- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 6y ago
I’ve also got the excessive checking OCD for the exact same reasons. I started taking meds in May after fighting it for so long and I’m glad I did. I find the anxiety around my compulsions (checking) have lessened significantly. Also I have learned to try to incorporate mindfulness when checking. In other words be 100% in the moment and confident in your checking. “I am locking the door, I am turning the key and listening to it lock, I am taking the key out, etc”. You get the idea. Be 100% in the present which is difficult for us who are always worrying about what “might” happen if we didn’t check it that hundredth time. Hope that helps. :)
Thanks! I tried meds but didn’t like the side effects. If things get worse I might try them again. I do some self talk while I do the process but maybe I’ll try to be mindful like you are doing. Thanks again.
Hi and welcome! What has your therapist said about it? If coping methods actually keep us from getting better, have you considered setting a limit to the checking, and just leaving the house after you’ve hit that limit regardless of how you feel? Then, once you feel comfortable, reduce that limit even lower? Our seeking comfort might feel good, but it’s also okay to feel discomfort, and in sitting with that discomfort, we can realize that we have locked the door, we have turned off the stove, put dog has enough water for the day, we have washed our hands enough, and we’re okay!
Hi, thanks for the reply. meditation was one suggestion. Another was setting a time limit and leaving no matter what. I am a teacher and I was doing well with that before the school year started. Last week, I tired the timer and things got worse. I am going to try to drive better this week with it.
Replace “dog” with “cat” and I could have written that. It’s been a long process of waves of OCD since I was a kid but now that I’m an adult and live on my own, the checking can get bad. However, we recently upped the dose on my meds and it does seem to be helping a little.
Thanks for the responses! I actually was doing some ERP before I went back to work. It helped some but without normal stressors like work I was doing better. Now that I’m back, There is an uptick the time and challenge it takes to get out. That being said today was a better day.
I do the same thing and one of the things I do to help myself is pay attention when I am checking and say to myself as I check I trust myself in my head and then leave.
And, as one of the rules of the community states, this is not a suggestion to do this without you and your therapist agreeing on it! Good luck!
It’s tough to leave, because that’s the whole point of the compulsions: they really do make you feel better right there and then once you complete the ritual, but they’re only keeping the obsession around. A therapist I saw did mention that, with ERP, it will get worse, because you’re literally exposing yourself to the triggers that cause the obsessive thoughts you’re trying to get rid of, but it’s the only way, aside from medication. What would your therapist think about you trying when you have a vacation so that you have time to focus on it without it getting in the way of work? No matter what, you’re not alone in this, we’re all on the same path and I’m by no means an expert on compulsion avoidance!
I'm reaching out in hopes of finding others who might relate to my experiences or offer insights. I'm dealing with a complex interplay of OCD, depression, and existential anxiety, and I'm struggling to make sense of it all. Here's what I'm experiencing: I have OCD with various manifestations, along with episodes of depression. I find myself in a cyclical pattern where, after a few weeks, I start to remind myself about my depressive tendencies. This reminder seems to trigger a cycle that actually makes me feel more depressed or at least more aware of depressive symptoms. When this happens, I often experience feelings of nihilism and existential dread. I try to think about my family - my two young boys and my wife - to find motivation or a sense of purpose, but this strategy often backfires, making me feel even more anxious and depressed. I constantly check my feelings, wondering if they're depressive or anxious. At the same time, I fear that my feelings of anxiety and panic might spiral out of control. I think about my emotions and thoughts on a meta-level, which means I'm not just experiencing feelings, but I'm also constantly analyzing the fact that I'm experiencing them. There's an existential component to my struggles, a fear of depression and anxiety itself, and a sense that this might be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Perhaps most frustratingly, I often have feelings, thoughts, or sensory experiences that I can't explain or put into words. I feel like I've never heard of these before, which leaves me feeling deeply misunderstood. Does anyone else experience something similar? How do you cope with this complex web of symptoms and experiences? I'm particularly interested in hearing from those who've found ways to break the cycle of meta-cognition and self-fulfilling anxiety. Any insights, shared experiences, or strategies would be deeply appreciated. Thank you for your time and understanding.
I have contamination OCD that causes me to excessively wash my hands/clean items with disinfectant wipes. I know I just need to start with small exposures but how do I do that without spiraling? I tried a while back by just touching the outside of my dishwasher and not washing my hands after and it led to me being unable to even exist in my house. I basically lived on my couch for three weeks as it was the only 'safe' space that I had not touched with my dirty hands. I had to take a week off work to clean my house to make it somewhat liveable. I still haven't got round to cleaning everything though so things like my kitchen are still no-go zones that I don't enter. I just don't know how to start ERP without it making everything worse. Any advice would be appreciated. I am not seeing a therapist at the moment due to financial constraints.
Guys I need help. I feel so alone . Basically I have this compulsion where I feel the need to write everything but this stems from me being anxious about EVERYTHING. Like my mom came in my room and I was irritated and snapped, immediately regretted now I keep writing “don’t be mean to mom next time” but I keep thinking about it. Then I think about how I finally left my house today and all the surfaces I touched that could’ve been contaminated and now I’m writing “next time don’t touch this and this”. Then I think about all the things I need to be doing for this week and I’m writing “don’t forget to do this and this” even though I’ve written it 5 times already. This is what happens everyday btw. My brain always thinks about something I need to be doing and making me anxious that I’ll forget it which is why I write it down on my notes app. I’m sooo mentally exhausted I need help pls!! Anyone have any advice ? I used to think I need to stop the writing but really I need to stop the anxious thoughts coming into my head . People say I need to accept the thoughts and let it go but that’s too hard for me
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