- Username
- Kendvil
- Date posted
- 1y ago
Therapy
What do you guys think, when is the right time to do therapy? How much time should you fight alone against this?
What do you guys think, when is the right time to do therapy? How much time should you fight alone against this?
As soon as you’re able. It’s never too early and no one should fight this alone if they can help it. And if therapy isn’t affordable, you still shouldn’t have to go through this alone; find solace in others who understand your struggles (this can be a good place to do that) and do the research to learn ERP on your own. Regardless of how you treat your OCD, you do not need to do it alone. I’ve had OCD for 9 years and I’m only just addressing it now but I wish I had sooner— maybe it wouldn’t have gotten so bad. But it’s also never too late. Still the earlier the better
Personally I feel it depends on the individual. Also NOCD is expensive hopefully you have good health insurance coverage.
There is no right time, IMO. The right time might be now. You might never feel "ready", or it might be when your world is so small you can't function. Everyone is different. What I do know is that sooner tends to be better than later. The longer we train our brains to do compulsions, the more practice it takes to undo those patterns. I've had OCD my whole life and started treatment at 39. I'm 41 and still have a lot of work ahead of me. But even I started seeing things begin to shift slightly within a few weeks and I'm able to do a lot more these days than I could a couple years ago.
ASAP. I struggled for a few years before getting the correct diagnosis, and also didn’t even know about ERP until maybe 8 years after that. So almost a decade of incorrect treatment. I feel like I’d be way further along in my recovery journey had I gotten the correct kind of help sooner.
I’ve just started therapy with a non-OCD counselor, so, we’ll see how it goes. I also listen to alot of YouTube that provide great techniques to manage the anxiety.
@Joe (53yo) One thing I recommend keeping in mind, when working with someone who isn’t adequately trained to deal with OCD, is that traditional “talk therapy” practices and other forms of counseling can be counterproductive if applied to OCD issues in a way that feeds one’s compulsions/reassurance seeking. For instance, say someone has relationship focused OCD symptoms, and feels anxiety and guilt whenever he finds a girl other than his partner attractive. A counselor repeatedly telling him that it’s normal for people to have those feelings and that he is t a cheater or a bad person, can make his OCD worse in the long run, even if it feels good at first. It’s a tricky disorder, and a lot of people aren’t properly equipped to treat it, so just be careful. Good luck! I hope you feel better, soon.
Sometimes ocd will tell us to do something when it’s “the right time”, but the right time is now.
How much longer do I have to endure this? I've been seeing a talk therapist for over 2 years, and my specialist for nearly 6 months, and I've only made a small amount of progress. What is the magic to getting better? I feel like I'm just treading water. And just saying I need to do things that are uncomfortable isn't cutting it, or else I wouldn't be in the situation I am. Who knows the answer and can help me? Who has dealt with these feelings and can offer me guidance on what works? My life is passing me by and year after year I'm merely existing. I was excited when I took the first step and reached out to a therapist 2 years ago, and hoped that I would get better soon. I've continued to have hope and get excited with each new step, but I'm still waiting; >for these feelings to go away, >to gain my time back, >to have the ability to live in a clean home, >to see my family, >to live my life, and enjoy each day again. Why am I still imprisoned by this?
I’ve completed 11 sessions so far and I can honestly see progress. I’m not back to my “normal” self but I’m gaining parts of my life and my personality back. I never knew I had OCD. I always attributed things to anxiety. Being diagnosed let me know I’m not alone, I’m not crazy, and that there’s help for me. I have a long list of OCD subtypes. As you can imagine, the thoughts and images in my head were extremely distressing and I was concerned for my quality of life and my sanity. 11 sessions in and I’m able to watch shows and movies without being scared I’ll see a trigger, I can practice exposures and navigate through my obsessions better, and I’m finding joy in the little moments in life. I used to avoid so many things and people because I was scared I’d have intrusive thoughts. I still struggle with intrusive thoughts every single day. Some days and even weeks are bad and I struggle more than usual. I have mood swings, extreme irritability, and even sometimes experiencing depersonalization. Sometimes I just plain out feel uncomfortable and weird. But like my therapist said, progress is not linear. I’m learning to count my wins instead of always counting my losses. I’m learning to enjoy the little bits of life that are ok, and I feel proud when I get through hard moments. I’m excited for the future. I’m excited to see how much I progress. Sometimes I’m still scared but I know that’s my OCD trying to get me to quit because we both know this ERP therapy is helping. If you’re struggling, please seek help. It does get better. I wanted to quit after doing my first exposure. I’m so happy I didn’t. And on hard days when I want to give up, I know this is what I’m supposed to be doing to help myself.
Hi! Does anyone struggle with loneliness? Especially when it comes to talking to your loved ones about what you go through. I’ve been struggling with this because it either leads to a fight or I’m not understood. My husband and I have been having some issues and I have a bad habit of bringing up the past. I don’t know why I keep doing it it’s just I get a thought and it goes into auto mode recently. We are going to marriage counseling soon but I try to tell him and family how I’m feeling and it just turns into a fight or it turns into me being dismissed. I just honestly want someone I can trust to hear me but it feels like I can’t really talk to anyone. I think it’s a relapse and I keep doing ERP but honestly I just need someone to listen. Does anyone relate or am I just it? I feel like I’m losing the love of my life and I’m breaking at the mere thought of it.
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