My small OCD win

Just wanted to share two big victories I've had this past week. First, after a flood in my house from a hurricane about seven years ago, I convinced myself I had to use different pairs of shoes for upstairs and downstairs cause the floors downstairs were contaminated with flood germs. This may have made sense for like, the days after the flood but it went on til this week when I was able to bring myself to walk downstairs in my slippers and everything was fine! Second, I've had my cats in a fairly large cat enclosure to keep them separated from the dogs and also prevent them from getting into the walls that were taken down in the flood (long story, the fact that they still aren't fixed) but my brain always treated said space and by extension them as dirty. In order to give both me and the cats better quality of life, I decided to move them into my upstairs room and hall (using a gate to still prevent them from going anywhere dangerous for them while still having a bigger space to roam). I'm having to get past the stage of "Oh God, what if this was a bad idea and they contaminate my room with death germs" but I'm gonna win against my OCD and enjoy my cats!!! (Though as I write this, one of them went from the litter box straight to my bed and tracked litter onto it so there will be some more road bumps...)

I got up, I did TWO loads of laundry, and unloaded and reloaded my dishwasher. I also made my daughter laugh, and I didn't seek reassurance more than once today. What a win, right? I also changed her clothes despite my intrusive thoughts. You guys who have seen my post know that I have been spiraling. I relapsed with POCD in January after being free and clear of it for almost 3 whole years. It's been the biggest struggle, and today I had a bunch of wins and I think that counts for something. I'm still struggling and still second guessing everything, but I'm also trying to have one win a day. And today I had more than one, which is kind of a big deal for me. Thanks for everyone being here for me despite how many times I ask the same thing over and over. I'm just a mom who wants to be the best I can for my daughter; God gave me her and I want to raise her the way she should be.

What’s one small win or act of bravery you’ve had this week, even if it felt really hard? **OCD recovery isn’t about perfection—it's about progress, even if it's tiny. Maybe you delayed a compulsion by 30 seconds. Maybe you showed up here today to express you struggles or support others. These are wins, and they matter. Let’s celebrate them together.