What has therapy helped you regain? For me, OCD has tried to take so many things, it's hard to know where to start...the most difficult thing it has taken has been time. Time with my friends, family, and loved ones. Time spent on doing things I didn't want to do because OCD tried to control my life. ERP therapy helped me regain my freedom, my time, my energy- being able to put it towards the things that I value, the things that matter to me. Therapy helped me to do things I never thought was possible. Having the support of a professional who specialized in treating OCD made all the difference. Today, I still use the skills I learned and continue to grow. I couldn't have done it alone. What has it tried to take from you and what has therapy helped you to regain?

I think OCD has took three things from me. -Time -Happiness -A sense of safety

Job opportunities Happiness Peace Time Relationships

My OCD took away: My sleep My sanity My ability to study or be in class My peace My ability to be in chapel and pray Having done ERP, I can now: Pay attention in class - anxiety free! Be in chapel Do my homework Enjoy the sunshine ☀️ Feel confident in who I am Read Have peace of mind I am so grateful for ERP!! 💠💙

-Confidence -Sex Life -Enjoyment of many thinks -make sens of my desires vs intrusive ideas

As I continue with ERP, I'm regaining: - time to do things I value - confidence that I can handle difficult things - my ability to travel further from home, especially by plane

Haven't started treatment but I lost most of me, my sense of trust in myself, my sexual orientation identity is lost . Happiness.

1. My social life 2. Life enjoyment 3. Lost my job We got to kick OCD right back 💪 so it takes less and less from us

Keep it up guys. Ws are in this together

-Happiness -motivation -time

OCD took so many days away from me. It took my happiness. It took my time. It felt like it took everything away from me. Therapy and medication gave me my life back.

Time. The ability to concentrate for a career. Peace I hope to be able to start better and do something better and feel peaceful in my life instead of constant internal chaos and anguish.

My sense of safety, happiness, loving different foods

I’m in the middle of ERP now so I don’t feel I’ve regained everything yet, but I already feel I’ve regained some sense of agency. My therapist has been helping me eliminate my compulsive rumination which I didn’t know I could (or should!) do.

I just got on this app, desperate to find somewhere where I can talk. Hope this app is gonna help. I think that it has mostly také from me: -time -happiness, motivation -self confidence -control

Confidence, believing in myself and deffiantly time.. I'd say obviously I can't get time back but I'm not wasting much time on OCD anymore and I've took back believing in myself, I'm still working on the confidence.

-motivation -social life -happyness -my sexual and gender identity It Feels like i don't know Who i am anymore

I am just starting ERP, but OCD has taken so much from me in recent times. -my ability to enjoy my relationship and feel safe love for my partner -my ability to go to work and function -in general, my ability to live life the way I want to. I am so filled with fear but I have hope for this ERP process, after all - If I don't risk potential suffering through ERP now, I will be suffering with rampant/uncontained OCD for the rest of my life.

Like many others here - happiness, a true sense of self. Knowing thoughts are irrational but still having that voice saying "What if?" is a kind of prison only those who carry this pain not in their blood, but in their soul, could ever understand.

My relationship with God and my partner. Quality of life. Purpose/drive. Identity.

My childhood. Security. Positivity.

Time Loved ones connections My peace My belongings My freedom of movement and choice

Relationship, content-ness, freedom, confidence, and youthful looking hands lol

Being able to think freely. My creativity.

I lost my life! My friends, Church family, My inner peace My livelihood, self respect...and other thing. I became a hermit and never left the house.

My life

it took away my self-love

To know that I was not a freak and not the only person experiencing this disorder... Is healing! Regardless of what I lost.... To have lived 50 years with this condition makes me feel like a warrior of note...

I lost time with my first child and a lot of trust in myself and my partners trust. But I have gained back most of that and continue to gain things back. I still grieve the loss of time with my child when she was a newborn.

It’s taken away my faith and trust to love and share my love with others :( and the ability to be in the present and to somewhat fearlessly take on the world. I was a lot less sensitive, a lot more bold, a lot more shamelessly myself in a lot of ways. On a positive note, OCD has given me a lot of lessons too. I’ve gotten to know myself WELL. And I don’t blindly trust everyone and everything so they can walk all over me anymore. It’s helped me understand the balance of boundaries and what clearly matters to me in my life. It’s helping me find emotions and accept those emotions instead of running from them.

