- Date posted
- 4y ago
- Date posted
- 4y ago
OCD is wickedly clever. It will look for the smallest window or crack to find a way into your thoughts. It also makes you question whether youāre getting better and if you will ever be free. As soon as you make progress in one area, it finds another to make you obsess about. It does whatever it has to keep your mind in chains. Thatās why itās so important to acknowledge even the smallest progresses you make. āThoughts donāt stay as long as they used to but...ā No buts! The fact that you can resist a compulsion and the obsession goes away in shorter time, even if it doesnāt feel like much, is a success and improvement. Whether itās getting physically or mentally healthy, the people who are doing the work often have the hardest time recognizing progress. I know itās agonizing and frustrating to feel like youāve been doing the work but still struggling. I had been doing well during my treatment, finally felt like I had my life back, and then bam! Something happened that made me feel like I was back at square one. But, although it was a challenge, I realized that it wasnāt as devastating as my mind made it out to be, and Iāve come through better than before. My advice: 1. Be kind to yourself 2. Recognize and celebrate even the little successes 3. Accept that OCD will do whatever it can to make you ignore tips 1 and 2.
- Date posted
- 4y ago
Handling the thoughts well 65% of the time after just 5 weeks indicates very good progress. When I was where you are, I tried to avoid the black-and-white mindset in which I judged treatment success more by how many times I did not successfully manage an intrusive thought than did manage it well. I think you are on the right track. You are still on that upward climb in the process. But, you will reach the mountain's apex and the downward side will provide you with the momentum to take on the OCD on your terms. These ten weeks are teaching you how to confront the OCD bully. It takes practice. After the 10 weeks, you will continue to use the tools you have learned and become more and more proficient as the weeks and months pass. Keep up the good work!
- Date posted
- 4y ago
Are you recovered?
- Date posted
- 4y ago
@Diego?? I describe my current state as managing my OCD well. Not trying to split hairs, but I do not want to suggest that I am cured from OCD.
- Date posted
- 4y ago
@Fear Strikes Out Oh that's great, Congrats!
- Date posted
- 4y ago
I would say that I went so bad in January until May I couldnāt go out of my house, take metro, go grocery store... Now Iām going to my appointments to my therapist on my own and Iām able to go shopping on my own. So it is improving definitely :)) Happy to hear Iām on the right path !
- Date posted
- 4y ago
That's great to hear that you are making such great strides as you have described. ?
Related posts
- Date posted
- 20w ago
hi. so one big factor of my OCD is rumination. i met a guy who i have a crush on the idea of (idea bc there are red flags). my biggest fear is not finding true love, my ex told me no one else would deal with what i have (my ocd, specifically reassurance seeking and getting overstimulated after intimacy). a few weeks ago, my friends and family all gathered and tried to give me advice that sounded like āyouāre shy and youāll never find someone.ā after that, iāve felt off. iāve been using an unhealthy coping skill, daydreaming, and iāve just felt unbalanced. my ocd makes everything feel different sometimes, i canāt explain it. life, myself, almost like being in a dissociated state. has anyone else experienced that? i donāt know how to remain balanced during my off times and i know pms exasperates it all. i take ashwaghanda and omega 3s in a multi vitamin daily. i take them all together in the evening but iāve missed three days recently and also messed with my rocky sleep schedule because of fun times with friends. i hope these supplements work, because i donāt know if iād be brave enough for medication. i had a bad reaction on prozac and often am forgetful. i just have been battling my OCD consciously for almost ten years now and unconsciously for longer. i am so tired, as my mental health extends beyond my OCD. iām in talk therapy with some cbt aspects but i only see her twice a month. iāve broken down so many times and promised myself id get on track or that certain things would work, but itās like i am stuck in a circle that gets smaller when iām able to help myself. i just want to be normal. i want to be able to mess up my sleep schedule to enjoy good times and not suffer horrible consequences or fear that i will be entirely thrown off balance. i donāt want to worry or doubt or feel so dissociative that i squint my eyes for a moment and wonder why i feel so unreal. i will never understand why god has allowed me to go through this. i cannot let it be for nothing but i donāt know how much more to bend and contort my body and brain to get somewhere stable but how lovely it would be if i could. i donāt have much of a schedule right now, i get apathetic and give in with things from time to time. one thing can trigger me and i am back to square one wether in a week or month. any advice, any and all is so helpful. your stories, your thoughts. maybe feeling less alone and knowing what has helped you is exactly what i need right now. thank you š
- Date posted
- 19w ago
Hi, I donāt know what to do anymore Pocd kills me I had many themes before but this theme is the hardest for me. Iām tired. Iām on therapy and meds but I barely do erp . I donāt have a reason I just donāt want to do it but today I will because I have to. Iām taking meds and they help with the anxiety for sure. But the obsessive part is still here . Iām almost 2 months on it (40 mg on Prozac) but Iām still super obsessed like I can have thoughts 24/7 every second of the day and not leave me alone. I have experienced a thought right now for a month + . Itās a thought to do compulsion/urge. My therapist says to let go and gives me tips how to she also tell me to do more erp. But I have this thought to do compulsion for more then month. Im scared what if I donāt have ocd the thought is 24/7. Do you think I should switch meds im so tired.
- Date posted
- 19w ago
Hi everyone. I'm feeling kinda scared because I have to wait a whole month to start ERP therapy, but I feel like I need to start doing exposures now because the longer I wait, the more anxiety I get. It just feels like the OCD monster is getting worse. One thing that helps me is asking one person about an obsession I have...asking a person that I trust, and then doing an exposure after I get the "ok" to do it. I feel like I do need 1 reassurance and then I can go ahead and do it. I know i'm not supposed to ask for reassurance at all, but i dont think you're supposed to do ERP on your own right? Does anyone have any suggestions for what to do while waiting for therapy? PS-the reason there is a wait is bc she's on vacation. After she's back we will meet regularly.
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