The Most Terrifying Mental Health Experience

100% this. Letting things go well and be well and not problematizing my reality out of boredom or fear has been one of the most challenging aspects of recovery for me. Thank you, Mark!

I’m still getting “ intrusive thoughts” but I don’t really care about them no more what’s really scary is that everything that I’ve believed and done was built around fear I feel like I’m starting my life all over for the first time not being controlled by anxiety or thoughts. It’s like I’m born again and have to redo everything in my life and it’s scary but it’s ok scared is just an emotion and it’s ok

Such a chill neighborly ambience for such strength and experience thanks for this insight

I remember how I used to learn a certain amount of time during the day in order to not fail my exams. When I changed the mindset to "I am going to learn because I want to get to know new law knowledge to help other people in life" that was far less stressful and fulfilling and the results were the same. I am glad that I could finish my studies with this changed motivation and your videos were a great anchor during that progress. Thanks :)

When you described this moment with the leaves and the silence. I remember a moment while riding my bike and I felt the happiest I have ever felt, it was sunny and nice. Serene. Then it went downhill with compulsions (and I in fact also went downhill on my bike hahaha). Thank you for this wonderful insight! And your amazing book!

Hi Mark. I found your channel years ago when I was in the depths of OCD. Very helpful videos. I just wanted to say thank you. I had crippling OCD that told me I was cursed and would harm other people if I didn’t do compulsions. Now I have recovered. I am a qualified mental health nurse and CBT therapist. Good work, keep it up 👍

I heard this story from ya and i was thinking about it the other day and i came to a conclusion that it means to not be attached to the good and the bad.

Hey Mark, just wanted to say thank you for spreading your knowledge and giving your own advice on how to overcome OCD. You started making videos again right when I needed some reminders on how to deal with intrusive thoughts. You say a lot of things which click so well in my mind, most likely because you have first hand experience! It can be difficult sometimes, but I always try to remember that it's all the same. I feel uncomfortable, I do a compulsion, temporary reassurance, it comes back again. Being able to acknowledge things, sit with uncomfortable feelings, and move on and continue to do the things I want to do, is the gold standard. In the moment it can feel so real! But I guess that's the experience!

Something you said around needing to fix problems to feel value really struck a chord with me. I had a nervous breakdown 3 months ago and was self harming. Trying to get well enough to return to work but haven’t figured out how to break old habits of filling every moment with purpose which I traditionally got with work but at the expense of my mental and physical health. I have just transposed work with redecorating my whole house - constantly needing to be busy

One thing that helped me in recovery was setting a goal to go on a cruise to Europe - I gave myself something positive to look forward to. I needed motivation to get unstuck. And the cruise was an amazing experience! I found that I could still do and enjoy something I valued, even with occasionally having thoughts I didn't like. Catastrophe did not strike 😆 Now just trying to apply that knowledge to my everyday life where I sometimes do get bored, and my mind wants to revert to the fixing and controlling pattern.

Mark, this video is AMAZING!!! This explains exactly where I’m at in my journey! I’m realizing I’ve spent my entire life worrying about something + I’m getting glimpses as to what that peace is like and it’s wonderful! I am enjoying expanding my practice + it is so wonderful to know that this can be our new normal! Thank you for all you do! 💛🤗

A thousand thanks 🙏 for this life changing take on something that I was suffering from.:)

What a great video. Thank you so much Mark.

Great video, thank you for the knowledge ❤

Wow, you give such awesome, experienced advice. Thank you for this! I have definitely noticed this phenomenon in my recovery journey. Strange how accepting good things for yourself can be so hard. But I'm getting there 😁

I still don't get why "you are not your thoughts" and how to understand if my fears are rational or irrational 😢

Hey Mark, I'm so glad you have shared this. Recently I have been trying to find stories from people who are experiencing the unsettling/deeply unfamiliar feeling of positive change - many articles focus on the negative when we fall into ill health, but so often it's never about the reverse (when things go from bad to good). It's like I'm experiencing DPDR but nothing is wrong! My brain is in the habit of accessing still, so even everything being perfectly calm and ok feels unreal. I would love to hear more from you about stepping into this new normal and just allowing yourself to be, planning a future full of the values you talk about, rather than sculpting it around what anxiety and depression makes just about possible. I can especially relate to things feeling dull and boring when mental health improves, after so many years of constant adrenaline and fear. Thank you for all that you do!

Hii mark ..... I have been having intrusive images or thoughts like from last year I didnt knew what it was but once it came it didn't stick around but now from last month I started having some harm thoughts or you can say disturbing thought and have been puking like 4-5 times a week daily and like my whole month including Feb went distressing and crying all day.. dealing with crippling anxiety my exams are around too and I can't really focus but then 4 days ago your video popped up in my YouTube feed and your advices and way of explaining and everything has helped me alot ....like now no longer those ruminative thoughts would come and even if they would I can see my mind different than me now in the morning it did trouble me a little bit then I chose to not give it any attention it did go thanku you have helped me alot I can see the effect in just four days and for upcoming ocd thoughts ill do the same and hope of living and enjoying my life just like before thanku mark u are amazing...may god bless you and stay happy and healthy 💞 🙏🏻🌟

Thanks mark. I lost my job and been looking for one. Super stressed! Brought back a thought which I checked. And I judged it. Then went to a compulsion. I’ve been commenting online more arguing. Been more in my head. Didn’t wanna watch this cause sometimes I’m just too lazy to work on my mental health. But I’m gonna read your book again. Refresher. Have a great Christmas

Thanks mark, I was thinking this earlier, How to realise the path of being healthy and experiencing peace, and as i exoerienced it more so, i thought well why do i assume it was so diffucult? Well, aside from having mental illness for years, its a shock, and it must be easier at least until we do exprrience it more so and show the brain that its ok to be at peace in srlf compassion or whatever it means fof us,, it must be more of a challenge to get back to that, so not allowing the beliefs/ thoights from the judgemrnts become convincing again i suppose (or other).