I have been making progress with certain elements of OCD, however I still can't get comfortable with whether or not the stove is off when I go to sleep. I know I check it but if the knob feels slightly not over the off label I feel that the stove gas might be on and I don't know it. How do I overcome this?
Classic exposure exercises. My mum had similar (I have different types), this like leave the stove off but with water in a pan on it. Remember the aim isn’t to convince yourself the stove is off. It’s to learn to sit with the anxiety that it might be on.
hey, it's really great to hear about the progress you've made with your ocd. dealing with those lingering doubts, especially about something as important as the safety of your home, can be super tough. 😔 i actually battle a different ocd theme myself, so i totally get how those intrusive thoughts can be. i've found some apps that might help you out. "unstuck ocd therapy tools" is one that's been a game-changer for me. my local ocd support group recommended it. it's pretty cool because it offers ai-personalized guidance and exercises right when you need them. then there's "gg ocd," which is a bit different. it's more about teaching you the basics of cbt for ocd through bite-sized learning modules. it's not as personalized and doesn't offer in-the-moment help, but it's good for understanding the basics of cbt. hope these can offer you some relief and tools to manage those tough moments. 🌟
Hi, I’m new here. I am a checker. I need to check the stove and other household appliances before I leave the house. I think I am afraid that I will burn the house down with my dog In it. I know this is not rational and the chances of it happening are incredibly low but I worry. I get stuck In loops while I’m checking things over and over. Sometimes things are better and I can get out of my house relatively easy. Other times it takes me 10-30 minutes to leave. I am seeing a therapist but I am not taking medication. Does anyone deal with similar issues? Has anyone found any strategies that help them cope?
Unlike the most common types of OCD, my fears always come true. Let's take the easy example of turning off the stove 10 times just to be sure, it's all about the obession and compulsion. However my fear is to feel depersonalizated (i think i have this, not sure, for me it justfeels like being stabbed by 1000 knifes every second for weeks on end) so i try to avoid things that will make it happen. However, it keeps happening and it's devastating every single time, so much that i can't bear it at all. Your house catching fire likely won't come true, but me suffering intensely once i am triggered does, almost every single time, unless i somehow magically convince myself i just triggered myself and dp won't happen unless i let it by reacting strongly to the trigger. But it only worked like 5-6 times in my 4 years of suffering. I am still looking for a therapist to help me deal with this, but if anyone has any ideas as to what i could try or do i'd be grateful. Exposure doesn't work because the thing i am scared of comes true every time and i lose all control and cant think straight / really need guidance when it happens.
Does anyone have any tricks or things they say to themselves to stop them going back to check something (in my case the oven, plugs, anything that can start a fire, plants that could leak water (!) Lamps etc) it's just so difficult to jot check multiple times when j can't trust my own brain!!! I stand at the door trying to resist, and it's like ocd just makes me check?!
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