Recovery Question

Unfortunately there is no clear answer regarding recovery timelines - I know that’s like the least satisfying answer anyone could give, but it is in part true. My journey took the best part of a year until I started to feel in power, however, there are still days where there might be a flare up. The goal is not to get rid of these spikes, but to master the tools that help us live with them more effectively, such as ERP. I understand the urgency to get better as I’ve been there many times myself, but when you find yourself trying to calculate where you are on the path to recovery try to remember the mental exercises you are working on with your therapist in ERP. Just like going to the gym, if you keep doing them you will get better and better until you are at the point where just like your body, you are happy with your mind. The hope is not to get to some specific place called recovery, but rather it’s to get to live a fulfilled, healthy, happy and strong life, and the best way to get there is training!

I am right there with you. My thoughts started back up about a week ago, and I haven’t been able to shake it. ❤️ I know we will get better!

Hey guys, thanks so much for contributing to the forum! Your stories and insights also help validate the feelings of others who are in similar positions, so I’m really happy you guys are active parts of the community and grateful for your participation!!

Hello! I dealt with OCD for 22 years. It took some time to rewire my brain back to not focusing on OCD. I remember reading a book about being in your exact spot. You have been practicing ERP and recovery so you have some defenses built. So sometimes these defenses work against the thoughts. But since you are still working through OCD recovery, OCD will find some holes in your defense. As you keep building up your defense, through ERP and recovery, OCD will have no chance to get in! :)

Really proud of you guys for being on the journey, we are here to accompany you both all the way and celebrate your successes when you feel in better spots! Lots of love to you both and keep up the hard work, you guys are amazing!!

Hello! It can be so so hard to feel like it will never get better and I can relate to that. For me it definitely took a while to get to where I am now, but recovery is totally possible. I think we do have to think of recovery not as perfection, though, but as being able to live a life by our values and be able to live with the OCD rather than be totally consumed by this. I say this because even though I consider myself pretty far into recovery at this point, that's not to say that I don't have OCD episodes anymore. However, I feel like they affect me less and I have the tools to handle them. I feel like I am able to live my life even though I still have some OCD. There is no one timeline, but if you don't notice effects right away that is totally normal. I also want to note that just because it took years to get to where I am now, I improved drastically at various points along the way, so it has gradually gotten better most of that time so it wasn't sudden, it was a process. Wishing you well on your recovery journey. You got this!!

Space1234 sometimes it does feel like it will never end. Sometimes we get discouraged and think we will never get better or this is as good as it gets, but stay with it. Stay with doing ERP, it is worth it. My OCD started a little over 20 years ago. It was mainly 2 themes then, checking my home and also contamination with food and then harm theme. When stress increased, symptoms increased. I lived unknowingly with OCD for 10 years. Then I learned ERP. It was relatively easy that time to recover and I spent about 5 years without OCD. Then new stress and symptoms increased and I did noting about it until it became very severe and in the midst of that something happened that caused me PTSD which then caused my OCD to go from severe to out of this world! lol I was a fraction away from being home and bed bound. That's when I called NOCD and started my journey of ERP. In 2 years, I went from basically being stuck on my bed, feeling extreme fear 24/7, rumination 24/7 along with other compulsions to now I am back at a full time job, living my life, I have about 1 hard day per week and rarely ruminate. This is my story. We are all different. We all heal differently and at different times. But I tell you this to tell you there is hope and to never give up. Keep trying and if it's not working try different! Also the resistance of just wanting it gone can cause it to stay around. It was hard for me to just accept my OCD and allow it to be and to not get angry with it from time to time. Remember self compassion. Good luck to you on your journey!