“There’s Something Wrong With Me”
“I think I might have hit someone with my car. What if someone is laying there? What if someone is hurting? I’ll be prosecuted. Someone will die because of me. Why would I do this? What should I do?!” (Worried Voice)
“Well, look in your rear-view mirror. Do you see traffic still moving? People would stop if someone was hurt. It’s probably ok. You’ve been driving for years and never hurt anyone.” (False Comfort)
“But what if this time it’s different …” (Worried Voice)
This is an example of an intrusive thought pattern. Similar intrusive thoughts were the topic of discussion during an educational presentation offered at the Anxiety Resource Center. Caroline Hall, LPC, provided attendees with an overview of how the brain works and explained why some people may be more prone to intrusive thoughts and images than others.
As distressing and disturbing as these thoughts can be, the encouraging news is there are new treatment methods available that prove to be highly effective in treating this form of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
Hall referenced the book Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts and shared examples from the book explaining what the authors term our worry voice, false comfort, and wise voice. Hall explained how it’s the entanglement of our worry and false comfort voices that allow our intrusive thoughts to “stick”.
In the example above, we need to learn how to calm the worried voice by using the words of our “wise voice”:
“Wait a second. Your stress level is high right now. You are letting your “worried voice” and your “false comfort voice” argue. This isn’t helpful. You had a thought. Everyone has thoughts. A thought is JUST a thought. Carry on.”
With the help of audience volunteers, attendees role-played these distinct voices and showed how we can learn to respond to intrusive thoughts when they first appear.
The first step Hall said is to Recognize, “I am having an intrusive thought.” Then understand that these are Just thoughts. Accept and allow, she explained, is the third step – understanding that the more you resist the more the thought will persist.
“Pretend you are in a helicopter and rise above the thought,” she said. “Create distance. Stay present and know that you are NOT in danger. I’m just thinking a dangerous thought.”
This the authors describe as Float and feel. The last two steps are Time and Proceed. Know it will pass and go back to what you were doing.
Using the acronym R J A F T P (For example, Ralph Just Ate French Toast Passionately) can help us to remember what to do. Attendees were encouraged to create their own sentences that would help them be able to remember this acronym.
Before the question-and-answer session began, Hall reminded attendees they have the ability to learn how to quiet the mind. Skills like mindfulness, meditation, exercise, yoga, and deep breathing can lower our anxiety, and reduce the urge to engage in compulsions.
If you missed this in-depth presentation and would like an opportunity to learn more, please email director@anxietyresourcecenter.org to express your interest in attending a virtual presentation.
