Your “before & after”

I’m slowly enjoying music again. Thoughts used to be so loud, but now that Ive learned how to deal with them, my creative and expressive side with music is coming back and that makes me happy. OCD and depression really took away a lot of thing in my life.

My thoughts bother me less than they used to. (My main theme still loves to lurk in the back of my mind, which is frusterating. But! When new themes or one off themes arrive, I know what to do. LONG LIVE THE LOOP TAPE 🫡

My relationships improved a lot. I deal with sexual intrusive thoughts (pocd, zocd, iocd, etc.) but as i go through treatment i notice myself able to relax. I’ve even been able to tell family that I love them which wasn’t possible before without having horrible intrusive thoughts. I am also able to be close to my partner, I’m able to be intimate, I’m able to relax. Earlier this same year if you told me that I’d be able to hang out with my family, go outside without fear, pet animals, and sleep soundly I would have thought you were lying. Now I am doing so much better. Sure there are times where I have panic attacks, intrusive thoughts, and shut downs but I am able to work through them.

I wasn’t able to see things differently until recently. Finally noticing progress feels really good. Knowing that all the therapy along with Gods help is actually re-wiring the brain which is such an incredible thing!!🙏😊

I am able to function in my daily life even when my distress levels are high. I've been able to call out my avoidance behaviors and reduce the frequency of my avoidance. I've realized that just because I am experiencing distressing thoughts, feelings, sensations, I don't have to DO anything about it. And I've realized that as much as I want to figure everything out and have certainty, I will never have it, and that's okay.

One of my favourite movies became an OCD trigger. I ended up watching it with my therapist and started to love the movie again!!🥹🥹

And! There was one point in the therapy where I started to feel about 40% better. I remember thinking, Geez, there’s nothing left to work on. HAHA. Wrong.  Grateful to not suffer like I used to. Grateful that the suffering has become less intense as time passes. That said, I’m gonna go drink hot chocolate .

I'm reading again!

Before ERP: Certain, but the world was the size of a pinhole During & After ERP: Uncertain, uncomfortable, but the world’s opening up

Oh wow. Life is amazing again and a journey worth fighting for. No matter what happens I got this and OCD can just sit down and shut up. I am in control now. A new meaning to face your fear.

The need for compulsions is zero to none! I can experience discomfort so much better now and sit with it. I no longer accommodate my life to my OCD ☺️. My life feels so much more full thanks to ERP

Before I was diagnosed with OCD and started therapy at NOCD, I would avoid discomfort at all costs. I thought that there was some deep dark monster lurking in me and that my intrusive thoughts “meant” so many things about me. Now, I’m learning to be okay being uncomfortable, and I’m making peace with the “monster” that has nothing to do with my character, values, or worth and everything to do with this disorder. I also identified the root cause of my OCD fears and have more compassion for myself, both brain and body. 💙

I am able to take a breath and fight instead of continuously spiraling into the dark.

My thoughts bother me less and when ever they pop up and I flare up slightly, I relax knowing I’m better equipped to deal with it, accepting uncertainty with messages, not pushing these thoughts away and most importantly moving on with your life.

I’ve been able to go to more restaurants:))

I feel like I am living more. Less shrouded and protected. Just more authentic.

Being able to touch certain objects around my house without having to clean (disinfect) them first.

I’ve gone back to school and I graduate this spring! I have a job I love now! I also am able to be in a loving relationship where my partner accepts me, OCD and all!

One way my life has changed since starting OCD Therapy is that I'm able to use knives again. After a self-harm attempt before I started therapy I feared knives and refused to use them. At restaurants, I would order food that didn't need to be cut by knives and no one aside from my roommate noticed. Through ERP, I've been able to find the courage to use them again without any anxiety.

FREEDOM!!!! Before was unrelenting rumination!!!! Never seemed to have a moment where my mind was relaxed or at peace! I was under constant anxiety, stress, fear, guilt and condemnation. I would ruminate about my relationship with God always fearful I wasn’t in right standing with Him. I knew all the scripture and had it memorized and would still run to my Bible to “check” even though I already knew what it said! It is for freedom that Christ came to set us free!! Galatians But once realizing it wasn’t a spiritual problem but an OCD problem and using ERP I feel like I have been given my life back!!

I’m able to keep going despite the thoughts and feelings.

Understanding and Patience. Mindfulness and regulation skills

I really only struggle with my last main obsession that is still so scary to me and feels so real. However, I was still able to go to the gym today. The me 5 months ago wouldn’t have had the strength to do that. I had a difficult night sleeping due to anxiety and yet I still went to workout and I had a difficult day but we got through it and I just did my exposure homework for the day. Things have changed drastically for the better.

I fell into a dark place and felt hopeless. I now see some light and feel hope again. My therapist Kim provided my with ERT and gave to tools and images to utilize.

Became more confident in myself 💪🏽

Ever since I have started ERP here with the help of NOCD im able to go to places im scared of

Before I had the most horrific thoughts, didn't understand the world and suffered greatly every single day. I'd have "episodes" when my compulsions were interrupted and felt embarrassed and confused wihh myself a lot. After: I'm the most happiest, non judgemental, loving person I know 😊 Have a good day everyone ♥️

Before: Low confidence in my ability to get through hard times, constant ruminating, stuck in compulsive cycles out of “safety,” struggling to set boundaries. After: More self-compassion (this was so difficult prior to ERP), more faith in myself, courage to walk away from bad situations instead of staying for the “what if,” I laugh more, I sleep better, i handle my emotions with more grace, I confront new themes head on and don’t run from them even when I want to. And, community! I love the support groups and this forum.

I've had OCD almost as long as I can remember and I feel as if I'm meeting myself for the first time.

I've become less distressed, and I've become content with dealing with it in my own head, and not through compulsions and reassurance.

Before ERP: Living life in fear, waiting for the other shoe to drop or some catastrophe, fearing what my brain could produce After ERP: Allowing myself to feel and be afraid while still living my values. Not engaging with the “what if” and letting it all just be. The freedom to not need to figure out things or have certainty. ERP has changed my brain for the better.

I still have thoughts but the visuals have changed making it easier to take. Also, the thoughts don’t come as often. Yay!

Yay! That's great you are getting out

I have learned to be ok with my ocd thoughts and react to them.

I was able to have time where I just felt love and happiness and times where I just felt sadness and anger I was able to feel my emotions and thats it. It's really nice. Doesn't happen all the time but I am getting more of it the more I practice.

Before: I thought I had gone completely insane and could not handle the horridness of my thoughts Now: I am still a work in progress, but have made huge strides since getting diagnosed and starting therapy and medication. I have been having a panic attack all day and still accomplished everything I wanted to do today instead of letting it derail my entire life.

What kind of thoughts were you having

I can finally listen to music and drive again, and I can sing in the shower home all alone, I feel like I got my life back! The OCD thoughts still linger but I know why they're there and how to handle them!

I am able to get so much more accomplished now that my anxiety no longer triggers me to pull out my hair. I feel so much lighter and free.

The thoughts are less and if they do arise I can handle them much better now.

Any tips on how to get there?