Simply trying to suppress distressing thoughts doesn’t work. In a well-known experiment, psychologist Daniel Wegner asked study participants not to think about white bears—and naturally white bears were all they could think about.
Instead, a few cognitive techniques can help to overcome obsessive thoughts in OCD. One is to prove that thoughts don’t control reality by exposing yourself (or your thoughts) to your fear, which is a component of exposure therapy for OCD. Exposure and Response Prevention. Another is to “float” your obsession; instead of trying to get rid of it, envision it floating down a river and becoming smaller as you focus on your breathing.