Does anyone know if I might find it easier to treat my OCD now that I'm about to go on sick leave? I'm really exhausted and need a break, but I'm also worried because I've been working for a very long time and I don't know if I'll be able to go back. I'd love to hear from anyone who has found that a slower pace and less stress has helped them overcome their OCD.
Possibly, but I’d say you’d have to actually DO the treatment (ERP), plus get out and about doing self ERP and/or the homework assigned, and not just hang about inside all day, the whole time.
@Nica As always, listen to Nica! The last thing you want to do is stay in bed or on the couch and hide (ironically, that’s what I’m doing right now due to a recent flare up). It is critical to find the balance that your body needs - for me, I need to work and force my brain to think about something else. I need to exercise. I need medication and therapy and a lot of ERP. Everyone is different, but just being on sick leave at home all the time might not be the best.
@Joey_867 Btw. I’m going for a 4 mile walk now. Force myself up and it will help.
@Joey_867 I need a walk too! 😎 or do some cardio inside since it’s pouring rain.
@Nica Did it and feel a lot better and clearer! Always helps, the battle is just doing it.
@Joey_867 Rocking it! 💪🏻 I’ve had to force myself out of bed a few times this month. But I know from over 12 years of experience that wallowing in bed makes it worse, so I am petty at my own damn self 😂 Me @ me: “I know this game and I’m not playing it. And it’s coffee time! You know you want it… come here, coffeecoffeecoffee…”
@Nica I’m one year in after 12 years of symptom free…and I started with NOCD last June. This group and therapy have helped me so much. But, it still comes down to “me” for each of us. To do the work, get out of bed, face the day, face our fears, etc. Unfortunately, I haven’t found any shortcuts. My meds help, but I still have to do so much work to function quasi normally. I know we all do. Before I didn’t want to go to work, now I look forward to it because it helps the day pass by and get to my evenings which seem to be the best time of the day. Side note, does coffee bother you? I LOVE coffee, but when I’m going through a relapse I stay away from the added caffeine. I’ve switched to half caf, which seems to be ok. As always, thank you for your guidance.
@Joey_867 Definitely feel that! But you accepted that it is on you to fully get better and that’s one of the biggest hurtles, so props on that ❤️ Since you can’t cure any mental illness, it is continual up-keep. But think of your mind as a whole like a garden: you have to tend to it all the time, but if you do, it’s beautiful. And sometimes outside issues arise and mess it up (like a storm or nosy dog) but that doesn’t mean you give up; you fix it and continue on. I’ve been drinking coffee for so long, it just wakes me up and also helps me pay attention due to my ADD, but that’s about it.
I haven’t been in that situation, but I’m working too and I feel like it adds stress to my ocd because some days I am just ruminating on loop or making compulsions and I am not productive at all and feel bad and more stressed, others it’s really difficult to go out of bed. At the same time I think that work can help to be more distracted and to think less about your obsessions but I think it depends on where you’re at. If you feel like you are really going though a bad phase I think it would be a good idea to take a sick leave and really work on yourself (through therapy maybe trying group therapy as well) the goal would be to really get better
I think the brst solution is to work parttime if it's possoble. To me it was a mistake to go for sickleave 100 %, my OCD had all my focus... Maybe something to consider.
I just started my new job maybe a couple months ago and I’m officially off orientation. I had a couple shifts by myself but the anxiety I feel being alone is honestly beastly. I keep getting scared that I’ll end up giving my patients someone else’s medications, keep having thoughts of “what if I give patient A medications to patient C.” My hair keeps falling out, I get such bad pre work and post work anxiety. On my days off all I think about is work. It’s taking a toll on my mental health and my relationship with my boyfriend. I am mad and stressed all the time. I’m just so tired and I honestly feel like I’m getting depressed. I want to stick it out a couple more months so I can get a job somewhere that’s not in a hospital. I just feel so stuck and scared all the time. If anyone else is a nurse with OCD what did you do to help with your anxiety and OCD?
I’m so glad everybody has a comfortable job where they can pay for therapy. But I’ve realized my ocd has gotten worse at the job I’m currently at and I don’t want to quit because the job market is never hiring and I always have bills to pay like every freaking week on top of that I’m still in college. I think being stressed is making my ocd worse.
OCD doesn't take a break just because you have work to do. What are some ways that OCD has popped up for you at your work?
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