Why Trying to “Get Rid” of OCD Thoughts Doesn’t Work (And What to Do Instead)

If you live with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) or experience intrusive thoughts, you already know how exhausting and discouraging it can be to try and “make them go away.” These thoughts are often intense, disturbing, and unwanted. And yet, the harder you try to eliminate them, the stronger and more persistent they seem to become. You might find yourself stuck in endless loops of rumination, compulsive behavior, or avoidance—anything to find relief from the mental noise.

The traditional approach many people take—whether consciously or unconsciously—is to fight these thoughts. To push them out. To reason with them. To control the mind.

But what if control isn’t the answer?

At Bydand Therapy, we specialize in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a modern behavioral approach that offers a radically different path: one that doesn’t rely on suppression or control, but on psychological flexibility and personal values. If you feel like your attempts to “fix” your thoughts are only making things worse, you’re not alone—and there’s another way.

The Trap of Thought Suppression

Let’s begin with the core trap many people fall into: thought suppression.

When you believe a thought is dangerous, morally wrong, or proof that something is terribly wrong with you, it becomes incredibly tempting to try to get rid of it. You might find yourself doing things like:

• Constant mental checking (“Did I lock the door? Am I sure?”)

• Avoiding triggers (e.g., skipping certain places, people, or objects)

• Seeking reassurance (“You don’t think I would ever do that, right?”)

• Engaging in compulsions to “cancel out” the thought

The problem is, these strategies are short-term fixes at best. They provide momentary relief, but they feed the cycle in the long run. Trying to suppress a thought can actually make it stronger, a phenomenon known as the “rebound effect.” Like trying not to think of a pink elephant, your brain keeps circling back—louder, more insistent, more distressing.

That’s because suppression is still a form of fusion. You’re still buying into the belief that the thought must be controlled, and that it has the power to dictate your reality.

ACT’s Alternative: Freedom, Not Control

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy doesn’t try to change or eliminate your thoughts. Instead, it teaches you how to change your relationship to them. The core tools of ACT are designed to help you build psychological flexibility—your ability to stay present, accept what shows up, and move toward what truly matters to you.

Here’s how ACT helps with OCD and intrusive thoughts:

1. Cognitive Defusion

In ACT, we use the term “cognitive defusion” to describe the process of unhooking from your thoughts. Rather than automatically accepting your mind’s stories as facts, ACT helps you see them as just thoughts. For example, a thought like “What if I’m a terrible person?” doesn’t require proof or disproof—it’s just a sentence in your mind.

You can learn to say, “I notice I’m having the thought that I might be a terrible person,” which gives you distance and reduces the thought’s power.

2. Acceptance Over Suppression

Acceptance isn’t resignation. It’s the courageous act of making room for unwanted thoughts and feelings without trying to control them. When you practice acceptance, you’re allowing the internal experience to exist without needing to do anything about it.

At Bydand Therapy, we often describe this to clients as the difference between sitting at the table with your intrusive thoughts and trying to wrestle them out the door. When you sit with them, they eventually lose their grip.

3. Present-Moment Awareness

Intrusive thoughts often drag you into the past (“What did I do?”) or future (“What if I do something awful?”). ACT anchors you in the here and now. You learn how to notice your breath, your surroundings, your senses—whatever is actually happening in this moment.

This helps shift attention away from imagined scenarios and back to real life—where your actual choices and values exist.

4. Self-as-Context

One of ACT’s most profound insights is that you are not your thoughts. You’re not even the thinker of your thoughts—you’re the observer. The witnessing self. This concept, known as “self-as-context,” allows you to experience distressing thoughts without being defined by them.

You might have 100 anxious thoughts in a day and still be a kind, loving, responsible person. Thoughts don’t make you who you are. ACT helps you ground yourself in that deeper identity.

5. Values-Based Action

Ultimately, ACT is about helping you live a meaningful life, even with discomfort. Values—such as love, courage, honesty, or creativity—give you direction. Rather than waiting until your thoughts disappear (which may never happen), you learn to move toward what matters to you, side by side with your OCD symptoms.

At Bydand Therapy, we help clients reconnect with their values and use them as a compass for action. This might look like engaging in relationships, pursuing hobbies, or taking career steps—all while allowing thoughts to come and go in the background.

What Freedom Looks Like

When you stop trying to eliminate your thoughts and start practicing ACT, something subtle but powerful begins to happen. You’re no longer spending your energy monitoring your mind for danger. You’re no longer playing whack-a-mole with every intrusive idea. Instead, you’re living. You’re making room for the full human experience—messy, meaningful, and real.

Freedom doesn’t mean the thoughts go away forever. It means they lose their power over you.

At Bydand Therapy, we often say that recovery isn’t about eliminating the storm—it’s about learning to dance in the rain. You can have a mind full of noise and still live with purpose and peace.

You Don’t Have to Do This Alone

If you’ve been struggling with OCD or intrusive thoughts, know that you’re not broken—and you don’t need to be fixed. You need a new way to relate to your mind. ACT provides that framework, and with skilled guidance, you can begin to break free from the control cycle and reclaim your life.

Bydand Therapy offers telehealth sessions across California and Wyoming, with a focus on ACT for OCD and related anxiety issues. We’ll walk alongside you, not to help you control your mind, but to help you unhook from it—and move toward what truly matters.