Is “trust your gut” good advice for OCD?

In general culture people say trust your instincts. Trust that inner feeling that tells you what’s safe and what’s not.

But with OCD, that instinct system often gets hijacked.

You might walk into a room and suddenly feel a strong sense that something is wrong. That feeling can seem like intuition. But very often it is the OCD process reacting to a trigger. A person, a smell, an image, a thought. OCD sends a danger signal even when there is no real danger.

So “trust your gut” is not always helpful advice for someone dealing with OCD.

A better question is: what does my wise mind say?

Wise mind is the place where logic, emotion, experience, and values come together. In spiritual language, you might call it the voice of the soul. It is wider than instinct and calmer than fear.

Sometimes instinct and wise mind agree. But many times with OCD they do not. In those moments the goal is not to follow the gut reaction, but to follow the wiser voice that knows the direction you actually want your life to go.

#OCD #OCDRecovery #ERP #MentalHealth #Anxiety

Disclaimer: This Podcast and all of our mental health learning and educational content is not therapy and is not a replacement for therapy. Noah and Simon do not take this therapist-client role in any way for Resolvve.

Please seek professional help if needed. Go to www.resolvve.ca to get the support you need.

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