What I have learned living with OCD

Have had it since I was a kid, barricading my closet doors to prevent monsters from getting out, to relationship OCD that destroyed 1 relationship, to fear of disease, to driving OCD. Pretty much anything to do with uncertainty will trigger anxiety. Sometimes the way the sun sets, or how rooms are lit, to certain colors, and even sounds will trigger anxiety for no reason at all. Im a big energy drink person, and that does not help, especially if you’re in a weak point in OCD, so caffeine and stimulants not good. Warning l!! Alcohol will temporarily help, but if you are an alcoholic like i am, it can ruin your life and make OCD 10x worse. Going through withdrawal is like OCD anxiety x1000. Almost 4 years sober now but I can tell you there is light… If its not happening right in front of your face, it’s not real, and it’s OCD! In hindsight 98% of my themes were never true, or the odds of it happening were .00001. ERP is the way out. It takes a lot of courage but it will pay off.

jlou618

Date posted: 1y

Where do you go to get ERP? I have been wanting to do

Osead

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y

@jlou618 This app right here. My clinician is amazing and I am already seeing results just a few sessions in!

jlou618

Date posted: 1y

@Osead I know, how though?

Osead

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y

@jlou618 I think you can get matched with a clinician through the therapy page on the app? If not, call their number, that’s what I did.

Evoorhee

Date posted: 1y

@jlou618 A real OCD therapist. Im with one on here right now, had a few sessions but haven’t really touched on ERP with a full session yet. Just built a fear list, but i have an idea of what its gonna consist of.

OCDisHell

Date posted: 1y

I can remember as a child, my heart racing and thinking the beats were footsteps of someone in the hall coming to get me. I used to barricade my door. I also drank energy drinks and alcohol but decided to quit both because the anxiety they provoke isn't worth it. I've never honestly done ERP, my treatment has been SSRIs from a young age. I wish you the best on your journey. God bless

Evoorhee

Date posted: 1y

@OCDisHell I am on Sertraline 50mg and all it does it takes the edge off the anxiety, and blunts the ocd. Eventually with ssris alone the ocd will find a way around it. Its best to do erp along with ssris because it will make the experience way more tolerable. I have learned erp on my own thru my years of fighting this. I found that just like pushing a child thats afraid of drowning i to a pool, forcing them to face their fears works with ocd as well. Erp works best because it rewires the root. Once you label something as dangerous, your screwed. Ocd is like an anaconda, it squeezes tighter and tighter on what you deemed scary even when it’s irrational. Like driving for me, even when nothing is there, or no one is around for miles, it’s like, you still need to check. The more you check, the tighter it squeezes. ERP is NOT CHECKING!!!

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