False memory OCD any tips on how to manage?

I am curious to know how other OCD sufferers deal with false memory OCD.

False memory is a hard one. My strategy was to accept all thoughts that told me I had done something wrong, and I was so scared that this false memory would become the new reality.
It was hard, but the funny thing was that when I accepted all the false memories as “maybe maybe not, who knows maybe it’s true.” The opposite happened :slight_smile: I could see that my false memories were not true at all. These are the positive effects of ACT and ERP. The negative impact is highly anxiety-provoking, so be prepared for that!

There are many good resourses on YouTube related to false memory OCD

Thank you, JohanaCorm, for sharing. My problem was false memories and magical thinking OCD, not a nice combination, trust me :slight_smile: . Somebody here with the same combination?

My tips would be to try to accept intrusive thoughts head-on. Try it for five minutes a day and increase the time slowly.

I personaly experience magical thinking ocd. It was way worse before I tried ACT like all the other OCD symptoms. I believe the combination of magical thinking and false memories should have been really annoying for you jonasEriksson.

Hi everyone, I used to experience false memory OCD a lot in the past while I was still working at my stressful job. I just couldn’t keep calm from fear that I’ve done something wrong and I couldn’t exactly remember when and how. After I quit I focused more on mindfulness practices and also had my first child then I felt more joy in my life and those false memory events happen only from time to time now.

False memory OCD sounds like hell. I think I haven’t experienced it as a symptom of my OCD and I should feel really blessed in terms of this at least.

You should be so lucky then. What ocd symptom is the most debilitating for you?

False memory ocd is a nightmare. Even my kids think that I am crazy sometimes :no_mouth:

I really can’t relate to this yet but I can imagine the way you feel. However, you can find good jokes about it and make your kids believe that you want to entertain them in this way.

I think that I used to experience false memory OCD when I was in my teenage years. I would sometimes be confused about the truthfulness of certain memories I had. However, I started trying out a lot of sports during that time and up to today run almost daily and swim a couple of times per week. I also maintain a good meal plan and somehow all those factors really help me with my OCD symptoms. Moreover, I am almost certain that I no longer experience false memories.