Username: Anonymous

Date posted: 2y ago

Late onset OCD

I am 36 years old with no history of mental illness. I had a stressful event at work about 6 months ago and slowly started getting intrusive thoughts about harming myself or my kids, but am at a point where it’s all I can think about. I was diagnosed with OCD officially this week. I’m distraught and finding it hard to cope since. I’ve never had to deal with anything like this before. I just started ERP therapy. I am hoping it helps but am terrified that it won’t. I just want my old self back! Please, if there is anyone out there who has gone through a similar situation, what helped you continue to function? Will I get to a point that I can function without being tormented by my thoughts?

Username: alwaysobsessingalwaysobsessing

Date posted: 2y ago

our situations are very different because i’ve struggled with mental illness on and off my whole life, but things will get better and get easier. i can’t imagine how overwhelming that is. i hope things start to feel easier for you soon :) just remember, you are not your thoughts!

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 2y ago

@camilleshae Thank you! I’m struggling to function at this point, but since I have kids, I have no choice.

Username: Dee CDee C

Date posted: 2y ago

I was misdiagnosed for many years and it wasn’t until 2+ years ago that I was diagnosed with ocd. Self harm and harm to my love ones was a theme I dealt with. What helped me was to defy the thoughts. As a husband & father I had to defy what my brain was coming up with. At the time I enjoyed cooking and was afraid of being around sharp objects. I had teach/retrain myself to continue using the knife in defiance until I developed the conviction that I would never hurt myself or family. Ocd latches on to the things we love but now there are tools that can & will help. I’m sorry you’re going through this and hoping i provided you with a little help.

Username: SimonKSimonK

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y ago

I have a somewhat similar story- I experienced my first onset of OCD at age 30, with no history of mental health issues. I was going through a number of large life changes at the time and became overwhelmed by intrusive thoughts. It took me nearly a year to seek treatment, but once I did things got a lot more manageable.

Username: Catlove9Catlove9

Date posted: 2y ago

This is somewhat similar. I never realized but I’ve had OCD my whole life. But it was mostly worried about my health or being perfect. When I was going through a divorce/job change/buying a house all at the same time at 31, I had this horrible panic attack where I was having intrusive thoughts about harming others and I had no idea what it was. I thought I was going crazy. So OCD did not really kick me too bad until then. I’m 34 now. And I’m still suffering from harm OCD a lot. But just started ERP. i was good for a year. And then about a year ago, it came back all over again.

Username: Anonymous 32Anonymous 32

Date posted: 2y ago

I am going through the same at age 33. Been dealing with it since June. It has gotten more manageable, but I haven’t done ERP.

Username: donnocddonnocd

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y ago

Very very very similar . Older onset... Kids... No history of mental disorders Massive life Changes.. Work.. House etc Then i believe covid did something to me... Was near death then intrusive thoughts just couldn't stop.. Just started erp a month ago It's tough but my therapist here is a good one.. Had a rough two weeks but it's an up and down type of thing Recovery isn't linear and I had ocd for years apparently so will take some time to get ocd under control

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 2y ago

@donnocd I had COVID a few months before onset. Always wonder if it had any affect…

Username: donnocddonnocd

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y ago

One of the things that helped me was understanding that the obsession were ego dystonic so that is why it was so distressing as it stood against my self values.. Once I understood that I was like ok. That is sensible that's why i am so distressed... A lot more things but your therapist will help you on the journey.. I know have a long way to go yet

Username: donnocddonnocd

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y ago

@anonymous i believe in my case covid was the accelerator... I had delta and was at my lowest.. Ocd latched on then and I've been struggling since

Username: lsattlsatt

Date posted: 2y ago

Hi - I had my daughter at 35 and was diagnosed following. It’s super hard. My best advice to you is to get on medication asap and do therapy (ERP). I waited way too long to do both and I really regret not acting sooner.

Username: donnocddonnocd

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y ago

I'm on ERp but not medication i feel that may be the next step

Username: avh202021

Date posted: 3y ago

How old was you when you got your ocd. Is it even possible to get it at 34? Someone I knew was involved with something that seemingly triggered me. I am a dad and was normal in September, how can your life feel like it’s been stolen from you. I can’t enjoy anything anymore. Please can we have a discussion of how you best deal with it. People that have beaten it? I don’t want this ever.

POCD

Username: Anonymous

Date posted: 2y ago

Overwhelmed Harm OCD

I just had my first apt with my therapist. This came on very suddenly, almost overnight, for me and it’s causing me so much distress. I have been reading and I know that the brain sends thoughts the more you try to resist them. But I’m scared. I’m 46 and I never knew I had OCD tendencies and this literally happened overnight and now the harm thoughts are constant, all day, every day, and I feel like I’m going crazy. My life has been turned upside down. Does anyone else have the harm thoughts that are constant and involve many things/people?

Harm OCD

Username: Anonymous

Date posted: 2y ago

Can your ocd get worse later and life

Hi everyone had a question I am 42 years old until about 7 months ago my ocd has become so bad almost debilitating. I think I have had ocd since my mid 20s but it was barely there and it would sometimes almost be non existent and I didn’t even know it was ocd until I was diagnosed four months ago It was always my family getting hurt especially at night I was convinced that someone would break in the house and murder us. Or a fire would start but j would just check the doors and stove appliances a few times before bed nothing to time consuming and I never had panic attacks or the physical symptoms of anxiety, I did do weird rituals like I blessed things that fell on the floor because I thought something bad may happen to my kids which seems strange and I would put clothes away a certain way or again something bad would happen and I hated the number 6 so the volume can never be on 6 things like that. When I type if I didn’t get the word right the first time I’d have to erase the whole word and start over sometimes the whole sentence which was super annoying! But since I had my daughter 4 years ago I would have this weird fear with knifes like only I could wash them and put them away or someone may accidentally stab themselves or someone else, and I began to get intrusive images of someone trying to hurt my daughter or someone would kidnap her or she would stop breathing at night but it all was pretty tolerable until out of the blue I had a really bad intrusive images of me hitting her in the head with my phone it’s scared me so bad I had a panic attack and started questioning why would I think that?! Then a week went by and another intrusive image of me hurting her and then eventually it was anything and everything in my house could be weapon to hurt her i was terrified I googled it and realized it was intrusive thoughts and it was harm ocd 😞I have been really struggling since and that was 6 months ago I try to tell myself that they are just thoughts and it’s just my brain being hyper vigilant to protect her but I fear that the more I have them I will do them in my sleep And the physical sensations of anxiety and panic attacks are unbelievable sometimes Can anyone relate to their ocd becoming worse almost overnight later on in life I want my life back I’m so sad I’m scared to sleep at night I just want this all to go away Any tips it’s hard not to react to the thoughts when it is about harming your own child who I love soooo much And please tell me this is ocd

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Late onset OCD

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