Since people with obsessive-compulsive personality traits often feel that the right thing is to hold on to money, time, objects and compliments, they may miss out on the benefits of generosity. And since they tend to get engrossed in goals, projects, and fixing things, they may neurologically wire themselves into a narrow focus which excludes generosity. I can’t guarantee you’ll feel happier if you engage in large or small acts of kindness, but I do believe there is a very good chance that you will at least feel like your life has more meaning—and, silver lining for the compulsive—you’ll feel like you have more control over your mood.
True Confidence is not confidence that you’ll get the decision right and everything will work out just fine and dandy, but that you’ll be able to handle whatever comes up—including your anxiety.
But perhaps most importantly, one of the best strategies to help you retire from the Stupidity Police is to simply look in the mirror. It helps me to let up on other people just to recall my own stupidities—without lambasting myself for them.
Chronic Urgency Stress Syndrome (CUSS) and That Monster Hiding Under Your Bed
At the healthy end of the obsessive-compulsive spectrum we find meaningful urges that were lost when urgency to deal with anxiety and insecurity took over. Creating, producing, and fixing can fulfill our need for purpose if approached mindfully. But too often our urgency leads to an amnesia for meaning.
Some habits that bring you into therapy could slow your progress down, but some of your traits, used consciously, could speed you up. This is the nature of therapy, and working these through is what makes it brighter on the other side. Any effort you put into making therapy work will also make your life work.
4 Lessons Perfectionists Learn When They Befriend the Archetype of the Fool
My approach to psychotherapy includes the removal and reduction of symptoms, and, at least as...
Building a solid foundation of basic respect, and furnishing it with self-compassion will diminish imposter syndrome. Rather than splitting yourself between how you look and how you feel, image yourself as whole, congruent and harmonious, all parts embraced by consciousness. Then you’re ready to face those challenges that are only partly in your control.
Demand Resistance: What It Is, What Drives It, and How It Serves or Cheats Us
Imagine a couple going through fertility treatment. They’re expected to make love at certain times...
How to Keep Psychological Hoarding from Crowding Your Mind and Blocking Your Fulfillment
We’re all familiar with the results of typical hoarding behavior: newspapers piled in towers reaching...
The Battle for the Obsessive-Compulsive Mind: Growth Mindset Vs. Fixed Mindset
In my last post I argued that it’s important for us to know that we...
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