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Nathalie Rutherford | OCD and Anxiety Therapist

@mindonfire_ocd

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《 Christ follower 》
Licensed MFT #123200
💻Teletherapy for kids, teens & adults who reside in CA
•Helping you face your fears and get your life back 🫶🏻

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We are ALL in a time of great uncertainty. When people are uncertain, they get fearful. When people are fearful, especially without an adequate amount of awareness, resources and coping skills, they can act in unpredictable or uncharacteristic ways.
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Please remember everyone responds to high stress moments differently. We are not privy to the behind the scenes of everyone’s life and can’t assume we know their story, or why they are choosing to act a certain way.
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I think this picture from @mindonfire_ocd is such a great reminder of what is and what is not in our control! I know it can get frustrating when you think people aren't "following the rules". Stand up for what you believe in and spread awareness, but I encourage you to do so through a lens of curiosity and kindness, rather than shame and assumptions. .
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I believe everyone is doing the best they can with the knowledge, skills, and emotional capacity they have in any moment. Practicing acceptance and focusing on what is within your control can be a powerful skill in times of uncertainty.
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Sending love to you all during this stressful global shift 💜🌍
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#uncertaintimes

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LOVE THIS! What other ways are you in control today? Comment below! ⬇️⬇️⬇️
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Thank you for the reminder @mindonfire_ocd ❤️
#theanxietyhealer #incontrol #anxietyattack #anxietyrelief #outofcontrol #controlyourself #anxiety #anxietyproblems #anxietysupport #anxietyreliever #coronavirus #anxious #anxiousmind #stressmanagement #stressrelease #stressedout

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Feeling scared, anxious, and fearful? These feelings can be overwhelming and something we try to run away from. We deny it, ignore it, reject it without realizing that what we resist becomes stronger. What we ignore will demand more attention. Fear is a reaction from our nervous system, it is a biological response. So instead, be with your fear and listen to it.

Here are 7 ways to support your nervous system while it processes fear:

1. Feel it - How does fear feel in your body? Where are the tensions? What are the sensations?

2. Recognize the good parts too - Simultaneously feel some place in your body that does feel comfortable. Breathe into that.

3. Touch yourself - Hug or massage yourself. Allow your body to feel safe as you recognize other sensations that are pleasant.

4. Move the energy - Dance, shake, or do yoga. Fear is a strong energy that needs to move. Let your body discharge the energy.

5. Let it go - Acknowledge the fear and gently let it go. Speak to it with love: "fear, thanks for allowing me to sense you, and now I let you go." 6. Mute triggers - Recognize where the fear comes from and draw boundaries.

7. Connect - Call, message, and reach out to someone you trust. Share your vulnerabilities to one another and see the humanity in each other.

Remember, whatever you are feeling is valid. Being with your emotions is showing love and compassion to yourself. Digest your emotions, listen to it, and let it move through you. You got this 💪

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New expert-focused page to help you navigate your feelings and manage your OCD anxiety.⁣⁣
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Link in bio!⁣⁣
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#ocdcon #ocdproblems #coronavirusOCD #coronavirus #mentalhelp #mentalhealthawareness #washyourhands #compulsions #ocdkidsmovie #khlocd #facesofocd #ocdrecovery #erp #calmyourbrain #covidhealth

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I’m writing more these days. Some thoughts I share, some I don’t, but I thought it was very important to share this message 💖💖 LINK IN BIO (https://modmommymk.wordpress.com/2020/03/15/how-covid-19-affects-someone-with-contamination-ocd/) ...........................................
I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions, always!!! 💓
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#ocdrecovery #marykeevers #anxietyrelief #anxiety #anxietyawareness #anxietydisorders #ocd #ocdawareness #contaminationocd #flattenthecurve #covid_19 #support #indyblogger #indianapolis #indy #boymom #blogger #bloggersofinstagram #instagood #socialdistancing

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Happy Holidays from OCD Specialists!! I love my job and I love my wise, sweet, dedicated coworkers. Y’all are the best 💚💙💚

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2019 is over and I couldn’t be happier. I’ll spare you the details but suffice it to say, it was a tough year.

However upon reflection, there were a few things that made this year full of beauty as well.

