Flare up

Ive been experiencing a pretty bad flare up this past week. It feels like regression but my therapist tells me it is progress, as well as fellow ocd sufferers online. But it’s very hard😓. In the past couple of weeks I’ve felt truly okay for the first time in so long, and now I’m convinced the hope that I felt is never going to return. I find myself getting pulled back into old habits, ild thoughts, old compulsions, but im really trying to use what Ive learned in therapy. Im trying to remind myself that this isn’t forever, that this feeling is temporary and that hope and happiness will come back, but it’s still so so hard. Does anyone have any advice on dealing with flare ups like these?

Rachel H

Date posted: 9h

Absolutely in the same boat as you are, experiencing a rough flare this week as well

Anon-a-Muth

Date posted: 9h

I try to hang into thoughts, things, or happenings that point me towards ways out. It's more likectrying to latch into glimmers of hope. It's not so much that I think the glass is half full, but I look for and try to focus on escape from misery. The analogy actually comes from a time when I got lost in an abandoned mine and decided to follow light, cold air, etc. i.e. something that I could move towards. Good luck jazz

Hopeful58

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 9h

I found that when I was really learning about my OCD and addressing it in therapy, it flared up intensely. I think OCD is fighting to stay active. Yet, tools and truth are exposing it. Hang in there! You will get to the other side.

Anonymous

Date posted: 8h

I’m sorry you’ve been experiencing a flare up. I have been too and the thoughts get loud and difficult to move through. What helps me is honoring what I feel in the moment, having self-compassion and letting myself grieve because it sucks so much going backwards but healing is not a straight line: it’s more like a spiral. We’re just on a downwards spiral. Therapy is great but ocd will start to obsess with the healing and doing it perfectly. There is no such thing and you aren’t doing anything wrong because you had a flare up. It’s painful but you gotta just let yourself feel sad and slow down.

pasco

Date posted: 8h

I'm having a flare up after the entire summer of feeling great. The funny thing is that they always shock me every time I have one . I feel like they shouldn't shock me anymore and I should be able to apply quickly what I've learned in therapy . I'm guessing we just take what we've learned and keep applying it until we feel better. Let the uncomfortableness be there and try your hardest to go on with life. It is very very hard but this too will pass. It's just when we're in it it's really terrible. I'm in it right now and it is extremely unpleasant . I'm just pulling out all the tools from the toolbox I've learned in therapy and trying to use them . I'm telling myself I can handle this instead of trying to push it away. That's hard to do and just living in the uncomfortableness as best I can 10/10 uncomfortable. But, I truly believe there is hope. Jesus has always had my back in the past and He will again. Just time and patience. I totally understand. Hang in there from a fellow OCDer!

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