to a compulsion is another area, can it still effect it in the other area of compulsions? Like with me talking and homework, can the compulsion of avoiding feelings with homework, effect the ones with socializing with others?

hi mark,i always count in my head,but now its gotten bad by swallowing i keep counting ,i have bad numbers good numbers,if i swallow on a bad number i have to swallow until i get a good number or else i think i might throw up very scary stuff

this is me

How do you get rid of breathing obsession!

Can mental compulsions make it harder to get over a person you used to be with?

All this makes great since and great tools but I guess my problem is I don't know what normal is will my mind feed me the right stuff when I overcome or do I need to have a idea of how the brain activity is normally

This is awesome Mark, love this idea mate! Am going to take this for a test drive!!

Is it normal to be scared that you are going to develop a different type of ocd?

Thank you for the video, I really appreciate all of your work. Quick question, if I get an ocd thought and tell my self " that's true, I accept it" then go watch let's say a random RU-vid video , is that a compulsion?

Thank you for this. Great video. Is it possible to relapse after many yrs? I think I’m out of this one I just had but I’m afraid or another one happening and setting be back into a bad depression. I’m thinking at this point I’ll need therapy forever right? In order to prevent a relapse..

My issue is basically being afraid that I'll have anxiety or a panic attack and worried it'll get worse (lose my job, etc etc). I had an issue years ago where I feared harming my kids. I overcame that by ignoring those thoughts that popped in my head (therapy). However the last few years I have issues of waking up for example and feeling anxious. Not necessarily about a particular problem, just the fear of fear I guess you'd call it. I try to just get on with my day assuming it'll go away but often it doesn't. I do replay conversations and I also catch myself becoming very absorbed in an interest. Spending too much time researching and perfecting it. Once I catch myself and stop, often a panic attack comes. How do I work towards not doing that without constantly checking my own thoughts? I hope this makes sense …

Thank you Mark, this is so helpful.

What would be your advice for someone battling with relationship ocd. It is hurting my marriage and I need help.

Hi mark i have a question is for you complaining and criticising others a compulsion?

This helps so much! It’s just so hard because when I get these really bad thoughts I get so uncomfortable.... and it’s really hard to not say a phrase or something like that to calm myself. When I get a thought or anxiety should I just clear my mind? Or is that a compulsion? Like it feels like I should say or do something to get rid of that thought....

thank you so much. really helpful

Dear Mark, I have some very scary questions from OCD. Whenever I try to use my recovery techniques, my OCD whispers to me that I'm doing them as a compulsion and I don't actually need to think about them. I feel like my OCD may be right -a lot of the time I feel anxiety and automatically want to remember the principles of ERP and ACT so I know that I have them when I need them. It smells of OCD to me, but I also know that it is what I need to do. I'm so confused! I also don't know how to leave OCD "unanswered". Whenever I try to do that, my OCD/brain tells me "Oh, you are trying to distract yourself or suppress your thoughts." This makes me feel confused and that I need to do something, and that I feel guilty because I'm like "Oh crap, I'm ruminating...". Then the cycle just continues! I don't even know if this counts as compulsions or what, but I think they must be...also I get lots of distracting thoughts when I read which hurts my comprehension. I have made myself stop rereading as much as possible, but I get confused when I study (because obviously, you should repeat stuff so you remember!) and then I feel like I should summarize in my head what I just read. But what's the line between what's acceptable and what is compulsion? No matter what I do, I feel guilty and stupid.

Hi mark. Is their a way i can practise erp alone? I have a therapist but im not sure she is trained im erp ! Thanks

I Have a dilemma... Ive been using ERP to get rid of my obsessive thought and it worked really well and i am recovering from it!!. But now it seems that the phrase or thought 'You are not your brain' or ''do ERP' or 'even your voice and phrases keeps popping into my head. So i know how to not respond, but then my brain goes, make sure you dont respond... and thats the thought that keeps bugging me... i just automatically think 'dont respond and it goes away'. how do i stop the treatment from bugging me now?? I appreciate all that you have done for me!! is the best option to just stop watching these videos or any vids in general? Regards, Jozeph

This is my disease. This is me.

Great technique. How would this work for psychosomatic disorders? Maybe extrapolate it to other people experiencing as a way to make you aware of it being a damaging compulsion? Or is that already judging the disorder?

One thing that has been bit of barrier or you can say catch22 is this. We are usually told that you become what you think. So for someone with OCD it becomes bit of a problem. On one hand you can't stop obsessing and on the other hand we are not supposed to stop that either as it's a compulsion. How do you see this Mark?

Hi mark, love your videos. I’ve an interesting question for you. Why is it that I am only ever really aware of my thoughts when I’m thinking thoughts I judge as bad. ? I usually don’t engage with my thoughts unless they are anxiety related ? Hope your well and thanks for all you’ve done 🦙

How do you tell whether something you do is a mental compulsion? Trying to remember something is essential at times, so when does it become a compulsion that I should cut? Should we avoid even engaging such 'normal' and useful behavior?

Hi Mark !I'm a high school student live in korea. I'm suffering from OCD about 3 years. I really want to recover from OCD so I read a lot of books about OCD and of course watched your videos too. So I understand the ERP and ocd. My primary ocd theme is religious ocd. I don't have physical compulsion that much, but I suffer from some mental compulsion. I know that I have to expose myself to anxiety in order to get better. But whenever I do something I'm afraid if I commit a 'real' sin. and I always have doubt that I did something really bad. and I really want to pray for forgiveness from God. If I don't pray, then I feel really afraid. I know praying is a kind of compulsion. But I can't remove the doubt "what if that was a real sin?" I really need your advice!!