7 lessons for anyone who feels stuck at rock bottom with OCD

After the sudden onset of her OCD at age 19, Alegra Kastens, LMFT began to be tormented by intrusive thoughts around the clock, to the point that she withdrew from college. She didn't see a future for herself back then—but today, she’s a licensed therapist specializing in OCD, and she helps others by sharing her story. Here are 7 lessons that helped Alegra climb out of her lowest point with OCD. 🤲 1. Let someone else hold hope for you Hope can be one of the hardest things to find when OCD feels all-consuming. But no matter how OCD may be making you feel right now, that doesn’t mean things can't change. When Alegra was struggling, her OCD therapist said that she'd be hopeful for Alegra. This taught Alegra that she didn't need to feel ready to take steps towards regaining her life. 🌊 2. Practice acceptance instead of fighting intrusive thoughts Acceptance doesn’t mean believing that intrusive thoughts are true. It means accepting that your brain may produce unwanted thoughts, images, urges, and sensations, and understanding that you can choose not to engage with them or respond with compulsions. This helps the thoughts lose their power over time. On the other hand, “what we resist tends to persist,” as Alegra puts it. 🔄 3. Your lowest point can be a turning point Rock bottom can feel like the end, but it isn't—and it might actually be when you have the most openness to trying something different. If what you’ve been doing hasn’t been working, you may have very little to lose by trusting the process and giving treatment a chance. 🧰 4. Keep adding tools to your toolkit There are many tools and strategies that can be useful alongside specialized treatment. Maybe you want to learn new skills like mindfulness, or talk with a provider about medication. Or, maybe you want to try a different therapist who’s a better fit for you. Different tools work for different people, so don’t give up if one thing doesn’t click. 🎯 5. Let your values guide your choices When the urge to do a compulsion shows up, try asking, “Is this moving me toward the life I want?” Thinking about your values and where you want to be in the future can make the short-term discomfort of resisting OCD feel more manageable. For example, Alegra’s value was in her desire to become a mother someday. She brought that to mind whenever she felt the urge to do a compulsion. 💙 6. Pair accountability with self-compassion There’s a myth that exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD, requires you to be harsh and constantly push yourself. In reality, you can be accountable and compassionate at the same time. Sometimes recognizing that you’re at capacity and taking a breather is the right call. 🕊️7. Honor the hard feelings Struggling with OCD can be deeply painful. It’s okay to wish you had never experienced OCD, and to grieve lost time or missed experiences. If heavy feelings surface as your symptoms become more manageable, allow yourself to feel them. You can also ask your therapist to help you process them. Whatever your lowest point with OCD looks like, there’s a way forward, even if it isn’t clear to you yet. At NOCD, our therapists can meet you where you are and build a personalized OCD treatment plan around your unique symptoms, needs, and goals, working with you to get you to where you want to be. When you’re ready, schedule a free call with our team to get matched with the right therapist for you: https://learn.nocd.com/app-book-a-call