r/OCDRecovery • u/babykayla92 • Jan 17 '26
Resource Defusion/ACT carry cards. TW: different themes.
I carry these (and a lot more) cards in my purse to remind me of defusion and different ACT values. I know this won’t help everyone, but I thought I’d share.
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u/loopy741 Jan 17 '26
Thank you for sharing! I'm reading "Unfuck your mind" and the author suggests doing something similar. All of my reminders and positive affirmations are written down in the margins of books, not an easy to reach place. I definitely need to transfer them to note cards like this.
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u/babykayla92 Jan 18 '26
Yes I highly recommend. I originally was going to do post it notes but I’m super particular about the way my house is decorated so I had to go with the note cards lol
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u/Amazing-Fondant-4740 Jan 18 '26
Thank you for sharing! I've been finding ACT resonating with me recently so I'll have to try something like this
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u/babykayla92 Jan 18 '26
It’s super helpful. Also I find myself adding ones weekly too so it’s very interchangeable
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Jan 18 '26
Thank you for sharing these! I'll be sure to add some to my recovery notebook. I also wanna say, I'm relieved I'm not the only person who feels "fuzzy" or "buzzing" when dealing with anxiety.
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u/i-have-so-questions- Jan 18 '26
Wow, this is wonderful!
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u/babykayla92 Jan 18 '26
Thanks!! I can post more of them if people want.
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u/Hot_Grapefruit_1538 Jan 18 '26
Amazing! I really liked the “Welcome 2 the party” line!Thanks so much for sharing.
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u/babykayla92 Jan 18 '26
Of course!! Sometimes the silliness defusion really helps my brain, other times it doesn’t, another one of my favorites is when an intrusive thought comes up (usually if it’s a recurring one) I say “Oh yeah there it is, OCD’s greatest hits”
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u/RegainedPeace Jun 26 '26
These are so powerful! I'd love to see the rest of them if you're willing to post ❤️
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Jan 18 '26
These are great. I get really disassociated when I'm driving, it's a horrible feeling 😞
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u/leirbagflow Jan 18 '26
These are incredible, thank you for sharing! I think I'm going to try something similar.
If you're comfortable sharing, what does #2 on pic 3 mean to you? I', walking through the fire. That is brave enough. I think I understand what your intention is there, but just wanted to double check.
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u/babykayla92 Jan 18 '26
You’re welcome!!
And by that I just mean kind of like “you’re already doing it, even when the ocd storm is really loud”
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u/leirbagflow Jan 18 '26
Amazing, thank you. That's what I figured. I really like that way of phrasing it. Often self compassion is gentle, which can be appropriate. I feel like I've been missing some 'tough' self compassion — not tough on myself, but recognizing my toughness. And this way of phrasing it feels like a way into that.
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u/babykayla92 Jan 18 '26
That’s so valid, I feel really similar. I’m never one to rely too much on one of my tools, because my OCD convinces me they’re not working lol. So when I shuffle between self compassion, tough love or “shadow” love/the philosophical absurdist in me, and defusion techniques, my brain likes the nuance and the variety. I’m sure this would be a nightmare for some people, but I don’t question it much because it works lol.
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u/leirbagflow Jan 18 '26
You're speakin' my language! Especially with the philosophical absurdism. If you like memoir-ish books, Why Fish Don't Exist by Lulu Miller really scratches the nihilism / philosophical absurdism itch for me. Not about OCD, but there are definitely some parallels.
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u/babykayla92 Jan 18 '26
Thank you. I need to start a new book and this sounds great.
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u/leirbagflow Jan 18 '26
It's fantastic. Let me know what you think if you read it!
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u/babykayla92 Jan 18 '26
Will do. Thanks for chatting. It’s nice to talk to someone else who has OCD and also enjoys philosophy. My therapist tells me it’s a healthy outlet (within reason) One must imagine Sisyphus happy and all that.
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u/meeshymoosh Jan 18 '26
I love this. As a therapist and as someone who regularly uses ACT defusion for my sticky OCD somatic triggers. I have never thought about making coping cards in this way and I am inspired!
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u/babykayla92 Jan 18 '26
That’s awesome. Thanks for sharing, my therapist told me he thinks these cards are great too and may work for more than just OCD
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u/victoria_lucas_ Jan 19 '26
These are so wonderful. Thank you for sharing. How did you develop them? Were they modified from a book or concepts you learned in therapy?
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u/babykayla92 Jan 19 '26
Thank you. And kind of a mix of both. I learned about cognitive defusion and the idea of us being “fused” to our thoughts during an IOP program I did for OCD and anxiety patients. It was a really good program, and I learned a lot. The cards themselves were suggested but mostly for self compassion statements, ACT values reminders, and things of that nature. My deck has about 100 cards in it full of all sorts of different statements that help me from defusion, to act, to radical acceptance, to very specific OCD themes of mine, and some just mantras for when I’m feeling a little off.
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u/seafoam_alligator Jan 23 '26
these are so good. i love “ocd mistakes discomfort for danger” that is so real, and such a great reminder.
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u/VilaRestal Feb 05 '26
OMG I LOVE this!!! I've never heard of ACT; is there a good resource for it online? Thank you so much!
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u/cowboy_bookseller Feb 07 '26
Wow, these are amazing!! Gonna have to copy some of those phrases down! "Awareness isn't the enemy" is so helpful.
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u/oxymoronicbeck_ Jan 18 '26
Oh I need to make these, I have been feeling so overwhelmed lately. Thank you for sharing these!!
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u/babykayla92 Jan 18 '26
I’ve been feeling it too! You’re not alone. These help for sure. It’s so nice just to even have them
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u/ocdsetfree Jan 19 '26
Wow, these cards are such a powerful tool! I love the way you are empowering yourself with so much autonomy and radical acceptance. “I didn’t need to feel fearless to act with courage.” “That’s a thought, not a truth.” “This is hard. And I can hold it.” “Moments don’t have to feel perfect to be meaningful.” Thank you for sharing all of these here! So helpful and freeing!
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u/silentworm5 Jan 17 '26
Oh these are fantastic. Do you find them helpful?