Have you ever wished your brain had an off-switch? Maybe you have, or maybe know someone who has said this before.

I felt this. Sometimes I still do. It would be very convenient to be able to turn your brain off whenever things got too heavy.

I felt this especially when I was in the stranglehold of OCD. My brain was like a boa constrictor. The more I struggled against my thoughts, the tighter they became and the more anxious I became.

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For the better part of 7 years, I tried to wage war against my OCD by telling myself something that would contradict the intrusive thought I was having. I would try to rationalize why the thought I was having made no sense. I would even ask people to explain to me, reason with me, and tell me my thoughts were untrue.

The problem with this solution…it doesn’t work. It is the equivalent of trying to get off a treadmill by running faster.

For those of us in the struggle of OCD, the problem is not your theme. The problem has nothing to do with the “what if” question you just thought of. The problem is your chemically imbalanced brain. Until you realize that, you will be punching against a hurricane. I’ve never fought a hurricane before. In fact, that idea has never been appealing to me. Why?

Because I would lose. Hurricanes remain undefeated.

If you want to heal, if you want lasting legitimate change, you need to address the actual problem, not what your problem masquerades itself to be.

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Keep in mind, having OCD is not something to be ashamed of. Blaming yourself for having a chemically imbalanced brain is like blaming a cancer patient for having a tumor. It is simply an affliction. It is an affliction that can be healed. Fully healed. If you want proof, you need look no further than the author of this blog post.

My life was a living hell for the past decade. OCD ran train on me for lack of a better term and I couldn’t escape it. It wasn’t until I made the conscious decision to not entertain, not pay attention to my OCD thoughts, that I found healing.

This is NOT thought suppression. That is a compulsion in itself. It is fully acknowledging the thought’s presence, and actively starving it of the attention it so desperately needs.

Here are the steps…

1. Acknowledge you have OCD
2. Realize OCD is a chemical imbalance, not a legitimate lens through which to view your life.
3. Recognize whenever you feel a twinge of anxiety and you think there is even a 1% chance your thought is from OCD. If you do, label that as OCD and pay no attention to it.
4. Focus on the activity you are currently doing. That may be working, reading, singing, eating, etc…Whatever you are doing, focus on that. If you don’t give attention to something else, you will give it to your OCD.
5. Repeat 1-4 continually.

Pro tip: This will feel unnatural and flat out wrong for awhile. I beg you to persevere. It will become natural. You are forging “neuropathways” in your brain. It takes time. When you try to make a trail, it requires walking that trail over and over. Eventually, it becomes matted down and easy to walk.

This is the the idea of neuroplasticity. Big word. Biggest word I know. It is the ability of your brain to literally change its make up. By implementing the above steps, you can actually change your brain. You can do it. Eventually, these steps will become second nature where you don’t even realize you are doing them. You just need to persevere. It has become that for me.

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Above all, do not give up. You DO NOT have to do this perfectly. In fact, you will fail. But, when you fail, it is not back to square 1, it is an opportunity to learn and try again.

You can and you will get better. I am a testament to this method working.

If you pray anything, pray that God would give you the wisdom and the strength to treat your OCD the way it need to be treated. He will. He has. He loves you and He will help you. Trust Him.

Do not hesitate to reach out with any questions. I would love to help you.