tips/advice

@sadieinez How long did yours last ? Mine been since may and it’s so hard !

@Walters15! To a degree I still contend with it today (almost 10 years later) but Ive become so familiar with how it manifests I clock it as my OCD immediately and tread accordingly (utilizing the skills Ive learned through ERP therapy and CBT). Sometimes I have to reread books to refresh my memory and push myself to do ERP to deplete its power source (my perception that something is wrong). Truth is OCD will get clever and weasel its may back into your life where it can. It evolves with us, the thoughts may change but its tactics are always the same.

@sadieinez The thing I can’t do is let it make my world small. I keep scheduling road trips/travel. I get out of my house and meet people. I offer to drive (even though it’s the last thing I want to do). I put myself in situations that bring it about and work through it. We who have suicidal OCD truly love life and want nothing more than to live it and feel joy (it’s why it manifests as strongly as it does). The answer is to live and thrive despite it. It’s kind of always going to be there but we get better at taking its power away so we can feel joy, curiosity, and freedom.

@sadieinez Do you take any medication for it ? I was prescribed Prozac but because of the theme I’m so scared to take it . I’ve never had this I was terrified of heart attack and brain tumor and in may this appeared as a harm thought like a what if thing then turned into a visual picture and scared the crap outta me I actually went to a therapist and they wanted to 51/50 me and I told them no I don’t wanna hurt myself idk why I’m having these thoughts then I went to another and she said that oh why don’t you do and my stomach sank to my ass and I was like cause I’m scared I don’t wanna die ! And idk if she knows anything about ocd cause she told me that it was SI but passive im like I’m not willingly thinking of these things it popped up outta nowhere so since then it’s been fucking with me and it sucks ! When my period comes I get depressed and the thoughts just come hard core and I told my husband I’m so scared and that I’m gonna call a hospital cause I’m so scared !

@Walters15! First off, I am so sorry this happened to you. Most therapists are not adequately trained to identify or treat OCD or most anxiety disorders for that matter. Psychiatrists and Psychologist are trained however, so their opinions often have more value in my eyes. Therapists are often trained in “general” for disorders and apply the same treatments for everyone, not realizing something that works for people with depression can actually harm someone with OCD (talk therapy for example). I suggest finding a specialist through NOCD (they take most insurances) or finding a specialist (who takes your insurance) through IOCDF. In order to treat OCD therapists have to undergo special training and most MFT’s simply don’t have that training. Regarding prozac, my brother in law takes that to treat his health anxiety (his focuses around fears of lungs collapse, heart attack, breathing/heart rate) and he has said nothing but good things about it. It’s really been helping him cope so he can treat the underlying cause with proper therapy. I’ve personally have taken Zoloft for almost 8 years and its seriously decreases my body’s physical response to intrusive thoughts which makes a HUGE difference in being able to do ERP/CBT treatments easier. I only gets spikes when I dont have access to my medication (transitioning health insurance issues usually) but even then OCD is always treatable, meds just make the anxiety less intense.

@sadieinez These thoughts do not define you, they are just thoughts, you decide how much power to give them. Your brain has learned to sense these thoughts as an eminent threat/danger, so your body is reacting physically (filling with adrenaline and cortisol) bc thats what it does when it senses danger but there is no danger, the thoughts really have no value until you label them as such. You have the power and strength to relabel them as just thoughts.

@Walters15! If I may suggest a books that will greatly help (they’re cheap and you can get ahold of them relatively quick to help you begin working through this) 1). Easiest/most helpful read for someone in the throws of OCD. Offers immediate help Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts: A CBT-Based Guide to Getting Over Frightening, Obsessive, or Disturbing Thoughts https://a.co/d/0d3tQzEG 2). Same as above, but even better at teaching you how to identify OCD in your thoughts and mindfully working through them. Everyday Mindfulness for OCD: Tips, Tricks, and Skills for Living Joyfully https://a.co/d/058Xsfh4 3). The book ocd specialist caters my program to/has me reading Freedom from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: A Personalized Recovery Program for Living with Uncertainty, Updated Edition https://a.co/d/0geRxWtK

@sadieinez All three books specifically address Suicidal (self harm) OCD and Harm OCD, amidst all the other forms of OCD. Even reading that these are common themes in OCD help in depleting their power over us.

@sadieinez Thank you so much !! 🙏

@Giraffe Lover Same here, but in the end the fact that we have a physical fear response at all when these thoughts arise is a HUGE indicator. It’s OCD, masking itself as something else.