Hi everyone, I’m a 17 year old teenage girl and have been struggling immensely with my OCD. I have suicidal OCD and I can’t seem to get better no matter what I try. It’s exhausting to have to deal with and I want it to stop.

Hello Emma! I know that this theme can seem so heart wrenching and tiring. Hang in there because there is HOPE! Are you currently practicing ERP? If you do not have a therapist NOCD can help. They helped get me out of my bed and out of being stuck in my house and into the world functioning again. There are also great groups NOCD offers and I find it so helpful to relate to other people with the same OCD struggles as me. Let me know if I can help and check out NOCD or have your parents check them out since you are 17. Good luck!

Hi , I’m so sorry you’re dealing with it I currently am to and it’s awful so exhausting like you said I hope the best for us and everyone else ❤️

Hi Emma. You are so right that dealing with OCD is exhausting, and it is very natural to want it to stop. I have had OCD for many years, and through ERP therapy, I have been able to retrain my brain on how to treat intrusive thoughts when they enter into my mind. I am able to accept the thoughts, and do nothing with them, i.e., no compulsions. That does not mean I do not feel anxiety, I do, but I do not allow OCD to be in charge. If you are able to do ERP therapy, that is the gold standard for treatment. I will also emphasize that compulsions will only make the OCD STRONGER. Yes, it may help in the short term, but doing a compulsion tells the brain that the intrusive thought is important - when in reality it is a false alarm. I hope this helps. Please feel free to respond if you need some clarification.