I did my first therapy session yesterday and most of it was getting to know me but she gave me a really good tip to start with that I wanted to share. This is what is happening Thought: what if it’s not clean. There may be partials (germs or direct etc) I can’t see that will get on me if I touch that. If I touch it it makes me feel yuck, I don’t want the partials in me. Anxiety: starts to happen Compulsion: clean the area and get relief She said that the anxiety and compulsion will keep on going around in circles and will never go away if I don’t fix the thought process at the top. This is what she wants me to do. To just Recognize what is actually happening (as above) when I get the thought. Remember that I have OCD and some things I’m doing are rational (like washing my hands after I touch meat) and some things I’m doing are not rational (like wiping the door Handels multiple times a day because I “may” have touched it when my hands were not perfectly clean. Exercise: every time I wash my hands I have been washing them 3 times every time. Unless I’m touching something really dirty or like meat that requires you to wash that much washing 3 times is my OCD then washing once is enough. From now on she wants me to recognize that when I wash them once that is it’s fine. When I automatically go to wash them the second time remember the second time is the OCD, the second time is not necessary and even if i ended up washing them the 2nd time I need to tell my self that the second time was the OCD and try to resist it. I need to recognize what is rational and was is not rational and what is my OCD. Even if I’m not resisting right away just to recognize it starts to re train your brain and thought patterns.

It’s really helping me. Im finding it easier with this understanding behind it. I’m still only starting small but understanding why I’m doing it and the difference between what is rational and what is OCD makes me think twice and become accountable. How are you going with it? I had a down day the other day and had a day off from resisting my compulsions (it’s hard work thinking about everything you do every day ha ha) but started back up the next day.

Did my 2nd session. I’ll post about it tomorrow for you :)

WTF That is so disgusting. Why would anyone think it is acceptable to eat food from a public bathroom floor. And you are absolutely right not even a non OCD person would do that!!! I started this approach 2 days ago and honestly I can’t believe how effective it already is. I started with small Compulsions and I have already eliminated x3 and I’m sticking to washing my hands once but sometimes I axidently do it twice cause of habit but I realize I’m doing it for OCD the second time like she asked me to recognize it. I’m so shocked and happy that it is working so fast. I can difeny keep you updated on how I’m going and then what she tells me next session next Saturday. She is directly invested in the exact OCD I’m going through and being so specific in how to help me. Not a cookie cutter approach. She is teaching me why and how it works and really wanting me to really understand first because it will make my treatment successful and my recovery process faster because when you really understand why you are doing something ( chemically why and Psychologically why) is retrains the brain. My aunty is a trauma psychologist and also studies the brain and has told me the exact same thing. So I’m listening and it’s working.

@Kate Joan Congrats. I’m so happy for you. Washing hands multiple times and even showering multiple times is an issue for me too. Deep down I know that a second wash doesn’t help more than once and it’s just the ocd but I still can’t shake it. It makes me wonder what if I didn’t cover but I will try this approach. Please keep me posted with what you learn.