- Date posted
- 2y
Sad
Is it possible to even love life again? Or will this guilt/shame/depression be forever?
Is it possible to even love life again? Or will this guilt/shame/depression be forever?
It'll start to shift as you get into a good flow with daily ERP. You'll have times of day and full days where you feel more like yourself and not carry the active burden of your intrusive thoughts. You'll even sometimes have entire weeks where OCD is fairly quiet! There will be ups and downs... times where you're in an extended blip for a week or two, maybe. That's where I am. I have some good weeks, but right now I have a lot of big changes happening so I'm feeling unsteady and OCD is *thrilled* for this opportunity. Keep pushing! We can all do this, no matter what part of our journey we are in today š©·
@ReadyForImprovement Thank you for this. I seem to feel the best at night. I feel like this is pretty opposite to the norm for most people. Seems like morning until about 6pm Iām pretty uncomfortable in my thoughts. I just need to keep plugging away at ERP even when I really donāt want to.
@Anonymously0CD I'm exactly the same way! Our bodies generate the most cortisol (the "stress hormone") when we wake up, so many people find their anxiety worse in the morning. I seem to run out of the body chemistry that generates anxiety by around 4pm most days so my evenings are peaceful and I feel like myself.
@ReadyForImprovement It could also contribute to me taking my SSRI at 5:30pm. My therapist said itās kind of odd, but to embrace that time of relief.
@Anonymously0CD Interesting! I take my medication first thing in the morning. Your therapist makes a good point, it doesn't matter why, we should just appreciate it without analysis š„°
@ReadyForImprovement Iāve considered changing to morning. I just know what to expect with my current routine and am afraid to change š What medication and dose are you on if you donāt mind me asking?
@Anonymously0CD I'm taking Effexor these days. 225mg. It seems to be ok. I still have issues with OCD, of course, but I really notice the difference if I forget to take it... the next day, my brain is definitely reminding me that I missed a dose.
@ReadyForImprovement Iām terrified of missing a dose. I hear itās no fun!
@Anonymously0CD Oh don't worry, if it happens, you just take it when you realize it (unless it's too close to your regular dose, then just resume as normal). I don't experience anything dramatic. I just notice that OCD is chattier or I'm feeling jittery but not quite anxious... I feel off.
@ReadyForImprovement Okay that makes me feel better!
@Anonymously0CD Oh good! Sometimes I'll notice because my anxiety is spiking unusually (like not in response to anything)... then I'm like "oh yeahhhhh, i didn't take my meds". Then I take them. Nothing to write home about... it's just discomfort.
It will get better with time if you follow ERP. Itās a tough recovery process but itās worth it please look into ERP therapy.
@Anonymous I am currently in therapy. Just struggling with finding a good, effective script for my real event ocd
will i ever be free or is this all there is for the rest of my life
I know I keep talking about This but Iām too tired :( Iām really struggling and I donāt know what to do anymore. I feel like I might be the only person who experiences this in the way I do. Itās gotten so bad that during intimacy or self-pleasure, I feel like Iām acting on a thought ā like my body is moving because of it. Itās terrifying and deeply hurtful. The moment it happens, I immediately panic, try to rewind everything in my head, and ruminate to figure out what I was thinking at that exact second⦠but I can never remember. That makes it even worse. feel so lost and hopeless, like Iāll never be able to heal or move on from this. People tell me āitās just OCD,ā but it doesnāt feel like OCD to me. It feels like Iām the exception ā like no one else truly experiences it like this, especially the part where it feels like I physically responded to a thought. I know people say āothers go through this too,ā but my mind keeps saying, ānot like this, not this specific thing.āSometimes I just wish I could go back and relive those moments so I could be sure what happened, but I know thatās not possible. I feel so stuck in guilt and doubt that I donāt even know who I am anymore. Iām scared Iām a bad person and that Iāll always feel this way. Iāll never be free or be the same again everyday I live with deep depression
My real-events are terrible. I'm plagued daily by multiple awful things I did as a child / teenager (please don't downplay it.) I've grown into a better person, but the memories won't let me see any progress. It feels as if my insides are dying from grief and shame. How do you go day to day not picturing yourself as a monster?
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