What defines recovery? Felt like I was making progress, then experienced a setback, maybe a “lapse” this week. I realized I don’t know what recovery looks like and what actually defines being in recovery.
Recovery is different for everyone and it isn’t linear. You will experience setbacks but you should notice you’re bouncing back quicker or you feel better equipped to deal with them.
@thrutheweather This is great. Thank you for your response!!
I feel this post to my core. I had a huge setback last week. I look at where I was a year ago and I'm like WTF, I was doing better then! I agree that recovery isn't linear. You will always have bad days here and there because anything and anyone can trigger your anxiety, but now you're better at handling it. I think you have to make up your own definition of recovery. Like, "To me, recovery is having mild symptoms or being symptom free 75% of the month."
I was asking myself this same question. I have had a few minor lapses in the past week but I did find I was able to bounce back quicker and that the distress levels were overall lower. I wonder if that’s something you relate to?
I think also when u start to accept uncertainty a little bit easier with fewer compulsions carried out. This is something I’ve noticed in myself. I might double check a mark I spot on my baby but I instantly know that double checking strengthens my ocd. The distress is lower and I don’t obsess over the mark as much. This morning I wanted to check on a mark on his back, but I said nope and carried on with changing his clothes. So i finally ignored a compulsion which is huge since it became an automatic thing for me. Last night I also felt a new theme possible arising. It was a horrible intrusive thought but I just said yep it’s horrible but it’s just a thought and let it be. I was able to move on and distracted myself with a movie instead.
Can anyone who has recovered, or is beginning to recover, describe that experience for themselves? I feel like a lot of us are just living by waiting for the next time we’re gonna be triggered and that’s no way to live. Thanks❤️☺️
Those of you in recovery.. what does it look like? How often do you have flare ups? I went through therapy here for about 6 months, I’m on medication. I just feel like I’m stuck in such a cycle of feeling normal-ish for 2-3 weeks then feeling bad for a couple of weeks. Woke up this morning and am feeling super anxious for no reason. 😭
I’ve been doing really well the past few months. I’ve been consistent with ERP therapy and other exercises to help manage my OCD. However, something triggered my OCD to come back in full force last week and while I know that the journey to recovery isn’t linear, and I know that this is something I will always have to work on, it’s been very disheartening and it feels like all the progress I’ve made has been for nothing. It’s exhausting and I’m struggling with intrusive thoughts that I will never get better again. Anyone else relate?
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