Recovery

I have had OCD for a good number of year (40+) and I finally found the correct treatment here at NOCD 5 years ago - and for the last 3 years I have enjoyed my life so much better in recovery. That does not mean I don't have OCD intrusive thoughts, that I don't compulse, that I don't have bad days. It does mean that I do not allow the intrusive thoughts to bother me as such, I do not allow myself to compulse most of the time, and I get up and live by my values every single day. I want to tell this story because so many people are struggling that relief will not come - but I promise you if you do the hard work of ERP - be persistent and committed to response prevention rather than compulsing, OCD will quiet down - important to realize that it WILL NOT go away -we cannot cured, but we can be healed and life can and does get better. At this moment in my life, I am having a few health issues (not major) and my partner is battling Stage 4 kidney cancer, and is having his kidney removed in a few weeks. There is also a potential issue with a spot on the brain that was addressed with radiation about two years ago. If I were not in recovery, OCD would definitely be in charge of my life - but with my resolve to do my ERP, and now mostly RP (response prevention) I am able to hear the news without adding the what ifs to the narrative - make no mistake they are there - I simply accept them for what they are - intrusive thoughts - not facts. Until I have the facts, I need to focus on the present moment. I share this with the intention of giving others that are feeling discouraged or hopeless that life will not get better, that it can and does get better. We are all in this together - and we need to support each other.