If today is hard

@Lost&Found You’ve got this!

@Viny You are stronger than you think. Take a deep breath. You aren’t alone. You can do this!

@Lucy Van Pelt Thanks I will try. Intrusive thoughts are really annoying.

@Viny I know! Believe me!

@Lucy Van Pelt Hey how are you doing right now? I'm absolutely drained and tired from today still alive though

@Viny I haven’t been able to leave the house for 2 weeks. But today I’m going to try. I’m completely drained all of the time. It’s hard to keep going but forward is the only way through this. Even if we move slow we have to keep moving. Lots of baby steps! Hope today is a better day for you!

@Lucy Van Pelt You can do it!! I believe in you. Yeah gotta go forward no matter what. I was so drained yesterday that I woke up just now it's mid-day where I Live lol

@Viny I’m sorry. I understand that! I hope the rest of the day was better! I did go out today and I even did something I hadn’t done in four years! I am working really hard on exposure therapy and every time I think I can’t do something I remind myself that I can do hard things! That may sounds stupid but it’s helping!

@Lucy Van Pelt I'm so proud of you!!! You can do it you can get your life back! Never let the thoughts say otherwise. Today I had a busy day with a lot of intrusive thoughts and some of them were about sexual things with my friends and I was disturbed. I got out of class early because of this but I still had a productive day

@Viny Thank you! 🙂 Yes, sometimes the thoughts can be sticky. Thoughts are just thoughts! They don’t define you. Know your values and your goals and just keep your focus there. I know if the thoughts make be uncomfortable or anxious I want to cut and run but really even though it feels so urgent I don’t need to. You can do hard things!

@Lucy Van Pelt This is so powerful :3

@Viny Hope you are doing better!

@Lucy Van Pelt - I am, I still am having disgusting intrusive thoughts about a friend of mine. Like sexual intrusive thoughts, but I didn't spiral today only left me disgusted. Lol I hate it but I think today I can manage it.

@Viny That’s great that you were able to manage it! That’s wonderful! I’m proud of you! It’s hard not to give in! Just remember EVERYBODY has intrusive thoughts, the only difference is people with OCD latch on to them. We need to just acknowledge it say, “well that was gross brain” and move on. You’ve got this💪

@Lucy Van Pelt - I'm trying to remind myself I am not my thoughts, and yeah I told my brain "that's gross dude", the problem is I feel all the physical symptoms along with it, the anxiety and the disgust in my stomach makes me sick I almost throw up every time. I named my ocd Sauron from Lord of the Rings just because it's always trying to undermine my confidence lol. Also I hate it because my friend is a person that I value in friendship only and I can't for the life of me, bring myself to see him as anything more than a friend and a brother. Screw OCD man.

@Viny I do love your OCD name! That’s great! Haha but yes! I agree the times I have physical sensations it just makes everything feel more real and causes more distress. The nausea is tough though! Did you talk to your therapist about that? And yes, I sing songs when my OCD is making me crazy about how much I hate it! Haha

@Lucy Van Pelt I did he supported me. Honestly I usually try to let the anxiety pass it's not a great coping skill. But it works. My mind is trying right now to convince me I'm in love with my friend all because I didn't feel the same about a song I used to like. (The song is a romantic one) Lol.

@Viny I think that you’re supposed to sit in the anxiety until it passes, so that’s good! The mind is super weird! A lot of the things I OCD about I know don’t make any sense! So frustrating!

@Lucy Van Pelt Can I ask something real quick? Does an intrusive thought come with the immediate urge to reject it for you?

@Viny Yes! Absolutely depending on the thought

@Lucy Van Pelt I see. Because mine right now all have this urge along with anxiety and my mind telling me "Calm down. Calm down"

@Viny I sometimes will say out loud even “it’s okay” or “breathe” I know that’s a compulsion like reassuring myself. Like that?

@Lucy Van Pelt Yeah most of the time is a compulsion