Short coaching transcript from a video by Danielle Jhiani about using triggers as opportunities for recovery from anxiety and OCD. The speaker reframes thoughts, feelings, and situations as neutral ("just a thought/feeling/situation") and instructs the listener to resist compulsive responses (checking, washing, reassurance-seeking, googling) because performing them strengthens the anxiety/OCD cycle.
I know it sounds really strange to think that triggers are our path to recovery, but they absolutely are. Remember, a thought, a feeling, or a real life trigger is just that. It's just a thought, it's just a feeling, it's just a situation. It doesn't have meaning or power until we give it power. And you're learning not to do that today. Now comes the time where you're going to resist a avoiding or doing the compulsive response. Whether it's checking, washing, seeking, reassurance, googling something. I want you to remember that these actions only strengthen the cycle of anxiety and ocd. So as much as your brain may be telling you you need to do it, you should do it. It's really important that you don't do that compulsion right now. You don't have to be perfect, but you do have to be practicing, resisting or not doing the compulsions.
