In this blog, we can look at some ACT metaphors that you can read to overcome symptoms of OCD. This will include,
Leaves on the stream
Think about your thoughts as leaves on the stream. They could be intrusive, but they pass through the stream, and you don’t have to stop them. Reacting or responding to the thoughts might make the journey through the stream even more difficult. As you learn to keep letting go and the leaves make way on the stream, you realise you can effortlessly let your thoughts go. Doing compulsions is like stopping the leaves from passing through the stream. When you learn to keep yourself away from reacting or avoiding and let the leaves go through the stream, it does so with no issue.
Unwelcome guest
You hold a party where you invite many guests. Of this, a very shabby-looking man walks in uninvited. You must keep him from being away as that might look awkward in front of the other guests. Hence, you send him in. You have two choices here. You can either spend the whole party getting upset by the unwelcome guest, or you can choose to get him involved and let me eat and go around without getting your mind troubled about him. If you make the first choice, you will get very upset and worsen the situation because the guest will stay till the end of the party. You cannot enjoy the party because you constantly think of the unwelcome guest. On the other hand, you can choose to ignore him or get him involved, and you can continue to enjoy the party yourself.
Quicksand metaphor
You are caught in a quicksand and waiting for help to arrive. You will sink further if you keep resisting and trying to get out frantically. You can relate this to compulsive rituals. The more you do the rituals, the worse your condition is getting as it defies the purpose of getting out of the quicksand. Resisting less when awaiting help will help you get out of the quicksand more easily.
Tugging at a knot
Imagine that you are holding a rope with a knot on one end. The knot is loose. However, you realise the knot becomes tighter if you pull the rope. However, you aim to untie the knot. You keep tugging at the rope because that’s what you think is right. However, you realise that the knot is getting tighter and tighter. You now learn to let go. As you let go, you realise the knot is getting easier to remove.
A room of unopen boxes
You enter a room as part of a game. In some boxes, there are gifts. However, in the other boxes, you need to know what is inside. You are asked to wait 20 minutes in this room, along with a mix of gift boxes and unknown boxes. You have a choice. You can keep worrying about what might be in the unknown box: Will it hurt you, be something you do not like, or stay uncertain until you are asked to open the boxes?
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