Is anyone else sick of people invalidating mental illness? My husband and my parents keep telling me to be positive. My friends say to take walks. As if it were that easy. I feel like I am trying everything I can and I’m not getting better. I can’t just decide not to feel this way anymore, and comments like that don’t feel supportive. They only make me feel worse.
To be honest but the average person doesn’t understand to much beyond themselves and what their issues are . So in the end maybe just give them all the benefit of the doubt. Just do your best to be the best version of yourself.
@777Q I get that. It can just feel so isolating!
I started going to a celebrate recovery group at my church . It’s how I found out about this app . It’s been helping
It isn’t easy, but doing that stuff is helpful at the end of the day vs. not doing anything but give into your OCD constantly. Will one or two things completely change OCD? No, but you need to do MANY things constantly to get better and stay better.
@Nica This is so much work :/
@Anonymous Work on it and get better or not live a full and happy life? Those are the options. I absolutely will work on myself and fight for myself rather than the other option of defeat.
Figure this we can all help you on here to pull you up by the boot straps sorta speak . Hang in there 😊.
I completely understand. For people without OCD, they can’t actually conceptualize it so the most they can do is offer sympathy. It’s no one’s fault really, but I understand that it feels like they’re not taking it seriously enough on your end. If it helps, let them know some ways you’d like them to show you support. Also, give yourself some grace and self-compassion; recovering isn’t easy and you will encounter many challenges along the way, but as long as you’re trying your best and doing the right things consistently, then you will get through it with time ❤️
@blazed Thanks that really helps. Something that I run into is that I really do feel like I’m trying everything I’m supposed to do to the best of my ability. What’s hard for the people around me is to hold space for the helplessness I feel when I’m stuck in a spiral anyway. And I feel like my family doesn’t listen to my experiences because they label me as being mentally ill (which I am, but I can still describe what I’m feeling). I’m gonna keep trying anyway, of course.
@AnyaB Yes, we are mentally ill but we’re still people. If they’re dismissing your experiences like that then it’s best that you don’t actively rely on them for support. Seeing a therapist and going to support groups are the best ways to receive help and support with your OCD from people who understand what you’re going through. And you have this community behind you ofc, so you’re not alone in your journey.
@blazed Thanks 💜 you’re right it’s hard to understand if you don’t experience it
In this world everyone comes in alone and goes out alone by grasping this it provides strength to come from within yourself internally to help yourself. For example if someone else had a serious issue of whatever kind it would not really be fair for them to put that on you , they would be responsible for their own situation ultimately. People supporting each other is good to a point ,but shouldn’t be used as a crutch. This is just my personal opinion.
i need to hear encouraging words. they likely will only make me feel good for an hour or so, since it’s not coming from loved ones like i need, but i just want someone to believe in me, for someone to know i struggle with severe ocd and have since i was 7/8. i want someone to know this about me and still encourage me to get better and have hope that i will become the best person i can be. i have no one. i’m depressed. i can’t keep living this alone. please
my parents don’t understand that a seemingly small and snide comment about my body will ruminate in my brain for months and months and be a never ending source of why i hate myself more and more everyday. I don’t know how to get them to understand as they are not in my shoes. I am overweight, not morbidly obese but I struggle to find the will to work out and improve myself, but i know this isn’t the motivation i need.
I was doing so good, but over the past few months, the OCD has returned with a vengenace. I try to explain what I'm experiencing to my family, but they don't understand. I just need to hear that people get it and know that I can make it out the other end alive and in one piece I've had many themes over the years, but right now, scrupulocity is taking over my life. It takes the normal day-to-day things I do, and twists them into compulsions to feed the insatiable monster that tells me if I don't do enough, be perfect enough, that I'm not a good partner-- not a good person. I'm not working hard because it feels satisfying; I'm doing it because I feel lazy and worthless if I don't. Everything has been taken to an extreme. It's making getting in the way of eating and sleeping. I'm suffering, but I feel like I need to try and pretend that I'm fine (even though I'm terrible at hiding it) because I feel like my husband will think I'm crazy, whiny, and dramatic, and eventually, get tired of it and leave. I'm not asking for reassurance. I just want to not feel so alone.
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