please know that i am here to lean on. we know how much it sucks to have OCD — and to be labeled by others. this disorder attacks us in the most horrible ways…it’s not pretty, but that is the nature of our disorder. just wanted to say that, no matter what your themes are, or how bad you’ve got it…i’ve got you! let’s keep doing the hard work
I've been stuck in rumination for a bit. I've been trying to sit with the feelings. But they end up spiraling into trying to figure it out.
@Applecore Ah yes, the super fun rumination. Attempting to figure it out can be a compulsion in and of itself. Even if you don’t enjoy it in the moment, can you re-direct your attention somewhere else? Maybe watch a show, read a book, work on an art project, do homework, learn something new in an app, play a game?
@Sunrise22 Fun fact that I actually did! I decided that would be the time for me to clean my house. I even got the whole bathroom done LOL. Sometimes I worry that I might be trying to distract myself from it (is that something you're not supposed to do?) But it did help a little.
@Applecore Honestly, avoiding can be a compulsion BUT doing something you’d do if you didn’t have OCD symptoms even when you are having them is part of ERP. As long as you’re not cleaning as a compulsion or as avoidance, I think this is great!
@Sunrise22 Oh no me beinga clean freak has absolutely nothing to do with my OCD. I've always been like that LOL. But I do find cleaning does help me feel better. I was still thinking about the situation while I was cleaning but it was allowing me to handle it better. It's hard to see if that's avoidance or not, it's confusing to be honest.
@Applecore I think sometimes it is hard to know if it’s avoidance or not. To me, I just ask myself, “would I be doing this right now if I didn’t have OCD?”. That helps me decide if it may be avoidance or not
@Sunrise22 That's actually a good way of finding out! I'll start asking myself that more. I guess when I came to the conclusion to clean my bathroom it wasn't as so much as I wouldn't do it without OCD it was more of a instead of sitting here wallowing in it I could do something that I've been meaning to do and clean my bathroom. More so something like that
Thank you for this! I need some encouragement today. Really struggling and teary eyed as I attempt to get work done at my desk today.
@Sunrise22 i’m rooting for you!! keep working hard. you can do hard things. i am keeping you in my thoughts and am here if you ever need to vent or talk!
@ocd_junkie I appreciate that! I am actually an optimistic person and know I can recover. I’m just in early days of attempting recovery after a flare up and right now it feels terrible
Hi, thanks for this post. I am going on a summer trip later this summer and flying on a plane after 15 years and I am doing my exposures related to that. Hope you are well!
@Anonymous Wow!! That is SO AWESOME! Good for you. If you don’t mind sharing, where are you traveling to? My OCD flares up when I travel, however I still do it and use the anxiety as exposure practice. Congratulations on taking the big step of flying! You’re doing awesome
@Sunrise22 - Hi, I am flying to San Diego. Thanks for the kind words. Hope you are doing well! I think the anxiety is an exposure as well.
Everything will be okay. No matter what. Whether you feel amazing right now or like scum of the earth, it will be okay. Instead of engaging with my ocd I will just write kind message. I hope everyone is doing okay. I understand the struggle.
I hope everyone is doing well today, and for those of you who are struggling my thoughts and prayers are with you. Just know your moment of peace is coming soon. I think it’s important that we post / come on here every now and again even when we are not in a moment of pure panic and fear. Remember that we are not our thoughts as hard as it is to understand. Remember that OCD makes it feel “real” and that OCD will always make us think the most inappropriate things and the most inappropriate times. Remember that all humans, have thoughts that come and go and as hard as it can be to understand you are not alone in your thoughts that feel so unique. For me I get a lot of anxiety from thoughts I used to have , which of course makes them return in full throttle. The more I push them away the more they come back. And those thought makes new connections to those things in my life I value. OCD is a pain but it’s important that as much as you hate it you learn to be compassionate and understanding that it’s there to “help” you no matter how bad it does it job sometimes. Stay strong everyone
Trigger Warning: Suicide I’m 21(Female) just for reference Anyone else struggling with OCD so much to where you feel so isolated, confused, burnout, suffering & in astonishing emotional pain & agony. I promise yall aren’t alone in the feelings. I promise you there is someone going through similar, obviously our lives aren’t identical, but our struggles can be very similar. It’s even harder dealing with trauma, split parents, abusive parent(s), a sick parent at the same time as all of this. It feels like God or the universe just WANTS you to struggle. Like it’s punishment for something you did as a kid or teenager. I’m dealing with all this exactly. Sometimes I just want support. So I hope this message can be support for someone struggling too & hope it helps them be able to breathe a little easier & gives them strength to go on another day. I just would like to mention if you have access to therapy take advantage of it. The therapists are not there to judge you but I promise it’s a them issue & you’re not a horrible person. When I used to think of suicide often I started to think less “doomsdayish” & realized that I wont know how my life will turn out if I just give up. If you give up you won’t ever know. Whether your situation will improve, & all the fear in your heart just gone. You could miss out on that freedom and happiness you’ve been waiting for in this current life we are living. One last thing I want to point out that I’ve thought about is that we don’t know how many more people are out there struggling with this. I think they’re maybe afraid of judgement. Basically what I’m implying is I feel like there are so many others out there who don’t want to speak up & are struggling with this. Everything on their conscious being afraid to even write it down. I just feel in my heart that there are others who keep these issues to themselves. I think I feel it in my heart because that was me once. Feeling like my story was different, afraid at thought of even telling a stranger(therapist) who could judge me. I did not want to be perceived badly. I’m 21 years old & wish I had the courage to speak up sooner I feel like I could’ve started seeing the light at the end of the tunnel sooner but that’s okay. Speak up for you, you do not have to wake up in fear everyday or contemplate suicide everyday. Even if it feels like you’re your only cheerleader. Sending a virtual hug to all because I know what it’s like to just want to be held & told that everything is going to work out. you never know what others are going through, be the person who isn’t afraid to extend your heart to others, try & breathe a little more, take care of yourselves, remember you aren’t alone no matter your situation, stay strong To the suicidal person reading this, you’re resilient & strong. Sending a virtual hug❤️.
Share your thoughts so the Community can respond