I released new music, we deepened our relationships with friends and family, and they carried Joe and I through some tough moments and filled our lives with laughter and hope.

And finally, in February of 2019, after months of painful hard work, I “graduated” from Exposure And Response Prevention aka “OCD” therapy.

I was officially diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in the summer of 2018, but I’ve struggled with the symptoms since I was a little girl. When I see pictures of myself as child…it breaks my heart to know how much pain I was in because of this disorder.
OCD is an anxiety disorder. It is a closed loop system where the more you obsess over a thought or idea, the more anxiety you feel, so you act out a ‘compulsion’, which only reaffirms your obsession in the first place. It is a vicious cycle, one I was trapped in for decades. One that I still have to crawl out of today.

Most people are familiar with OCD through symptoms like counting or checking to see if you’ve turned off a light over and over. Both of these are true of OCD but it is much bigger and more sinister than physical symptoms. It is a disorder obsessed with certainty and will often fixate on what you value the most in life and distort it.

I am not going to go into my specific OCD symptoms today, but I did want to share a piece of my story.
OCD is not a joke, it is not a quirky personality trait, you are not “so OCD” if you like to organize things. It is a deeply affecting anxiety disorder that causes great suffering to those who have it.

All of this to say, going to therapy to learn how to deal with my symptoms…changed my life. It was also one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do and I am proud of myself for facing my fears and confronting this disorder that at times controlled me.

I’m not cured…there is no cure for OCD, but I now have tools and vocabulary on how to manage my symptoms. (Continued in comments)

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Most of us have a million different tasks and responsibilities that we have to tend to every day. Caring for your kids, pets, clients, work responsibilities, family, friends, household stuff, errands, cooking, exercise, doctors appointments, self-care, cleaning, paying bills, etc etc etc. I could easily keep going.

Something HAS to give— there literally just aren’t enough hours in the day, and humans aren’t built to be “doing” 100% of the time. We aren’t machines.

So stop beating yourself up about the things you DIDN’T get done, and give yourself credit for all of the things you did. You don’t ever have to feel guilty for prioritizing rest over the other items on your list.

I promise you are doing enough.

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⁣Asking for reassurance is a common compulsion in the OCD world and I don't blame you. ⁣🤪⠀
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We are designed to problem solve and to relieve anxiety. The problem is; reassurance only works temporarily. Causing the individual to continue to seek it out again later. ⁣👍⠀
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Through exposure and response prevention, we learn to sit with the anxiety or distress and practice seeking uncertainty while not giving in to the compulsions. See if you can practice not asking for reassurance today and act like it doesn't bother you. ⠀
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#OCD #anxiety #POCD #HOCD #obsessivecompulsivedisorder #accommodation #reassurance #ERP #mindfullness #pureocd #scrupulosity #panic #socialanxiety #intrusivethoughts #acttherapy #harmocd #petophileocd #cbt #religiousocd #fear #panicdisorder #anxietydisorder #ROCD #relationshipocd #iocdf #perfectionsm #justright #ocdmeme #meme #ocdmemes

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Anxiety for way too long made me feel trapped, angry, sad, hopeless, unwanted, not good enough, helpless, restless, full of self doubt, overwhelmed, gross, small, unworthy, and most importantly ALONE. For too long I let anxiety dictate my life even when I didn’t realize it was.
If you feel anxiety has a strong grip on you right now & it keeps telling you that you are incapable of healing that you are incapable of getting better. Tell anxiety to shut up. I got to the point of being so fed up with my life being pieced together by anxiety.
Take those first steps that scare you to move you. Staying put will keep you put.
List below 3 things you can start doing to start walking towards healing (remember: healing is not a sprint it’s a marathon.. remember that healing is not linear. It’s okay to have bad days that doesn’t mean your treatment plan is failing.. keep going) so share with me, 3 things no matter how big or small that will keep you from staying put and walking towards recovery 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼 #anxiety #exposuretherapy #healthanxiety #mentalhealth #mentalillness #fear #recovery #support #anxietyrelief #anxietysupport #panicattack #panicdisorder #ocd #ptsd #socialanxiety #bipolar #lymedisease #health #wellness

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