OCD and Executive Functioning. Any Tips?

Hi Everyone - has anyone else had problems with executive functioning - forgetting things, multitasking, attention, not following directions closely, etc. ? If so, what do you do to help? I brought this up to my therapist and she mentioned that I wouldn’t need a therapist Or specialist/coach to work on it - as it would be skills we know to do (take notes, put on reminders, etc). However, I’ve been struggling with OCD for years and none of these “tips” have helped enough. I have had trouble multitasking/ remembering details/forgetting things with jobs and had to quit. It even applies when I am at home - one thing goes in one ear and out the other. I also do not have or been diagnosed with ADHD or any other disorders (just depression from OCD). Does anybody have suggestions? Is it just to manage my OCD better and these things will get better with that? I don’t recall how I was when my OCD was “good” or in better shape (Up until age 18) to gauge this as I didn’t have a job or other life responsibilities. Only thing I can think of is maybe I am so caught up in my head that is causing these issues, aka the severe OCD. Thanks!

JediMJ

Date posted: 6w

I struggle with executive functioning. It’s frustrating. It takes more energy for us because of the way our brains work—like everyone’s just walking from point A to point B and we have an obstacle course. Lists help me a lot. I get overwhelmed by big projects so breaking them down into steps is helpful. Another trick is setting a timer for 15 minutes and just working on it for that long. Sometimes I bribe myself—I can have XYZ after I finish a task. External motivation can work for me. The struggle is real. Be kind to yourself. Too many people have not understood us and assume we are lazy or whatever but that’s not true. Also, things don’t have to be done perfectly—that holds me back a lot.

J1000

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 6w

Tough thing about any mental illness is that life goes on. Perhaps these tips can help you. 1) don’t blame everything on your mental illness. It’s normal to forget things or to zone out. 2) your therapist provided good techniques you should try to apply them again. 3) notes are really important keep notes to create to do list. Having a daily to do list helps make sure that you get things done. Include easy tasks as that helps boost one’s enthusiasm. 4) reminders/calendar invites to have timelines in mind. 5) use a recorder during meetings so you can play back discussions. There are apps that even do transcripts (make sure you get approval first!) These are skills. While I do have OCD I try to tell myself that this isn’t 💯 percent OCDs fault and I can improve on these skills. Like any skill it takes time. Don’t be discouraged be motivated then be disciplined… using those two energies will help you create a healthy habit.

Anonymous

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 6w

Whenever I don’t want to forget to do something I send myself a text. If I don’t want to forget a conversation, I create a note in my notes app on my phone using talk text.

ConfusingWha...

Date posted: 6w

I agree with you guys a lot. I guess I was wondering more if executive functioning is more common with people who have OCD, I’m assuming it is?

Anonymous

Date posted: 24w

Advice on getting by?

Hi! I’m new to the NOCD community, but I’ve been dealing with OCD since I was 12. I’m almost 29 now, and my biggest issue is health anxiety. It’s gotten to the point where getting work done is nearly impossible because i can’t stop spiraling. I’m lucky that i work remotely, but also makes it easier to be in my own head… Asking for advice - how do you all deal with the intense anxiety and are able to make it through a 9-5 work day? Any suggestions on how I can actually be productive? Thank you!

uncertain_Aly

Date posted: 24w

Does OCD impact your ability to get to work?

Often times I find myself spiraling out in the morning about all sorts of things. When I try and catch myself and figure out what I am obsessing over it’s like it goes away. I haven’t moved. I have been sitting frozen on the floor because I can’t go to work because I am behind on work and I hate being late and I hate being messy but I am frequently late and my room is cluttered and full of stuff. I want to be good and move and go to work but I don’t know what is coming today and I hate my job so I know I will get bored and when I have nothing to keep me busy and engaged I like start thinking and taking an inventory of what is going on and then I will feel a sensation and what is the sensation? How did it happen? And I know that I will pick up the bad emotions in the office and get contaminated, I was really worried about things like this as a kid too I cried because I had to touch dirt in kindergarten. I know I am this way and I have been this way for a while but at the same time I think I might just be normal and like I don’t know why I get stuck in thinking like this. Then I begin to doubt that OCD is real because everyone has a brain with wiring and everyone gets stuck in thought sometimes. I feel disabled from whatever this is because I am stuck. I literally cannot move because I don’t know what’s wrong and I know I have to go to work even though I feel like every moment I spend there is making everything worse because other people are so stressed and I get it from them. And I don’t feel ready because I just feel off and something is wrong and I just don’t know what to do because if it’s OCD or not OCD everything anyone knows about me is coming from me and I worry that I am often masking all the thinking I’m doing because thinking all the time is rude and inconsiderate and inconvenient for those around me, but I can’t stop. I just don’t feel right, right now - and I want to know WHY?? Why is everything off all the time? How do I even know that I am not making up the experience of OCD in my head to cover up something really wrong with me and now I am taking on the symptoms of OCD like an actress, because this could be something that I can latch onto as a final hope for explaining why I am stuck. So stuck so deeply and terribly stuck sitting on my floor next to my bed just scrolling to avoid thinking because any time I start thinking I am left with no answers or help or anything just this swirly feeling. I know I am trying, maybe not my best, but as much as I possibly can. I want to be a Special Education Teacher but I have so much so so so much doubt and uncertainty about every decision I make and everything I know that I can’t get there right now. I can’t do anything right now until it feels ok and then I will. It never feels ok. I know I have to be ok not feeling ok about it. I can be unsure and still be ok. I know it’s just my thinking and my body but I just can’t get past this feeling. And then I know that because I can calm myself and be ok even though I spent 2 hours of my life today already feeling stuck and spinning around and around and around in my head - I don’t feel sure about my OCD and I think it’s a bit of a scam made up by people to cultivate pathology around deep human thought because one day I might figure it out and we all think a lot.

Cantal

Date posted: 17w

Memory loss

Not necessarily asking for reassurance and I know I’ve mentioned this here before but my OCD has been affecting my cognition seemingly. I’ll forget small things or put things in odd places sometimes, or mix up words - things like that. Obviously this triggers me to be like “Alzheimers/dementia.” Can anyone relate? And if you recovered what did you do for it?

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OCD and Executive Functioning. Any Tips?

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