- Date posted
- 3y
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
The saying goes: "I'm just taking it day by day." but my therapist helped me reword this to "I'm taking it moment by moment." as sometimes, its best not to try to think about the future of our OCD, to rather, just focus on doing our best in this moment. I know it's hard to see it now or believe that it's true, but OCD is very responsive to treatment. Have you practiced ERP by yourself or with a ERP-trained therapist? Also, The Self-Compassion Workbook for OCD by Kimberly Quinlan helped me a lot with suicidal OCD. In her book, she discusses mindful responses to thoughts. For example, you may think: "This thought or feeling will never go away." and the mindful response would be: "This thought is temporary and will pass with time." Another one would be: "This thought is bad." and the mindful response is "This thought is neither good nor bad. It is a thought." Lastly, I'll leave you with a quote from Jon Hershfield: "One of the most effective ways of combating these obsessions is not to fight them at all, but to accept their presence. A thought is not a prediction, instruction, or call to action. A thought is a chemical and electrical event in your brain, neurons firing this way instead of that way. You have weird, unpleasant, or violent thoughts simply as a result of having a brain, which means you can think about anything." It might also be helpful to check out NOCD's support groups just to know you're not alone. ❤️ https://www.treatmyocd.com/support-groups
- Date posted
- 3y
I feel the exact same way right now. I don’t know what to do either but just know you’re not alone.
- Date posted
- 3y
I’m just hoping that therapy is going to work
- Date posted
- 3y
Remember that you are not your I trusted thoughts. Ruminating on them is worse than having them! You cannot control your initial thoughts. You can control engagement with them ( I am learning). OCD is not who you are. And the content of the thoughts does not matter--nor does it indicate anything about you. I think the ONLY way to get over this is to go through this. Sit with the uncertainty and live your life! Let the thoughts come and let them be. Just notice them like a stranger on the street and assign no meaning to it. Just let it be. Be well, friend! We're in this together. We all struggle. And there is hope for us all.
- Date posted
- 3y
Intrusive * not I trusted.
Related posts
- Date posted
- 25w
I been dealing with OCD my entire life but recently I been finding it really difficult to find the slightest relief. I know it’s not good to do but I been trying not to think of the thoughts but of course they come back even stronger. Does anyone know what I could do in the meanwhile ? Thank you
- Date posted
- 22w
I cant get over this thought that is messing my recovery up so much. it was “if you dont act on your thoughts this will never go away” which led to thoughts like if i even wanted to get better, if i even want my life back, if i even WANTED this to go away, etc. im scared. im confused. is this normal? am i gonna have to act on this stuff now? im mainly concerned about my family. i dont wanna hurt them. this disease is horrible. this subtype is horrible. i love my family. why would i want to hurt them? im so afraid this is it for me. i try to do what everyone tells me. ignore the thought, let it sit, sit with the uncertainty/discomfort but the anxiety doesn’t go away. this thought keeps coming back with a vengeance. i thought i was making great progress but im back where i was. i ruminate about this 24/7 and i dont know how to stop. we tried sitting on the couch together last night and it felt like i was RESISTING hurting them. im in constant awareness that i can act on these anytime and it hinders my daily life and work so much. everytime i talk to anyone in my family i feel things like i shouldnt be talking to them if im gonna hurt them and i dont deserve to be around them. i feel like i dont deserve to be alive, i dont deserve to be happy, and i dont deserve to be comfortable. i feel like a psycho whos never gonna get to live life with a husband and family. i feel like i don’t deserve my sweet boyfriend. i dont want my thoughts to latch onto him. this is my mind when i wake up, when i try to go about my day, and when i go to sleep. it feels like it just wont dissipate regardless of what i do. the cycle never ends. its been 4 MONTHS. what the fuck do i do anymore
- Date posted
- 19w
i want to get this out of the way; i’m not suicidal. i’m a 17 y/o guy whose been living with OCD for what i assume is most of my life despite only getting the diagnoses last year. i’ve been hustling on despite my mental health really consuming my life to moments in time where i question my sanity and self control. it’s the lack of control that really kills me with this disorder. each day i wake up, it’s the same persistent reminders; it’s the same meaningless conversations replaying; it’s the same small rituals that just barely let me breathe before the thoughts return. nothing i do is gonna stop that unbearable monogamy where i have to sit back and let my eyes be peeled open; i don’t know how to live with that. no pill has worked on me, and any response i give the thoughts just make them worse. right now i’m trying to just sit through it and not care. don’t let it effect me emotionally; try not to feel the discomfort. then it starts to manifest into physical pain where i feel the bones of my chest have this pressure—like staples entering them at the rhythm of a heart beat. i’m getting though this, but i’m not enjoying my life when doing so. i don’t know if i have a future where it isn’t just this repeating through the process of each day. i don’t want to spend the rest of my life avoiding the one thing i’m supposed to have control over. i also don’t want to drown my days in self medicating or get addicted doing so—like i already am. i don’t see the way to make this life of mine work, especially given how much i don’t have to do deal with at my age. of course that will come to. look, i’m not at risk; i really don’t want in anyway to die despite being basically hopeless. i’m numb to the pain of it, i don’t feel anything in my desire to escape these cycles, i just need an out. i’m not seeing a way to move forward. i’m willing to hear anything.
Be a part of the largest OCD Community
Share your thoughts so the Community can respond