[Obse]

Hi,
I'm a volunteer at an animal shelter and a big animal lover. About 3 weeks ago, a staff member at the shelter found a frog in there, and she invited me to come with her as she went outside to release the frog. She put the frog near a puddle and went back inside the shelter, but since I have OCD, I felt like I had to stay there a few more moments to make sure the frog was okay. After staring at the frog for a few moments, I started walking back to the shelter, but I kept looking back at the puddle, just to be absolutely sure.

At some point when I looked back the frog wasn't there anymore. I went back to puddle to take a closer look, but the frog was nowhere to be seen, so I just went back to the shelter.

Even though I can tell with almost 100% certainty that the frog simply jumped into the puddle when I didn't look, I still can't get over the idea that I accidentally stepped on the frog when I went back to puddle to take a closer look. This idea makes no sense because the closest I got to where we put the frog was a few meters away from that spot, and also, if a frog had been crashed under my foot, I would have surely noticed.

Unfortunately, I cannot reason with my OCD, and even though I keep telling myself how irrational my worries are, they just don't go away.

Any advice on how to deal with this trouble?

[Ellahmae]

Counter the thought with the truth. Keep telling it that you didn't, it wasn't possible, "reasons why" - give it proveable truth on repeat. Sometimes I write it down (the accurate version my brain can't *get* sometimes) over and over until I start to feel it release.

[Skeezyks]

Hello Obse: There is a Buddhist practice called "compassionate abiding" which may be of some help to you. Here's a mental-health-oriented description of the practice:

https://mindsetdoc.wordpress.com/201...e-abiding-101/

I see this is your first post here on PC. So... to PsychCentral… from the Skeezyks! May the time you spend here be of benefit.

PsychCentral is a great place to get information as well as support for mental health issues. The more you post, & reply to other members’ posts, the more a part of the community you will become. Plus there are social groups you can join & chat rooms where you’ll be able to connect with other PC members in real time (once your first 5 posts have been reviewed & approved.) Lots of great stuff! So please keep posting!

[Blaire]

I agree it helps to keep reminding yourself of what you know is the truth. Try to counter the upsetting thoughts as early as you can so they won't drag you down the rabbit hole.

I don't think I have OCD, but I do have a fear of accidentally trapping my cat in my clothes washer or dryer. Every time I put clothes in there, I check several times to make sure she's not in there. Then I close the door and go find my cat just to make sure she's not in there. Even after I've seen her, I still have these little thoughts that maybe she's in there. I have to challenge the thoughts until I am able to distract myself with something else.