I’ve got a lot of bad coping mechanisms. I smoke, drink, isolate and hurt myself to help quiet my mind when it gets overwhelming. Can these count as compulsions? (Also not completely sure if I have OCD)
I am in recovery for addiction as well. Using them as a compulsion to change the way you’re feeling in the moment is the exact reasons addicts and alcoholics drink and use. I highly suggest getting a therapist and ERP, because the road of self prescribing substances to treat mental health issues is a dark path in my experience. There’s totally hope, and I have experienced real freedom from working with a therapist and doing ERP. As far as things I do other than that that may have some small effect of OCD (not at all a substitute for the OCD therapy done); lift weights and exercise, read/listen to spiritual stuff (non-duality, Buddhist stuff), keto diet (l find it helps lower anxiety), regular therapist and OCD therapist, contact with family and friends (ask them how they are doing and have them talk about themselves, you’d be surprised how much it can get you out of your head), Qi Gong daily, being of service to others (volunteering), hobbies such as hiking (nature can be great for perspective), gratitude lists (write 5 things your grateful for daily and send it to someone, do that back and forth), journaling, daily reflection books to start your day (the language of letting go is good). I hope that helps in some way.
@Anon. Ty!
I think so. I do it too and smoke as well.
It gives relief
I just took a course about mental health and we learned that with sh it's important to contact whatever professional support you have (doctor, psychiatrist, therapist, counselor, and so on) to start on a path to recovery. It takes time energy patience and honestly it can be really frustrating if those folks are not familiar with OCD. But getting the ball rolling can be a huge help. What are some of the helpful coping mechanisms and self-care practices that you have?
@Jesse M. I draw, exercise and journal sometimes but I don’t do these as much as I should
@Kaoz I hope you can be nice to yourself when you don't do the helpful things. I'm pretty hard on myself when I stay up late and eat a lot of sugar and whatnot but being kinder helps even when I'm like dang I shouldn't have done that. It's a new day!
Yes, basically anything can become a compulsion IF you’re doing the behavior to lessen the stress, anxiety, thoughts, etc. from OCD.
I did a few sexual compulsions (only with myself of course) in the past (2 months ago , did it couple of times) and I regret it BADLY I want to die every time because of that because of the guilt that I can’t handle it I feel like a monster I can’t move on from this. I feel like I deserve nothing in life. I prefer to kill myself then do it again. Like what went on my mind. I wanted to check and get rid of the thought but I can’t live with the shame. I posted this a few times but cant move on. What I did was BAD sexual compulsion. My therapist said to me that people with ocd can have a sever compulsions. And I think I told her about this compulsion but I think she forgot so I’m planning to said it to her again so she will tell me if it’s actually ocd or not. And the fact that I did have another themes before Pocd but I don’t know if I have Pocd anymore cause I feel like a monster and like I crossed the line. I’m terrified that I went to far. I regret I badly. There is not a single day I’m not thinking about it and want to kill my self. That compulsion is against my morals like I become the person I was afraid of all the time. The shame will it me until the day that I die
I've gotten diagnosed with OCD and I'm in therapy. But I'm worried that I don't have OCD/that I got misdiagnosed. And recently I'm worried that I've just gotten myself into a habit of thinking of dirty minded or just plain old terrible things after I see/hear certain things because I feel like I need to prove I have OCD or else I'm faking(sometimes this goes away). Or that I'm just mimicking symptoms of ocd to cope with real problems I may have and that im just really deep into denial. I don't know...I'm just so tired. I mean, what if I really am what I think I am and this is my brains only way of coping? I don't even really feel anything towards most of the thoughts anymore either I just know they go against my values and I don't want them. I don't know if that's because I'm so mentally exhausted, I just don't care, or that the thoughts are true and I'm comfortable with them.
I've never seen a therapist or been diagnosed, so I went surfing through to find this community. I've seen a lot of OCD symptoms written online. Here is what I experience that I feel may be OCD. If any of you guys agrees, please let me know. I have only ever been able to call my mom by her first name. I have never been able to not do that. She tried to make me call her mom once as a kid but it felt so wrong that I started crying. Everytime I see a wet floor sign, I say "piso mojado" out loud. I have plenty of harsh intrusive thoughts, such as committing acts of violence when I see people not using their turn signals, interrupting performers at a concert. I make myself re-press on my phone alarms 10-12 times each day in the same rythym until it feels fully set to go off. Light switches get flicked off and on, I can't stand not doing it. I have to double-check everything and make myself re-look through the same drawers at work for hours. I love to write, but I never get far because I need approval from others. My head is also always filled to the brim with thoughts which has made writing and things like memory a lot harder. I can't use spoons. I can only use forks for almost everything. I can't stand them. That's all I can think of for right now. Please let me know what you guys think. Thanks!
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