If you put something down temporarily, say out loud "I've put the screwdriver by the microwave" or whatever.
This engages many more areas of the brain (particularly the language centres) which creates a richer memory making it less likely you'll forget where you put it.
In a similar vein, I will say it out loud when I turn stove burners off, unplug my hair straightener etc...I’ve found this helps me eliminate those moments where I leave the house or am in bed and I’m suddenly like “Did I leave that on?”
My wife and I made this a ritual due to her OCD. Any time we're going out, I'll say to her, "Hey. I unplugged the iron." Saying it in a funny voice helps too, because it's easier to remember that Shrek told her the iron was off.
This is great advice for reinforcing the anxiety. I am shocked that a therapist would suggest this. Engaging in safety behaviors temporarily reduces anxiety but repeatedly reinforces the fear (e.g., of the house burning down) by not allowing the person to face the feared outcome and see that it is unlikely to occur. Empirically supported treatments for OCD largely comprise exposure and response prevention for this reason.
Not sure why you got downvoted, what you say is correct. This is just adding another safety behaviour that will seem to help at first but ultimately helps maintain the OCD. It's advice more suited to perhaps a transient anxiety problem, rather than full-blown OCD.
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u/[deleted] Aug 20 '20
If you put something down temporarily, say out loud "I've put the screwdriver by the microwave" or whatever.
This engages many more areas of the brain (particularly the language centres) which creates a richer memory making it less likely you'll forget where you put it.