Getting through life when therapy is unaffordable

Hi everyone, I'm in a bit of a difficult situation and I wanted to ask for some advice. I recently finished my studies and I am living from my savings while I look for a job. However this process has turned out to be a lot more difficult and tedious than I expected. I suspect I have OCD as I relate to a lot of the experiences described here, in particular those corresponding to pure OCD. I have continuous intrusive thoughts about how what I'm currently doing is not enough, I constantly need to reassured that what I'm doing is right, with some magical thinking and concerns about my relationship sprinkled in. These intrusive thoughts have made it very difficult to make any significant progress in looking for something. Added to this I'm not even sure I have OCD as I don't have the money to afford therapy right now (my mind keeps telling me that it's silly to write this message because there's no way I have OCD). I live in Switzerland so as far as I understand my insurance won't cover sessions with NOCD. In conclusion I'm a bit stuck, therapy would help with finding a job but I need a job to get therapy. If any of you have had any similar experience and have some piece of advice it would be very welcome.

NiJoDe

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 3d

I just want to let you know that OCD also has a way of making it feel like you're not doing enough, and it can wind up creating automatic thoughts, the first things that come to mind, and forces you into them. I used to have these kinds of thoughts too, when I feared failure and only wanted things to go right. I had a job interview, didn't get the job, and felt miserable, because I thought I wasn't doing my best and that I'd be stuck at my dead end job forever. That could be further from the truth, but OCD likes perfectionism, and makes you feel this way for not doing things "the way you're supposed to". The best advice I can give is that when you start having these kinds of automatic thoughts, try considering cognitive restructuring. It's the process of writing down your current thoughts and feelings from something that happened to you, how you would measure those feelings on a scale of 1-10, then you can think of some other ways to think about it (without sinking into reassurance, a common OCD compulsion). For example, when I didn't do a good job at my job interview, I first felt like I was stuck and that I didn't do my best. I then restructured it as "If I get rejected, I'll find out why, and then I can take this information to my next interview where I'm more prepared". Then, after that, you measure your feelings again to see if there's a significant reduction. There is a solution to every problem, OCD just has a way of trying to avoid it to make you sink further into guilt and self loathing. You are more capable than you realize, and I wish you the best of luck in your job search! I know it sounds corny, but never give up, because any rejection you get, you can take what you've learned for the next job interview.

sizzli

Date posted: 3d

OCD is certainly not one show fits all, it can look different for everyone, including being very mild to severe. I definitely relate to your situation, but I am in North America. Are you looking for any kind of job or are you being particular with your choices? Doing a job that allows your OCD to flourish is what I’d recommend. So for me here in the states, food service was fun (not with the customers, but my coworkers). If you are completely comfortable talking on the phone with people, call agents are always hiring I’m pretty sure, at least here they are. If you have a big chain like Walmart or the Switzerland equivalent, there are many positions in a grocery store. If you don’t mind tedious work, the mailing industry is a good option, that’s what I do. Job hunting can be exhausting and if you’re okay with just having a job now until you find something better, at least you’d have an external flow of income until you are able to work your way to where you really want to be.

sizzli

Date posted: 3d

@sizzli Also, there is a great channel on YouTube called “Therapy in a Nutshell.” It’s by a licensed therapist named Emma McAdam and she has a TON of videos that helped me, not just OCD specific, but I found videos I greatly related to either way. She also has a website with useful tools, downloadable work sheets, she’s a great option for “free therapy” that you can also pay for if you choose to, she has both.

Nica

Date posted: 3d

If you cannot afford therapy at this time, I highly suggest Nathan Peterson’s online OCD course for a cheaper fee than therapy.

besol

Date posted: 3d

Hey Penguin, disclaimer, I'm definitely not trying to endorse self diagnosis, but if you read some of the info on the Y-BOCS assessment tool for OCD, you're either gonna say "this describes my life in a way I didn't think anything ever would" or you're not. If your response is the first one, I gotta encourage you to do whatever you can to get into therapy for an official assessment and treatment. The longer you go trying to manage OCD on your own without therapy, the more ingrown it can get!

