- Date posted
- 2y
For anyone in recovery what worked for you
Not sure if it’s allowed here but what lifestyle choices (diet etc) books and lifestyle choices in combination with erp worked for you :) would love to hear from those on the other side
Not sure if it’s allowed here but what lifestyle choices (diet etc) books and lifestyle choices in combination with erp worked for you :) would love to hear from those on the other side
Not fully recovered yet but I’m at like 80% since March so I’ll share what is currently working for me :)! 1: staying active is important. I try to go on walks or do yoga at least a few times per week. 2: Don’t change your schedule for OCD, keep making plans with friends and doing school, work, or any kind of daily errands and chores you would normally do. 3: Finding a hobby as well, for me it’s crocheting. It keeps my mind active and gives me something to focus on when I’m in a cloud of rumination (Also it’s important to choose to do things that make you happy even if the thoughts are there). 4: Meditation and mindfulness is important to me because it is training to get better at letting my thoughts be there and not trying to control them. Sitting with them and giving them space to leave when they want to. 5: being aware of OCD’s tricks. I watched informative videos on YouTube (I recommend Ali Greymond and Nate of “OCD and Anxiety”) 👍 hope this helps, I’m sending my best wishes to you on your journey!!
@joseymagosey Wow thank you for sharing. You are the second person that mentions crochetingI’ll definelty look into this and everything you mentioned :)
@Anonymous Awesome! I’m glad to hear that :) crochet is amazing
My psychiatrist told me to bring as much routine as I can to eating at the same times everyday, going to bed at the same time every night, and waking up at the same time every morning. Exercise (aerobic, walking is fine at the start) for at least 45 minutes daily. Drink lots of water. I tried different diets but found that limiting foods that caused a reactions to be most helpful (breakouts, upset stomach, coffee jitters, or keeping me up at night with acid reflux). Listen to your body. Maybe it doesn’t want restrictive clothes or the shoes you’re wearing. Give it as much calm as you can in music, shows, games. Maybe spend less time with people who cause you stress. Hope this helps.
@Ann Onymous Thank you so much! I will keep that in mind :)
Also congrats on you both for getting so far in your healing journey :)
Looking back, I realize I’ve had OCD since I was 7. though I wasn’t diagnosed until I was 30. As a kid, I was consumed by fears I couldn’t explain: "What if God isn’t real? What happens when we die? How do I know I’m real?" These existential thoughts terrified me, and while everyone has them from time to time, I felt like they were consuming my life. By 12, I was having daily panic attacks about death and war, feeling untethered from reality as depersonalization and derealization set in. At 15, I turned to drinking, spending the next 15 years drunk, trying to escape my mind. I hated myself, struggled with my body, and my intrusive thoughts. Sobriety forced me to face it all head-on. In May 2022, I finally learned I had OCD. I remember the exact date: May 10th. Reading about it, I thought, "Oh my God, this is it. This explains everything." My main themes were existential OCD and self-harm intrusive thoughts. The self-harm fears were the hardest: "What if I kill myself? What if I lose control?" These thoughts terrified me because I didn’t want to die. ERP changed everything. At first, I thought, "You want me to confront my worst fears? Are you kidding me?" But ERP is gradual and done at your pace. My therapist taught me to lean into uncertainty instead of fighting it. She’d say, "Maybe you’ll kill yourself—who knows?" At first, it felt scary, but for OCD, it was freeing. Slowly, I realized my thoughts were just thoughts. ERP gave me my life back. I’m working again, I’m sober, and for the first time, I can imagine a future. If you’re scared to try ERP, I get it. But if you’re already living in fear, why not try a set of tools that can give you hope?
People who went from a really bad time with OCD to a better time now. Is it really possible? What was your theme? Did you take medication?
Hi everyone, I’m Andrea and I am a member of the Intake Team here at NOCD. In junior high, I was known as the “aneurysm girl” because I was convinced any small headache meant I was dying. At just 12 years old, I read something that triggered my OCD, and from that moment on, my brain latched onto catastrophic health fears. Any strange sensation in my body felt like proof that something was seriously wrong. I constantly sought reassurance, avoided being alone, and felt trapped in an endless cycle of fear. Over time, my OCD shifted themes, but health anxiety was always there, lurking in the background. I turned to drinking to numb my mind, trying to escape the fear that never let up. Then, in 2016, everything spiraled. I was sitting at work, feeling completely fine, when suddenly my vision felt strange—something was “off.” My mind convinced me I was having a stroke. I called an ambulance, launching myself into one of the darkest periods of my life. I visited doctors multiple times a week, terrified I was dying, yet every test came back normal. The fear never loosened its grip. For years, I cycled in and out of therapy, desperately trying to find answers, but no one recognized what was really happening. I was always told I had anxiety or depression, but OCD was never mentioned. I was suicidal, believing I would never escape the torment of my mind. It wasn’t until 2022—after years of struggling, hitting rock bottom, and finally seeking specialized OCD treatment—that I got the right diagnosis. ERP therapy at NOCD was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it saved my life. Today, I’m 34, sober, and living a life I never thought was possible. Do I still have hard days? Absolutely. But I am no longer a prisoner to my fears. The thoughts still come, but they don’t control me anymore. They don’t dictate my every move. Life isn’t perfect, but it no longer knocks me off my feet. If you’re struggling with health OCD or somatic OCD, I see you. I know how terrifying and isolating it can be. But I also know that it can get better. If you have any questions about health & somatic OCD, ERP, and breaking the OCD cycle, I’d love to tell you what I’ve learned first hand. Drop your questions below, and I’ll answer all of them!
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