i had my doctors appointment yesterday and it felt great to talk about everything. i was told to eat healthier, exercise at night and try out CBT. she told me she wouldn't give me medication just yet and that i should try the CBT first. has anyone experienced this? how did it go for you?

i've been so hung up on the idea that medication is the best solution, but talking to her helped. she did say that we could see how it goes, but she wouldn't recommend just medication alone. thank you for sharing your experience❤

Totally! For me it was meditation and erp that healed me! Meds are like a temporary solution when you feel extremely overwhelmed, while erp and meditation make you change the way you see things and built you from scratch permanently. They change you from neurotic to a person that sees everything and judges nothing which in turn helps you let all bad thoughts pass without causing you pain.

@LydiaK thank you! can i ask how you got into meditation? was it through an app or youtube videos? i've never tried it before, so i want to make sure i do it correctly

oh, i'll have to look onto guided and silent medications. i've had such a strong belief that i won't be 'fixed' without medication, but maybe it isn't the best thing to jump right in to i've seen that yoga helps a lot, and i've definitely considered it! i've lacked a lot of motivation since these thoughts prevent me from sleeping, but i'll try and work some yoga into my daily life! perhaps it could replace the exercise my doctor recommended - or maybe both would be better i'm definitely willing to give CBT a try; it's better than sitting around and doing nothing. my doctor made sure to let me know that i can always contact her if i'm having issues, so i'll make sure to keep her involved to find the best treatment. thank you for sharing your experience! & thank you for the advice too! i'll start looking for a yoga app or routine now❤

just reread and realised you said meditation, not medication🤦‍♀️ sorry, please ignore the first part of my response

@smallescape No worries. I know CBT doesn’t work for everyone but it really helped me.

my doctor was just a normal doctor from my surgery. i'm from the UK and we have a free counselling service (which is where i'll be getting help from). i'm not sure it specialises in OCD, but we'll see

@smallescape I wouldn’t do CBT. It’ll make your OCD worse.

@Nica thank you for letting me know! i might have to look into it a little more beforehand. currently, it's the only free option available to me, so i want to try it first if you don't mind me asking, what is it about CBT that you wouldn't recommend?

@smallescape CBT is about analyzing your thoughts and feelings, which you shouldn’t do with OCD.

@Nica ah, thank you! i wasn't aware of that. i'll discuss alternative options with my doctor

@Nica CBT is a general term describing different psychoanalytic techniques. In CBT belongs ERP too, so perhaps her therapist meant that. But don't quote me.

@LydiaK I know about the terms. When people say CBT, the majority of the time they’re talking about the basic of CBT that is often used for people with depression, some anxiety disorders, PTSD, etc. It shouldn’t be used for people with OCD because it can easily turn into rumination and reassurance seeking. That’s why people specifics between saying CBT and ERP if they know what they’re talking about.

@Nica i haven't received a formal diagnosis yet, so that could be why CBT has been suggested to me so far? i'm going to be assessed when the centre gets back in contact with me, so the treatment plan may change. is ERP something you'd suggest instead? i'm willing to give everything a go if it'll help :)

@smallescape Interesting that your doctor didn’t indicate or refer you to an OCD specialist but sadly, a lot of people, even professionals, do not understand OCD. I suggest looking into Lee Baer and Martin Seif’s books in the meantime. They’re very helpful! ❤️

@smallescape The other advice she gave you isn’t bad regarding exercise, meditation, and eating healthier. I’d throw in practicing mindfulness instead of jumping straight into meditation because that can be hard. Look into practicing mindfulness with Thich Nhat Hanh. He’s a zen Buddhist and absolutely fantastic.

@Nica thank you! i'll write those down so i can remember! thank you for being so helpful❤

Depends on the person. Some it helps people sleep and others it doesn’t. You have to try it out personally to see where you fall on that scale.

i don't sleep until late due to thoughts which keep me up, so i trust that exercise would help tire me out. but also a healthier lifestyle just seems a lot better. i haven't been drinking much water, eating well or doing exercise, so i understand what she meant. i will take this into consideration though - I'm planning on trying yoga, exercise, meditation, just anything that'll make this a little easier :)