I’m about to sit with the thoughts and let them be there. Here goes nothing. I’ve had some weird anxiety all day and I just want to cry. I haven’t really thought about the thoughts to much I’ve just noticed them all day. Ugh I want to be better already. Wish me luck!! I’m about to go through hell letting these thoughts be here but it will be worth it

Your doing the right thing. Let the thoughts come no Reassuring yourself after the thought. No googling. Expose yourself to your fear. You have just let it happen then disregard. U can get this book. It’s called over coming unwanted intrusive thoughts. I paid 20 for it on amazon. Probably cheaper in the states. I’m in Canada. Look it up. The book makes perfect sense and it will tell you Exactly what you have to do. And you will no if u have ocd or not after reading it.

Erp literally means “exposure-response-prevention”. It’s hard as hell, but it IS possible to get through this without a therapist. It would be extremely ideal if you got one but sometimes it’s just literally impossible. I can’t afford one either. You were on the exact right track @Afazz!! A therapist would not be inside your brain 24/7 to stop you from reacting from the thoughts. You were doing exactly what ERP is! “Response prevention”! Preventing the normal response you have to any ocd trigger is the way to heal from ocd. You can sure as hell start this by yourself. I hope your track record of feeling better continues, deep breathes!! You’re thoughts are not dangerous and have absolutely no attachment to who you are as a person. They don’t define you, and you are on the right track to proving that to yourself.

You are doing it right. Even if we can try to help you here, you have to choose what way is good for you. And if you think you are improving, keep it that way :) therapists are a good help to understand what is going on with ourselves better, and also to heal faster, always, but all of us have difficult circumstances sometimes. In the end, you are the one who have to choose how to heal, no matter what method you can afford. Keep fighting!

But I don’t think of anything I just let the thoughts be there. I don’t do anything that makes me feel better. I’m just upset for awhile. I live in West Virginia. My parents haven’t looked at anything I have.

I know it’s not gone, what I mean is I’m starting to not get upset anymore. I don’t think you understand. Like I’m literally feeling so much better. For the past week I’ve been great! The thoughts haven’t even bothered me. When they pop up I don’t even ruminate or do any compulsions anymore because I know it isn’t true. Today has just been a weird day, I haven’t been worried I’ve just felt a little bit of anxiety

Just don’t let yourself ruminate. Don’t google. Carry on with your life. Fluff the thoughts off. There stupid they mean nothing. Just don’t do the after the thought thinking. The argument. Get yourself a hobby. I’ve been going threw this shit since I was 10. I have so many different themes. I have long gaps between . I’ve had one where I was crazy about tornados. Then I had the breathing theme. Then the sleep theme. Now I have the harm theme. And to b honest they only last about 2 months. I take medication now. The harm theme is pretty heavy. But u will get threw this. Maybe you should go see your dr. Get on a low dose of medications.

Ok thank you guys! I’m really confused now, but I knew I wasn’t doing it wrong. I know I need a therapist but I’ve been doing it by myself and getting better. I need to keep doing it because it’s working and I know it is. If it doesn’t I’ll talk to my parents and try to find a way but right now it is. Some days I barely even think about it, I’ve been trying so hard to recover and it’s been working. Thanks for commenting because I’m tired now from all the crying because I thought I wasn’t going to get better.?

You are going to get better. ! Don’t cry b strong .

Of course❤️ Whether you think about it or not doesn’t matter, it’s what you believe that ‘thinking about it’ means. You’re allowed to have thoughts and have them mean ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Don’t be worried if they come again! Just (as you were doing) don’t react! I believe in you, you are strong, you are brave, and most of all- you can do it!!!!

That made me feel so much better!! They haven’t been that bad lately so I’m getting really happy about it. That’s why I got so confused because I really have felt better. Anyways thanks you guys! Have a great night❤️❤️

Listen this is bad for u, u scant do it ur self a therapist know how ur brain works u can go watch Chrissie Hodges vid about this thing I rlly do t remember what is it called maybe something about erp therapy

I know but I can’t get a therapist :( Also it made me feel better the anxiety slowly went away. I thought that’s how you did Erp?? You let the thoughts be there and you don’t do any compulsions

No it’s wrong trust me I tired a million time I swear and then after I knew that it’s pointless I stopped u know it even triggers u more ik u hear ppl say go face ur fears and expose ur self but it’s wrong ppl are not therapists

Well I can’t get a therapist, I don’t know what to do

Why u have to

Listen I have something u can try out email Chrissie Hodges she’s an ocd advocate she can connect u to therapists and u talk to them on skype but u hav to pay for the sessions

I can’t pay, I’m to young and my parents just don’t understand. They love me but they don’t know how to help me. I literally can’t

Here her email if you’d like to email her: ocd.chrissie@gmail.com

Tell them about this

Why I mean can’t they take u to a therapist

Thank you, I just don’t know if I’ll be able to do it. I’m so upset I was feeling better. I’ve been feeling better. I’m so confused. Fuck I’m so mad

Because nobody specializes in ocd around me

Yes cuz it doesn’t work like that u make a compulsion and then u feel better it’s a temporary relief and u don’t want that u thought it’s gone this happened I me alottt

Where do u live

Im srry but they should take it seriously its a real mental illness tell them they should see a doc

I just don’t think they understand, I’m not even that upset anymore. I haven’t talked to them about it in about a month because I’ve been feeling better. I don’t even know if I actually have ocd

Oh no girl it’s rlly bad to say that cuz ocd does not vanish this is a compulsion be careful

You’re really stressing me out like I’m crying really bad because I’m scared

Omg I’m sorry I didn’t mean it ok listen so u felt good for a month right?and then what happened did the thought come back tell me

Bro don’t tell her that I swear it’s wrong I tried everything u can’t do it urself are u kidding me

Don’t tell her to expose her self Chrissie said it’s bad she been thru a lot and she recovered by erp therapy

It’s fine, I’ve felt ok for a little over a month. It’s been way better for almost two weeks. I’ve been doing less compulsions like looking things up, and taking tests online to “test” if I’m gay. It didn’t come back I just got really anxious for some reason, so I thought maybe I should let the anxiety sit and let it be there. Give it time, so I could do erp. I’ve been doing so good and that helped me.

Thank you!! I’m going to keep pushing I think I’m getting better!