- Date posted
- 2y ago
- Date posted
- 2y ago
I haven’t seen anyone on here say it’s a chemical imbalance because that hasn’t been proven. Just like how depression was “said” to be a Chemical I’ll imbalance but that has been debunked. Regarding your situation, everyone is different and you might have extreme OCD that might need inpatient therapy. I can’t say, but a professional can. You also have to look at yourself and what you’ve been doing during those 10 years. And was ERP done correctly with a professional? How many years has that professional had under their belt to help you? Also, what else we’re you doing during this time period: we’re you giving into compulsions, ruminating, constantly seeking reassurance, not going outside and only staying inside, etc. Were you also on a daily schedule? Did you work out and did you learn healthy coping mechanisms and throw out bad coping mechanisms? If you have other mental illnesses, did you also get therapy for your other mental illnesses? Have you been told that facing your fears will feel like death but you don’t die and that yes, in extreme cases you will possibly have a panic attack—or many—during exposures because your brain/OCD doesn’t want to be face to face with triggers. But it needs to in order for you to get better. Same for trauma therapy. It sucks and I went through it and I panicked, but I was DONE, absolutely DONE not living my life and being stuck on a horribly depressing loop of nothingness. There’s A LOT of factors regarding getting better. No one size fits all and it depends on the person. But I’d definitely wouldn’t say ERP doesn’t work. For some people, if you’re at 100% anxiety but you can get it down to 50% anxiety and that’s all that indivisible can do, that’s GOOD. 100% anxiety all day every day is horrible. Been there, done that. I’d say I’m at 15-20% anxiety level throughout the day because I have 4 other mental illnesses and that’s just my state of being. But looking back 8 years ago when I couldn’t get out of my dark walk in closest or else I’d freak the hell out and go into psychosis? I’m living an absolutely amazing life. You can too.
- Date posted
- 2y ago
@Nica 1. Just because you didn’t see anyone say that doesn’t mean I didn’t, because I have. 2. I have been in therapy over ten years. I have worked closely with a trauma therapist and a OCD specialist (who has been in practice over 35 YEARS! He used to run a treatment center for OCD patients and wanted to do one on one work). Both have confirmed exposure therapy will NOT work for me. Because the cause of OCD is different for everyone as you said; but that means that the treatment is different due to the reason. I have been told my OCD is due to a chronic illness I have had since I was 12 that requires constant control and I can’t handle not controlling things because of it. So your wrong it doesn’t always work. I do not qualify for in patent treatment due to my chronic disease 🙃
- Date posted
- 2y ago
@Nica Adding onto that…because of my chronic disease a massive panic attack and stress can LITERALLY kill me. So again wrong. I can not allow myself to reach that point.
- Date posted
- 2y ago
it tends to make my panic attacks hit harder when I get exposed to triggers so I can relate somewhat I’m terrified of it cuz of that exact reason idk if others have an anxiety disorder or not but I feel like I can’t breathe right now cuz the thoughts are so repetitive I cry in anger and loss of hope most of the time I will try medication next see if it eases my ocd AND anxiety but yeah I totally hear where ur coming from I’m going on year 3 with mines.. scared I might be like this forever in all honesty. Maybe get on medication that works first then go from there
- Date posted
- 2y ago
@valkyrie2015 I am so sorry you are experiencing similar issues 😔 I was on medication before and they caused seizures 😂🙃 Do you live with people? I notice any time I am alone or with just my boyfriend on vacation I am so much better. The thought of knowing I can “fix” something whenever I want/need to, makes the urge to fix it way less. That’s the problem with my experience. Living in a situation where if I need to disinfect/wash/move something I can’t because I will get “ Reprimanded”
- Date posted
- 2y ago
There are other treatments like Deep TMS and certain Neuro surgeries for treatment-resistant OCD. You may have another condition that makes ERP harder, but most people heal using ERP even without medication. Don't give up and don't worry what others say. Treatment should be between you and your provider.
- Date posted
- 2y ago
@yup_its_ocd I have never gotten better from exposure therapy. As mentioned in my response to multiple other comments (🤣) I actually feel 💯 better when I am in a calmer environment. My OCD almost completely diminishes. The OCD specialist I was seeing has told me he highly recommends me moving out. But everything is so expensive and with my other health condition I can’t find it the extra money for that 😅
- Date posted
- 2y ago
@yup_its_ocd Thank you for being kind and supportive 💜
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 2y ago
I’m sorry you are struggling! Agree with what others have said. We don’t know the circumstances of your toxic environment. That can certainly be a factor here. Honestly, though, exposure therapy is complicated and isn’t as straightforward as people think. I’ve done exposure therapy before and was still engaging in compulsions without knowing—which undermines the whole damn thing. Working with a specialist that has lots of experience makes a big difference. Exposure therapy works and is the thing that works the best. Other alternatives have worse outcomes. Are you on meds? That can be an important supplement. I hope you get some relief soon :)
- Date posted
- 2y ago
@dragon_calves As mentioned before I saw a OCD specialist who said himself exposure therapy does not work for everyone and it doesn’t work with me. I was not giving into compulsions. I was under close “supervision” with my therapist during this time.
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 2y ago
@Cat_attack I’m sorry you feel disgusted by these comments. And I’m sorry treatment hasn’t worked for you. This community is ERP-based, as that is the gold standard treatment. If you OCD goes away from easing environmental stress, great. Most people with OCD don’t experience that. I hope you find relief, escape from toxicity and treatment that does work.
