i really thought i was getting better and the symptoms were less, as i started CBT a few weeks ago. i have told my therapist, psychiatrist, and my mom that it has been better, decreased by an hour-hour and a half. but honestly, it feels about the same. maybe even worse. i’m not sure if i just want them to think it’s better, or if since telling them that it has decreased. i try so hard to resist my compulsions and do my exercises but for some reason i just can’t. i HAVE to do the compulsions or else this or that or whatever will happen. it almost feels like i’m stuck. i feel guilty because i’m not sure if i lied or if i genuinely thought i was doing better. i really feel like i’m never going to get rid of this and the fears are realer than ever, even though i know my compulsions won’t reduce the risk of these things coming true. i don’t know what to do.

What you said to them before doesn’t matter right now. Maybe it was a lie, maybe it was a mistake, maybe it was true—who knows. It’s happened. Right now, you’re feeling it’s not getting better. You can tell them that now. Also, you only started a few weeks ago. Recovery for sure isn’t a steady ascent. There’s a whole lot of up and down and peaks and valleys and u-turns. Be patient with yourself ? you’ll get there.

Be honest that it isnt helping and you are struggling to do the work on your own. Thoughts we have arnt often true- you will get better.

I'm sorry. Please try to your best avoiding performing your compulsions. I know your OCD will do everything it possibly can to get you to do a compulsion, so it will be behaving nastier than usual, but please try to will through it. I also know it may seem futile at times but sticking with it can be so effective. Definitely use the resources available on NOCD. I would listen to some of the Q&A videos on the NOCD YouTube channel when things start to get bad. It helps calm me down. Also don't beat yourself up if you give into a compulsion a few times along the way. We all do, it's part of getting better. Please keep trying and give it some time. Come back to us and tell us how it's been going, we'll be here to support you.