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Superstition ain't the way. No, no, no. So how do I beat it?

Discussion in 'Coming Out Advice' started by Ben, Dec 31, 2009.

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  1. Ben

    Ben
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    I'm fiercely opposed to superstition. I know that it's totally irrational to give any value to any superstitious belief and it's utterly ridiculous. But recently I've been noticing how superstitious I actually am. Actually I'm not even sure that it's superstition, but it's pretty annoying.

    Everything has to be even. I don't wear clothes which have little logos on one side because then it makes me feel uncomfortable knowing that I'm not 'evenly' dressed. Actually I blogged about this ages ago but I never quite realized how ridiculously ingrained in my life it really is. I make sure the volume on my computer is at an even number of blips and if I touch one side of my face then I'll touch the other side with my other hand. It's like little rituals that I do to make things more even and better which have absolutely no reasoning. It doesn't interfere with my life too much but it's pretty damn annoying a lot of the time, like when I pick something up on the floor and I have to find an excuse to put my other hand on the floor, so I have to drop something again just so I can :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes: I'm posting this now because I've got this weird idea that what I see/hear/think at midnight will totally dictate whether 2010 will be a disaster or an epic win year. And it makes me feel like a total idiot because I know it's insane to think that way.

    I know I'm not the only person here who does things like this so maybe someone can offer some tips on how to make it stop? And it's not as easy as just ignoring it. I've tried that and it doesn't work. Thanks. :grin:

    Oh and Stevie Wonder <3
     
    #1 Ben, Dec 31, 2009
  2. Bryan90

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    I am a person who tries to challenge all my actions and beliefs, and if they do not pass my "logic-test" I'd try to rationalize them away.

    I guess if you're able to "rationalize" them away.. then you'd be able to stop them.

    Nonetheless, through some observations.. I noticed that keeping idiosyncrasies and superstitions might not be too much of a bad thing...

    There is even a school of thought that believes self-deception can be healthy. One wrote the book "positive illusions: creative self-deception and the Healthy Mind.

    But I guess all in all, if you feel like those idiosyncrasies need to go, i guess you'll need to go through a lot of rationalization and muster a lot of will power..
     
    #2 Bryan90, Dec 31, 2009
  3. Silvermark

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    Apart from what you said about the 2010 prediction sort of thing, everything else there sort of sounds like some form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder...
    I doubt it's that serious, I think everyone has some sort of compulsive feelings every now and again.

    For example, I have this problem with doors... I pretty much NEED to close doors when I want to be on my own in a room; and if someone comes in and then leaves the door open when they leave, it just gets under my skin so much...

    So just see what is and could be just compulsive things, and what's superstition, and then seperate the two.
     
    #3 Silvermark, Dec 31, 2009
  4. Kevin42

    Kevin42 Guest

    This was what I thought as well. However, if it is true as you say that it does not interfere with your life or ability to interact with others, then it really isn't anything to worry about.

    I'm not sure how you would go about fixing this besides forcibly trying to stop yourself or seeking professional help. I have had a slight disorder that resembles OCD which causes me to pull my hair out and the only way I have been able to beat it is to find another habit to take up when I feel the need to pull my hair out. I'm not sure if that is a wise thing to do (exchanging one habit for another) but it seems to be working for me.
     
    #4 Kevin42, Dec 31, 2009
  5. adam88

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    Yeah, sounds like OCD tendencies... mild ones. If you feel they're affecting your life you might want to talk to a therapist. They often have experience helping people through those types of things. :slight_smile:
     
    #5 adam88, Dec 31, 2009
  6. Lexington

    Lexington
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    Yeah, I'm leaning towards the OCD thing as well. It can have very mild forms, or very specific ones. To take one example, my friend hates seeing trains...because he finds himself compelled to count the cars. He doesn't even care how many cars there are - it's the act of counting them. And if he's driving along a highway that has a train track running along side, well, you can imagine how distracting that can get. :slight_smile: Luckily, this appears to be his only OCD tendency, and he's been able to keep it under control. If you're finding things difficult to control, perhaps it's time to talk to somebody about it.

    Lex
     
    #6 Lexington, Dec 31, 2009
  7. Markio

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    Yeah, I do this thing when I'm walking through a parking lot, where I count the amount of steps I take between each line. I also "cannot" take a step where a parking space line would be if you imagine it extended across the blacktop. The thing is, if I'm getting annoyed that I'm doing this, I look up and ignore the lines so that I can't really see them, and then I don't care where I step.

    I agree with Lex, that if you these habits are difficult for you to overcome or ifthey go from habit to real hassle, talking to somebody could help.
     
    #7 Markio, Dec 31, 2009
  8. Chip

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    I'm in agreement that this sounds like a form of OCD. It might be worth a session or two with a psychologist (NOT a psychiatrist) to discuss the tendencies you have, when they started to develop, and the details of what you are experiencing and how it is affecting you.

    It doesn't sound like the issues are affecting your daily life at this point, but if you have noticed an increase in those tendencies, or if the tendency to do things compulsively changes depending on your stress level or other factors, then it is definitely something you want to address.

    The reason that I suggest seeing a psychologist rather than a psychiatrist is because the psychiatrist's immediate solution is to prescribe drugs to deal with OCD symptoms. The drugs do often work, but you don't want to find yourself stuck on a long-term medication regimen unless it's the only real option. A psychologist or other therapist can work with you using behavior modification and other techniques to help "retrain" your brain and resolve the issue without the need for medication in many cases. Only if the therapist recommends referral to a psychiatrist should you consider the medication route.
     
    #8 Chip, Dec 31, 2009
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