- Date posted
- 1y
If today is hard
Big hugs! Remember that you can do hard things! Don’t listen to the lies!
Big hugs! Remember that you can do hard things! Don’t listen to the lies!
I needed to hear that
@Lost&Found You’ve got this!
Today is really a hard day, I'm feeling in a sea of hazy thoughts and memories. I just feel drained.
@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
I’m sure it’s been a rough few days for everyone, maybe even weeks or months. Hell, this last YEAR has been up and down for me! But I wanted to take this moment to congratulate everyone for coming this far. It’s no small feat! OCD is a killer, and it’s good at its job! The fact that all of you are still here fighting is a testament to how strong you are! We may not have the answers or explanation to everything, and that’s okay. We have to stay in the present, not the past or the future. Remember to practice being uncertain! It’s hard to remember the good days we’ve had despite all these horrible ones! There’s no scar to show for happiness, but we’ve got plenty to show for misery and pain. Keep hanging on, you’ve got this!
Please tell me it gets easier…it’s hard to hold on when it feels like it’s not going to ever.
Hello everyone. Good morning to you all. This week has been tough for me. I've had a hard time keeping my head up. Every day, I wake up at 5 or so with intense feelings of dread. Shaking, racing thoughts, gagging, struggling to focus and get through work, intense feeling of panic, face flushing, wired but tired. I've been really going through it. And this is extra painful because: 1. I am doing better than I've done in a while. I've made plans and kept to them. 2. I've gotten great news this week about a potential job opportunity. It's a long-term plan, but I'm looking forward to the future like I haven't in months. (My OCD has mainly centered around work uncertainty) 3. My attitude is great. I'm not despairing. I know the morning anxiety is caused morning cortisol. I know my body may just be sensitized. I'm not actually panicking. I'm approaching the doom and gloom thoughts as I believe I should most of the time. So, what's going on? Here's my encouragement to you. This kind of anxiety is a lie. It has no bearing on reality. What I mean is when I wake up shaking, there is no actual danger. My fight or flight response is activating when there is nothing to fight and nothing to fly from. Why? Because my body is sensitized. I spent months waking up every day in a panic, giving in to intrusive thoughts, struggling with compulsions. I don't blame myself for this. It all happened very suddenly and I had no idea what was going on. Once I did, I started fighting it. But damage has been done. And damage takes time to heal. Every time I panicked, I reenforced that fight or flight response. I told my body it was right to panic. And so, now, it is sensitized. It responds with an unusual and inappropriate amount of panic to everything, especially mornings. What I try to remember, and encourage you to remember as well, is this: It takes time to heal. It is very easy for me to start to panic or despair. After all, I feel like I'm doing everything right. Obviously, there are things I can improve on, but I'm getting better. I'm starting to eat better. I'm exercising more. I'm floating through the anxiety. I'm cutting out compulsions. My job prospects are looking up. My relationship with my spouse and family is great. So why? Why? Why? Stop. Don't panic. Remember. You can do absolutely everything right. Anxiety can still come. That's what I mean when is said anxiety is a lie. It is. It's lying to you. You're just sensitized. Remember that it takes time to heal. It doesn't happen overnight. Don't let anxiety control your actions. Don't let it cause you stress and keep you in that cycle. Don't freak out when your heart races or you feel a surge of energy and you want to do anything to escape. Sit in that anxiety and let it pass by as it wishes. If you keep this up, it will get better. You'll become less sensitized. You'll have less anxiety. And when you do have it, it will bother you less, and less, and less. It just takes time. The biggest breakthroughs are often proceeded by the greatest struggles. Don't stop doing the right thing just because it doesn't "feel" good. Feelings are liers. Do what you're supposed to do despite the feelings. Keep up the good work. You're closer to success than you think. Go do something fun today. I'm going to go to the mall and I'm going to live in the present moment, whether anxiety is there or not. Thank you for reading. I am praying for you all.
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