- Date posted
- 3y
- Date posted
- 3y
Fill your days with the actions that you love, And have a purpose, And exercise really has helped me.
- Date posted
- 3y
I will try this also! I could definitely use the exercise haha
- Date posted
- 3y
Hey! You are not alone! I had harm ocd, it was really really bad, i almost wanted to kill myself. I decided to do therapy, i found someone very very pro in my city, and in 1 month he helped me to get rid of it. You have to do ERP exercises, its not simple, but you have to do it step by step, daily. The goal here is to do a list with all the things that you are affraid of, and work first on the one that triggers you the less. You can find a nice channel on Youtube, is called: "OCD and Anxiety" . That guy has a website also, and you can download all the materials you need
- Date posted
- 3y
If you want, i can give you some good advices. Im waiting for your questions
- Date posted
- 3y
Yes please! What kind of exposures helped you? I’m always terrified of driving anymore and it’s just become debilitating for me.
- Date posted
- 3y
Meditation works as it helps you to see being present with your thoughts is ok and also not have the expectation that your intrusive thoughts will go away because they may not. I had the expectation that to feel better I had to get rid of the thoughts and that’s not the case we have to learn to live with them and not see them as threatening. Also erp is essential as I do my exposures at least 4-5 times a week.
- User type
- Therapist
- Date posted
- 3y
I’m sorry you are struggling with this. I agree with many of the comments on here about doing some exposure work on your own. You can start with smaller exposures that cause less anxiety and then work your way up to the bigger exposures. I would also suggest finding a good ERP therapist if you are able to be in therapy.
- Date posted
- 3y
I'm so sorry you're having a rough time right now. You are so not alone, though I know one of the hardest parts is feeling so isolated. ERP is very helpful at managing the distress and working with a therapist will help you see how to implement it on your own, too. The bottom line is that we can't control our thoughts, so acceptance is key. Remember that acceptance does not equal agreement. Just because you accept that a thought is in your head does not mean you want it there. In fact, OCD tends to work counter to our values because that's what gets the reaction. In addition to accepting the thoughts, we also accept the discomfort. When we ruminate on how we're feeling (disgusted, shameful, afraid) it inflates the feeling and keeps us into the OCD cycle. When we recognize what we're feeling and stop arguing with it or trying to make it go away, it often loses steam. Again, in ERP you watch this wave peak and fade which is a powerful cue to your brain that it is possible to feel distress without staying there. I encourage you to check out some support groups, too. OCD is so hard and can be so scary, but there are so many other people like you who are battling it. You've got this! https://www.treatmyocd.com/support-groups
- Date posted
- 3y
Related posts
- Date posted
- 24w
I’m having a big OCD relapse and would like to hear anyone’s tips on how to be present and healthily deal with these intrusive thoughts and the “need” to preform compulsions. Thank you!!
- Date posted
- 20w
I cannot for the life of me stop ruminating or checking how I feel about thoughts or focusing on thoughts or creating more thoughts. I feel like I’m losing my mind. I want to scream. I try not to ruminate about the thoughts, but trying not to just makes me think about them more. I try not to check, but somehow, I still check. I want to let a thought sit in the background, but the more I try not to focus on it, the more I end up focusing on it. I don’t want the thought to expand because that feels like engaging with it, but I can’t just stop it from expanding. It feels impossible. People keep saying I’m in control of my compulsions, and maybe that’s true for the physical ones. But when it comes to the mental compulsions, I swear I have no control. It feels like I’m missing something that everyone else seems to have, like there’s some tool they’re using that I don’t have. Controlling mental compulsions has never felt possible for me. I’m starting to fear them. And every time someone says I’m in control and can just choose not to do them, I end up beating myself up even more when they happen. Or when I *choose* I guess. I don’t know anymore. If this is my fault, if I’m responsible for this, then what does that make me? I feel like a monster. I am at my wits’ end. How am I supposed to control mental compulsions when it feels like they control me? I freak out when they happen. They don’t bring me relief, they just make me panic. I want it to stop so bad.
- Older adults with OCD
- OCD newbies
- Mid-life adults with OCD
- Harm OCD
- Young adults with OCD
- POCD
- Religion & Spirituality OCD
- Relationship OCD
- Date posted
- 20w
At this point I think I’m just tired. Took me a massive amount of strength to even type this. I’ve never had it this bad with anxiety depression and OCD. Firstly, how do you guys handle the trauma that comes with OCD. I recently realized Ive traumatized by own mind. I think this contributes to depression. Also, the thoughts frequency have gotten so high. It just literally jams its self in my brain. Before, I had some sort of control (at least a grip) but this days it’s so hard to try to get a grip. The unwanted feelings too? Omg, reactions that I literally can’t stand plagues me. My mind turns almost everything sexual. It’s crazy 🙃 Then the anxietyyyyyy! Wheew. I’m like a walking anxiety attack, my heart is always beating fast and it’s so painful. Working is so hard because I can’t get a grip, I feel so broken and I don’t think anyone can relate to this. I don’t know what I can do to help. Then the pressure in my head (that causes headache sometimes), sometimes I genuinely think I have a tumor! I’m pregnant so that makes it sadder, makes me wonder what kind of mother this beautiful soul is coming out here to meet. I don’t want to be a sad mother, and I cry more when I realize my child can feel what I feel rn in my belly😔. Another thing, the moment I don’t wanna do something, doesn’t even have to be anything bad. That’s when it feels my mind wants to force me to do it. It’s a whole lot and I’m just holding on to Jesus to help me out. At least he’s here so that’s comforting.
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