What does recovery look like for those experiencing flare-ups?

Thanks, nick. I just cried to my husband who just doesn’t get it. It’s nice to talk to someone who knows what it’s like. I’m just so sick of this constant cycle. I want to feel normal again.

I was in therapy for about a year and it was a slow recovery where at the end of it i would have small flare up cycles but overall an easier time at doing things. About a couple months later i had a huge flare up that I'm still kind of in. The main part of recovery is the knowledge that you know you can deal with it. Before therapy I honestly didn't realize that resisting compulsions was even an option. A year in, it became a lot easier. Then my therapist left and i was still ok for a while, but suddenly i got a really bad flare up. Recovery is different for everyone, and as long as you are working on it, you can make improvements. There may be cycles, and sometimes you may have to try something new if it gets worse before it gets better. The main thing is to be patient with yourself, i think. Another thing that can help is to keep a journal. Its usually hard to tell when things change when you dont have a way to know exactly how you were before. Keeping a log of how bad your anxieties are and when and for how long can help you understand if its getting better, getting worse, or stagnating. I wish the best in yours and everyone heres recovery. It's a struggle, but we can get better!

I appreciate that. Thank you!

I will be honest. I had a severe OCD flare up when I was 11 years old. I was in it till I was 17. I was in soooo much pain not only mentally but physically too. I came out of it by myself by reading a lot of self help books and honestly taking medications. Medications cleared up this fog in my head. I would have some ups and down (some bad downs) but nothing was worse than what I had been through for those 7 years. I still have PTSD from it and my body still tenses at the thought of that time. I didn’t have access to resources and fought really hard to get help. I went to therapy in college but it didn’t help me much. I then developed ROCD and I had a huge flare up in late 2020, got better but then got OCD flare about something else in early 2021. Summer onwards I was fine and then my OCD flared up in late 2022 because a lot of things in my life were extremely challenging and I was going through it, so my OCD decided to add more spice to the mix. This last week I feel like my OCD has finally calmed down since late 2022. Why did I tell you all of this? - I am 22 right now. I have had OCD for 11 years, 7 of which were miserable to say the least. Doctors told me I wouldn’t get out of it because I was in too deep. But I did. I still struggle with it and sometimes it gets really bad - but never as bad as those 7 years. Everyone’s recovery is different. It is also not linear. You won’t be fixed forever but you learn to cope better and dismantle your obsessions and compulsions. You gain skills that help you break down your thought pattern and recognize OCD thoughts. My story is to let you know that you got this ❤️. And even if things are bad right now, remind yourself of the courage and resiliency you have shown in the past. OCD is vicious - but we are stronger than it 💪