I haven’t posted anything for a long time. I have said it many times, talking always helps. Saturday morning I was talking to my Wife. We had just finished having breakfast at our home. It was a great moment. Saturday morning, great food, coffee and great conversation, what could possibly go wrong? Then OCD knocked on my door! 🤦🏻‍♂️ I was telling my Wife about an old friend. He was an elderly man who passed away some 10 years ago. I said hi to him on one ocassion. I was with one of my boys at the grocery store. I’m not sure which one. I have two sons and a daughter. It was a long time ago. It may have been 20 years ago. He said “Hey Jimmy, buy that boy some candy” We were standing right next to the Brach’s Candy Display. I used to love that candy when I was a kid. I just smiled and shook my friends hand; the same way that I always did. I have nothing but fond memories of him. I was happy on Saturday, at home, as I always am when I’m with my Wife. We were planning on going to watch the movie Elvis that evening. We did and it was great, but my mind was nagging me the whole time. It’s not fair! Which one of my boys was with me on that distant day when I saw my friend at the grocery store? Was it the older one or the younger one? My boys are 29 and 23 years old now. The one that was with me that day must’ve been around 5 at the time. It was long ago! My compulsion, since Saturday, has been to relive that moment in my mind until I get it just right and see it in my head. “Which one of my Sons was with me?” OCD demands. The more give in, the more I have to keep repeating that movie in my mind. It’s overwhelming. I try to do the best that I can with everything else in my life, but it weighs me down. It causes me to have headaches. I don’t want to get out of bed in the morning so I won’t have to face the need in my head to replay the movie. Furthermore, I experience feelings of guilt because I love my kids to the moon and back. I shouldn’t feel bad about remembering something as beautiful and sacred as a memory of one of my kids when he was little! Fortunately, I know it’s all just…OCD. I know all about the guilt, the internal nagging and the need to ruminate endlessly. I also know that sharing it, letting it out of the confines of my head, opens the release valve and the pressure goes away! I hope this message will help someone else with their struggle. If that happens, I will be eternally grateful for mine. Kindest regards James

I was able to look my self in the mirror. Not anymore. I'm afraid of being attracted to me (you hear it, as strange as it sounds).

-Security -Confidence -Time -Relationships and much more

My identity

holidays, family events, happiness, time, moments with my child, sex drive and sanity

Time (Opportunities to learn and work) Self-confidence - I am always afraid and self-conscious Social life - no friend, relative, partner Career - job opportunities and higher education Happiness - I am literally afraid to be happy as it never lasts long. Also being treated for depression Health - couldn't attend to my hygiene in the past. Now suffering the consequences.

My free thinking.

I haven't been clinically diagnosed, I've been waitlisted at an ocd clinic where I live, but I feel like ROCD and SO-OCD have taken: Time My sense of self and identity My self esteem Money Happiness Energy A relationship Peace of mind

Being able too chill and do nothing and be happy in my thoughts by myself without having an existential crisis on wether or not I'm going crazy or am a bad person

Patience , time, and ability to focus

Beautiful description of what I'm going through. Thanks for sharing

My free thinking. Writing skills.

My childhood and a sense of being normal

The ability to leave my home without fear of being arrested. Or that people around me can't read my thoughts!

Time. Mental security.

Relationships Love Identify Social life Joyfulness Motivation Peace

Confidence and relationships (I’m still holding on to some)

Happy moments with friends and family Desire to travel and discover the world (Im afraid i might 'turn' into what my thoughts suggest me i am) my clothes and my health (put on a lot of weight due to depression) concentration on my studies Peace of mind Pleasure derived from films, places Self-confidence Some friendships (I had no strength to communicate with people) Parties Some days at work It even took away the chance to grieve the loss of a 'relationship'. I was so deep in my ocd-related pain that I ended up pushing too hard, as a form of compulsion 😥

I've lost almost all of my relationships to OCD. It has taken my ability to find comfort in others away. I have had so my variations throughout my life: harm to self, harm to others, AIDS, driving, scrupulously, BDD, trich, and magical thinking ocd

A sense of what's true and false about religion. My relationships. My sense of safety. Normalcy.

It is taking away my entire life 😭😭😭😭

I've regained relationships, happiness, time, my mind and freedom of thought.

ocd took away my time, my happiness, and my sense of security. it almost took away me snuggling with my cat and hanging out with my little brother too.

