#overcome

[torahislight]

1 Corinthians 6:18[18]Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

[sweetcheekskhae]

[wisdomfish]

...take courage; I have overcome the world...

Jesus, (John 16:33)

[istyles]

Every powerful narrative requires a moment where the protagonist is tested. 🌊 When you are in the thick of disappointment or failure, it is incredibly difficult to see the bigger picture. But history shows that our greatest triumphs are born from our deepest challenges. The lessons you gather during these difficult seasons will eventually become the foundation of your success. Wear your resilience like art. Your struggles shape your unique strength. ✨

Featuring Theory Laptop Skin

[psound74]

#rotd - Nauthiz - in what ways are you using strength & courage to overcome your needs? <3{

[the-hated-bridge]

Why?

Because.

[realmrpatrickj]

Hello everyone. I know some of you want to hear some really good news about my third and second most successful therapy sessions relating to overcoming my fear of COVID, my fear of being touched, and my obsession with wearing a mask and following the old COVID pandemic-related CDC guidelines. Well, I’m about to share it with you right away.

Since the beginning of my third therapy session, this process has been going so well that my new therapist has taken my exposure hierarchy sheet to the next level. Not only have I learned a new OCD prevention technique called “surf the urge,” but I also finally found the courage—for the very first time since the beginning of the horrible pandemic—to keep my mask down near my grandpa for an extended period of time. This happened while he was busy doing other errands and chores inside the house. I only put my mask back on when he turned around because I wasn’t sure whether any coughing would mean he was sick.

Before we practiced keeping our masks off for different lengths of time during our therapy conversation, we reviewed my exposure hierarchy. Number one on the sheet was keeping track of how long I could keep my mask off around my mom at her apartment building. That exposure has actually been going super well, thanks to the ashwagandha pills I’ve been taking combined with the motivation from therapy. I’ve even managed to do it sometimes around my dad, as well as at the public library, Starbucks, and a fast food restaurant. The level of my anxiety has rapidly dropped all the way down to a one.

My second previous successful therapist once challenged me to keep my mask off for a certain amount of time in front of my dad, but I didn’t have enough courage to do it back then. It wasn’t until I reached my breaking point with my third and current successful therapist that I was finally able to complete that challenge successfully.

In addition, I learned a brand-new exposure exercise. My therapist had me write down all the ways COVID has affected different parts of my mental health and how my OCD forced me to wear a mask every time someone came within my six-foot barrier. She also gave me an emotion wheel sheet so I could choose the right words to describe my feelings. Afterward, she had me crumple up the paper and throw it in the trash can.

The first time I did this was last Tuesday in a different office room, with the trash can right next to me. While we practiced keeping our masks off for increasing periods of time, we also did the 5-4-3-2-1 senses grounding exercise. Today she had me do the exercise again, along with the same 5-4-3-2-1 senses test. This time, though, after I wrote down my feelings about my experience of fearing COVID, she made me crumple the paper into a ball and throw it outside the office room where the trash can was sitting next to the door. Her words of encouragement not only acted more like a can of energy Red Bull, but they also finally opened up my mind and filled me with more bravery. Taking in the words she mentioned about us doing this next-level test—walking through the lobby area of the counseling center, through the different doors and hallways to get to our office room without wearing a mask—gave me the push I needed.

This empowered me to go out and do my errands right away. I waited in line to deliver my recyclables for PayPal balance at the machine next to Safeway. While I was waiting, a lady walked around and asked me for help on how to get the machine to accept her recyclables. I helped her the whole time without putting my mask back on. I also went into the Dollar Tree store, walked around picking up the things I wanted to buy, went up to the cashier to make my purchase, and walked past an Asian man who was holding the door for me—all without putting my mask back up. Finally, I went to McDonald’s, placed an order for a hamburger, and applied the same methods I used at the Dollar Tree.

Of course, that means I have just taken another huge step toward being 100% cured from my fear of COVID and my obsession with following the CDC guidelines since March 2020.