Evieb123

Date posted: 25w

urgent help needed

Hi everyone, I’m reaching out here because I know this community understands the daily battles of living with OCD. Recently, I hit a really dark place and tried to take my own life. It’s been hard to admit, but I’m still here, and I’m trying to find a way forward. OCD feels relentless sometimes—the intrusive thoughts, the constant doubt, the cycles that never seem to end. It became so overwhelming that I didn’t see a way out. I know I need help, and I’m working on reaching out to professionals, but I also wanted to connect here. To those who’ve been in a similar place: What helped you keep going? How do you manage the darkest moments when OCD takes over? I feel like I’m holding on by a thread, but I’m holding on. Any advice, words of encouragement, or personal experiences would mean so much to me right now. Thank you for reading this, and for being part of a space where we can be honest about our struggles.

tlousluvr

Date posted: 24w

advice 🧸

hi. so one big factor of my OCD is rumination. i met a guy who i have a crush on the idea of (idea bc there are red flags). my biggest fear is not finding true love, my ex told me no one else would deal with what i have (my ocd, specifically reassurance seeking and getting overstimulated after intimacy). a few weeks ago, my friends and family all gathered and tried to give me advice that sounded like “you’re shy and you’ll never find someone.” after that, i’ve felt off. i’ve been using an unhealthy coping skill, daydreaming, and i’ve just felt unbalanced. my ocd makes everything feel different sometimes, i can’t explain it. life, myself, almost like being in a dissociated state. has anyone else experienced that? i don’t know how to remain balanced during my off times and i know pms exasperates it all. i take ashwaghanda and omega 3s in a multi vitamin daily. i take them all together in the evening but i’ve missed three days recently and also messed with my rocky sleep schedule because of fun times with friends. i hope these supplements work, because i don’t know if i’d be brave enough for medication. i had a bad reaction on prozac and often am forgetful. i just have been battling my OCD consciously for almost ten years now and unconsciously for longer. i am so tired, as my mental health extends beyond my OCD. i’m in talk therapy with some cbt aspects but i only see her twice a month. i’ve broken down so many times and promised myself id get on track or that certain things would work, but it’s like i am stuck in a circle that gets smaller when i’m able to help myself. i just want to be normal. i want to be able to mess up my sleep schedule to enjoy good times and not suffer horrible consequences or fear that i will be entirely thrown off balance. i don’t want to worry or doubt or feel so dissociative that i squint my eyes for a moment and wonder why i feel so unreal. i will never understand why god has allowed me to go through this. i cannot let it be for nothing but i don’t know how much more to bend and contort my body and brain to get somewhere stable but how lovely it would be if i could. i don’t have much of a schedule right now, i get apathetic and give in with things from time to time. one thing can trigger me and i am back to square one wether in a week or month. any advice, any and all is so helpful. your stories, your thoughts. maybe feeling less alone and knowing what has helped you is exactly what i need right now. thank you 💗

JH202462

Date posted: 23w

Anyone else experience this?

I feel like in some ways receiving a diagnosis for OCD has in some ways made things worse. I’ve always had what I called “phases” throughout life, which I now know were ocd episodes, but I didn’t really make too much of them and even if it was over several long difficult months, they’d always seem to kind of just pass. Recently I’ve begun my worse flare up in the last few years and now that I’m older I seemed professional help which led to my diagnosis. This all sounds great of course but I can’t actually afford therapy right now so I kinda just have the diagnosis but not the support so now that I realize these phases are actually this incurable mental illness I just feel like I’ve lost all hope that I’ll ever be happy and I feel like I basically obsess about obsessing at this point and it just sucks. Has anyone else had this or a similar experience?

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Getting through life when therapy is unaffordable

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