Self esteem, love of life, healthy marriage, self worth

It robbed me of 30 years of happiness, stole my time with loved ones, family, friends..it kept me from better jobs. I can only describe it with the analogy from the movie "Superman Returns" where Lex Luther, the villain, has used Superman's "crystals"...his own property...to damage him; unbeknownst to Superman, he confronts Luthor, who begins an onslaught of hurt upon superman(he is surrounded by an island infused with Kryptonite rendering him completely vulnerable) and ultimately is overwhelmed by Luthor's hitmen; Luthor delivers a damaging stab using a sharpened shard of kryptonite and Superman falls powerless into the ocean. This is exactly how I've felt in my 30 years before therapy. like a defeated superman, succumbing to his weakness without knowing what hurt him. https://youtu.be/xT6p4O7altU

Time, so so so much time

Relationships Pride Self esteem

My marriage is the most important thing it has destroyed I had a very traumatic childhood with lots of damage from birth until I was 14 then it kinda leveled out just because I moved with my grandparents then but I'm 30 now and I just found out I have ocd about a year and a half ago so I've been dealing with this not knowing there was something wrong. I have intrusive thoughts with no physical compulsions mainly. I do need certain things a certain way whether it be how I sit in a car while I'm driving I'll keep fixing the seat till it feels right no matter how long it takes. I've went on road trips before for 3 to 4 hours and just fixing the seat the whole time. I thought my thoughts were what everyone thought until I got married and said what I had just thought and my wife thought I was joking so I suppressed the thoughts until a year ago suppressed as in didn't share them with my wife. Now this will be out 8th year of marriage probably the last and we watched a movie and I said what I had thought about a certain scene and so did she well she was shocked at my answer so I began tell my intrusive thoughts to her and she said sounds like OCD. Nf really helps when I start to feel trapped I always am trapped but I have disassociated my feelings to the point of being numb to everything wife's fed up I had to be taught how to actually love by this woman no joke but now it's too late and idk how to cope thoughts just keep pouring in my head we are separated atm I just need help I'm sorry 😔

Hi Stacy, I’m going to contact you soon. I have been on medication for almost 20 years. It has definitely helped, but I still suffer quite a bit. I want the pain to go away.

Confidence Happiness Time

I have not started ERP yet (still a few sessions away), but OCD has taken away my self confidence and self esteem. I don't trust my own decisions.

My self awareness, i no longer know what emotion I'm feeling most of the time due to doubt and false attraction But I haven't started treatment yet

Time Peace Career Money Relationships Happiness And hope

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Ds. Sanaa XS ds d wlxkxlc x XS. Scs naz B cca do. Xx ssds xs sad. Lm s C kids nzsllh z s a l s s B. So zz. S. Less. So. C wds. B s ds. Ds. Ds B x. S a s ce

Zhappy oh o. Onobsciv no I. Happy b

sense of self, happiness and confidence and self worth

I feel like a Monster i feel disgusted with my self i get these sick twisted ideas and i hate it and im always trying to re asure my selft that im not a monster but keep and keep getting this ideas i am loosing sleep from this it sucks a whole lot I havnt had a full night of sleep in about a month because i keep getting these thoughts i just want it to stop i just want to feel normal and happy again.

The ability to leave the house, alone, just for fun. Taking risks and making my life how I actually want it to be.

1. Confidence 2. Social skills 3. Time

I hv no money to pay for therapist so plz advice can I do erp with my own and how

I lost a relationship and friendships but I recognize that it had to happen to push myself to go to therapy - I am afraid as I just broke up a week ago and then facing my traumas and recognizing my behaviors- it’s time - I hope I can reconcile but that not important right now as my ex is also fresh out of rehab for his mental struggles - different paths and he dumped me becuase my ocd was triggered and I cannot go explain why this was happening - we were fighting more and more - now that doesn’t matter I have let go and looking foward to my recovery for OCD and loving myself and letting fears go - the future is just an abstract -

I hope therapy goes well for you. Remember to be kind to yourself; I found that's just as important as therapy itself. Excuse yourself if the intrusive thoughts - they are not who you are.

Time, time, and probably some more time

A lot. Not everything, and it's even given me some things, but it's taken much more.

OCD has taken -Being able to have Joy in the small moments of life -being able to really enjoy being with the people I love -traveling and adventures -being able to be creative (it takes so much of my thought power to think about obsessions) -doing things for others, I want to give back but I’m barely hanging on -finding enjoyment in my work -being able to attend my church without fear I have my first therapy appt today. I’m ready to fight to get these things back.

Almost everything

Ocd took away my social life, happiness, and wellness

I can’t afford it :(

Understanding compassion possibilities

Time, Hobbies, a Girlfriend and now Its currently trying to take my musical career away from me... :/

Took away my confidence, peace, and ambition

OCD has definitely started really controlling my life has gotten extremely worse since the loss of my husband... He was my rock he kept me balanced level he helped me in more ways than I could ever imagine... Now I live with this and try so desperately I'm just not able to get control 😔

Sleep My writing Time The ability to try new things and travel My ability to enjoy life Peace

-Happiness -Trust In Myself (thoughts, emotions, memories) - Ability to just be - Time

Peace of mind, joy, confidence, friends

Happiness Time Reality

Time and happiness

Productivity and creative thinking.

:(