Does anybody have any ocd intrusive thoughts success stories? Like what helped you the most, and how you’re doing today. Please share

Whenever I was around 9 years old (that’s when I got diagnosed with ocd) I had the constant intrusive thought that I was going to get pregnant even though I was a virgin the thoughts started around Christmas time and haunted my life for years. The thoughts were awful and graphic and would cause me to have panic attacks so bad that my body would shake uncontrollably I would cry all the time and I was barley able to function. however I found with therapy and medication I was able to overcome those awful intrusive thoughts. Now even as an adult I sometimes get the intrusive thought creep into my head but now that I have the tools and support to combat it it is way more manageable. And even though I now have new intrusive thoughts that have since taken its place I find that instead of having constant mental pain the frequency is less and more manageable. So don’t give up there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Sure, so its picking an image and or word to use ahead of the compulsion thoughts when you feel them it coming. Right so your after trying to distract yourself away from the pattern behaviour. D’you know our brains develop grooves like a vinyl from doing the same pattern thoughs. So like a record player we lean our thinking to the old grooves. A doctor told me that. But you can imagine then why its hard to change that. I dunno I’m hoping for some breakthrough in medical I’m so tired

Thank you, I like that analogy and thanks for explaining what focal point is. They say that your OCD is as smart and persistent as you. If this is the case, I'm F'ed! On a serious note, success with ERP or living OCD-free (if that's ever possible) I think, depends on the individual. The key is to outsmart it. Remember that movie, 'Cast Away', with Tom Hanks? If you haven't watched it (SPOILER/TRIGGER ALERT) it's about this guy whose plane crashes in the middle of an ocean. He ends up on a deserted island and is forced to fend for himself. After spending God-knows how many days on this island, it becomes apparent to him that no one is going to find and rescue him. He has lost half his body weight. His spirit is broken. He's lost all hope. At one point in the movie, he contemplates taking his own life. The turning point of the movie is when, somehow, he finds the courage to get off the island by building himself a raft, rationing out his food supply, planning his escape. I think he almost gets himself killed when he has to weather out another storm. SPOILER ALERT: He somehow survives the storm and gets rrescued. (Sorry, I'm bad at explaining movie premises.) I know, just a movie. Most importantly, what I remember from the this movie, is that, I think, there is an innate ability in all human beings to WANT to survive, to want to learn, to want to get better despite whatever circumstances or adversity they may be facing. While we can only hope for a medical breakthough or cure, we can start helping ourselves by seeking help from a trusted individual (therapy), learning from others (like yourself), etc. OCD is a chronic - there is no one-size-fits-one-size-fits-all solution, which I find to be incredibly frustrating and at times, demoralizing. With the right help, support, and attitude, we can get on the right path to recovery. I know...

Thanks thats great your positivity:) Oh he was I think years lost there. I think it was true story. But they made fed ex looks so awesome yeah right I cant even get them to ring my buzzer lol or call :)

I would like to know too.

I use to hold my breath in every classroom as a kid because I felt the same air as the people around me would poison me lol I came from where ppl where nice and moved to where they were’nt. Intrustive thoughts for me me changed topics over the years. There’s been hundreds. I use the Focal Point method or whater but it’s still hard. It’s as though the illness fights it.