Alright, picture this: you're going about your day, minding your own business, and suddenly, BOOM! OCD comes knocking with its crazy demands. It's like an annoying roommate who won't leave you alone! You think, "Maybe if I just do this one thing, it'll quiet down." But guess what? That's the trap! You're falling into the endless cycle of trying to negotiate with your OCD, and it's got you wrapped around its finger.

It may look like this: Your about to leave for work, and OCD whispers, "You didn't turn off the stove properly. You should check it again." You feel the familiar anxiety rise. As OCD's voice grows louder, you start negotiating. "Okay, just this one last time. I'll check the stove quickly and that'll be it." Sounds reasonable, right? Wrong! This is where OCD starts gaining ground. Every time you give in, OCD's grip tightens. It's like a tricky dance where OCD leads, and you reluctantly follow.

Guess what? OCD smells victory and pushes harder. It whispers, "You didn't turn off the lights in the bedroom. You better check, just to be sure." Your mind races – you know it's a trap, but the anxiety is overpowering. Fine. You’ll only give in more time just to have peace.

That’s what negotiation with OCD is all about. You follow my demands, I will bring you peace. Even if it’s for a second.

Here's the scoop – OCD thrives on uncertainty and doubt. It loves it when you engage in its compulsions, because that's like giving it a front-row ticket to the circus! Let's say OCD tells you to wash your hands fifty times after touching a doorknob. If you give in, it's like you're confirming to OCD that, "Hey, you were right, this situation IS dangerous!" But guess what? We're onto its game now.

Time to flip the script, my friends! Instead of negotiating with OCD, let's show it who's the real boss around here. Next time it throws a compulsion your way, take a deep breath and ask yourself, "Is this REALLY necessary? Does doing this actually make me safer?" Most of the time, the answer is a big, fat NO! Don't let OCD call the shots. It's okay to actually not know.

Now, get ready for the secret weapon: exposure therapy! It's like giving OCD a taste of its own medicine. Gradually face the situations that trigger your obsessions without giving in to compulsions. It's gonna feel uncomfortable at first, but that's a sign that you're taking back control. Remember, discomfort doesn't equal danger.

So as you stand up to OCD and break free from its trap, you'll start building an arsenal of confidence and resilience. Each time you face a compulsion head-on and refuse to negotiate, you're winning a battle. And guess what? Those victories add up, and soon enough, you'll be winning the war against OCD!

I know it’s not that easy to just simply not do the compulsions. It’s tough, tough, tough, but it gets easier. See if you can first delay doing the compulsion. Don’t sit there with rumination and thinking. Make it meaningful. We do this with the response prevention of OCD. I need to respond as if I simply don’t care.

One of my favorite phrases to OCD is. Totally. You need to go check the stove. Totally. But saying totally, doesn’t mean I actually have to go check. I’m acknowledging, I thought, saying how silly it might be and choosing to be uncertain, because I don’t actually know if it’s on or not, but this is where we learn to trust, by not giving into the compulsion.

Okay my OCD ninjas! The trap of negotiating with your OCD is real, but guess what? You're smarter, stronger, and more determined. It's time to ditch those compulsions, face your fears, and regain control of your life. Are you with me? Let's kick OCD to the curb and live life on YOUR terms! I take you through this step by step in my master your OCD course. Go check that out in the description below.

Karate chop that like button if you're ready to crush those compulsions for good and go watch this video right here, where I take you through knocking your OCD out the park.