- Date posted
- 2y ago
@dragon_calves I find that pretty f”ing” sad that an entire support group is based on ONE treatment plan. Wow
- Date posted
- 2y ago
@Cat_attack There's always a possibility of talking about other treatments, but even ERP is a new treatment by comparison. Prior to ERP there were no treatments for OCD. It was a hopeless disease you were essentially stuck with. Right now though we have Deep TMS and Neuro surgeries coming out as bleeding edge, but last I checked most people on here haven't had those yet. I personally was looking into Deep TMS, but it's super new and expensive.
- Date posted
- 2y ago
Comment deleted by user
- Date posted
- 2y ago
@Cutegiraffes Thank you!! It is disgusting that people in the comments are so certain if I tried it more it would work. It doesn’t. For me personally if I am under less stress (away from certain people I currently live with) my OCD almost completely disappears. When I am able to relax my blood sugar comes down and I can think more clearly and the obsessions are way less, causing the compulsions to be way less. Blood sugar is a huge factor in OCD control (if you didn’t know). If I am away from my living situation I also find peace in the fact that I can clean whenever I need to. Which actually makes me want to clean LESS. It makes me relaxed and comfortable
- Date posted
- 2y ago
I hear you I’m the same right now you are not alone please remember that
- Date posted
- 2y ago
@XMASEVE2008 Thank you so much 😔💜 I will pray for you to find peace
Related posts
- Date posted
- 23w ago
I have contamination OCD that causes me to excessively wash my hands/clean items with disinfectant wipes. I know I just need to start with small exposures but how do I do that without spiraling? I tried a while back by just touching the outside of my dishwasher and not washing my hands after and it led to me being unable to even exist in my house. I basically lived on my couch for three weeks as it was the only 'safe' space that I had not touched with my dirty hands. I had to take a week off work to clean my house to make it somewhat liveable. I still haven't got round to cleaning everything though so things like my kitchen are still no-go zones that I don't enter. I just don't know how to start ERP without it making everything worse. Any advice would be appreciated. I am not seeing a therapist at the moment due to financial constraints.
- Date posted
- 16w ago
Hello! I am really looking for some advice. I have been struggling with OCD for a few years now and it drastically affects my daily life. I am going to give a quick run through of my OCD, and then the current situation I am in now. So for almost 2 years now my most prominent themes of OCD have been getting sick with the stomach bug (emetaphobia) and watching someone die/ having to see large amount of blood or do CPR on someone (I just graduated nursing school). Last year I stopped eating out, wouldn’t touch any of my food with my hands, would wash my hands until they bleed every day, bleached everything I touched when I was in public etc… I would have these major panic attacks all the time and the thought of getting sick hasn’t left my head 24/7 for 2 years. I was unable to complete my nursing school clinicals due to panic attacks each time I was at the hospital afraid someone would die and get these terrible images in my head. I didn’t sleep ever, barely graduated. I did ERP after school and was able to make up the clinical days I missed. Got to a point where I was eating again, felt like I was able to get my hands clean just by washing them. I have been doing exposures every day, and have accepted that getting sick will probably happen at one point and I am okay with it as long as I am at home when it happens. So locking myself in my apartment for 48hr every time after I could have been exposed to the stomach bug is major progress for me and I have been overall doing much better. Fast forward to now: It’s time for me to start my new job on a med/surg floor in a hospital. This week I have made it through a few days of orientation with panic attacks day and night but I am doing it even though I am petrified. I don’t feel ready for this big of a step, being exposed to both of my biggest fears constantly. Today at orientation the girl sitting next to me told me she had been vomiting all day, and continued to run out of the room a vomit the rest of the day. I now am 90% sure I am going to get sick and feel as if I would rather die than continue this amount of stress and anxiety I have felt from just a few days of being on the job. This is my BIGGEST fear and it’s coming true and I don’t know if it’s worth putting myself through this every day at work to just be having constant panic attacks and be miserable. I know with OCD you have to face your fears but I have been pushing myself and trying so hard and I don’t feel like it’s worth it to work this job. I would also feel incredibly guilty for quitting on the first week, but there are a million other nursing jobs that are not in a hospital. I think this is too big of a step for me right now but I wanted to see what others think. Any advice at all is so appreciated!
- Date posted
- 12w ago
I started dealing with OCD when I became fixated on health issues, particularly the fear of contracting a life-threatening disease. If I experienced any kind of medical symptom, no matter how small, that even remotely hinted at something potentially fatal, it would drive me crazy, and I couldn’t stop obsessing over it. Then one day, I started having intrusive thoughts about accidentally hitting someone with my car, and I would end up driving in circles to check if I had. Eventually, I found myself overwhelmed by a flood of new obsessive thoughts and compulsions. One day, while I was at the park, a squirrel came near me, and for some reason, I felt like it attacked me. I Googled it and learned that squirrels could carry rabies, which spiraled me into a deep fear of rabies. I became consumed with the thought I received a bite from a squirrel, raccoon, or bat any time I’m in areas that trigger me. It started off only being inside then transferred to even being in my own home. This made me obsess over every physical sensation in my body, compulsively checking to make sure nothing was wrong. One compulsion that I hated the most would to be putting rubbing alcohol on me to make sure that I had no open wounds. Every day feels like I’m walking around in a fog of anxiety, constantly worrying that I won’t even make it to old age. Sometimes, it gets so overwhelming that I just want it all to end. It stresses me so bad at times to where my brain feels like I’ve been studying all day.
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