Has anyone ever had an OCD spike/compulsion that caused so much anxiety that virtually all other spikes experienced that same day pale in comparison? So much that when those other less important spikes occur you don’t even feel the need to perform the normally occurring corresponding compulsions that accompany them.

Yeah.

Thanks for your input.

Well Katie I’m not really sure to be honest with you. I deal with this scenario on a regular basis and just wanted to see if anyone else has this recurring OCD trouble. I’m only an OCD sufferer not a trained mental health professional but I do my own research to see what kind of enlightenment I can uncover.

Do you have a pattern of comparing your experience to other people's?

Absolutely. I have had a thought that if conventional anti compulsion techniques don’t work then perhaps someone else has had a similar experience and has developed their own technique and maybe it has worked to their benefit. I feel like seeking out others experiences may prove valuable in OCD treatment.

Wrong. I know my experience is real and I don’t require confirmation of such. Let me tell you a story. About two years ago when I was first diagnosed with OCD by a local psychologist I wasn’t surprised. However, I seen this psychologist regularly for about three months and during my first few sessions I was hopeful that I would receive proper treatment. I was at a session one day about two months in and I began to explain how well my week went and how my symptoms were progressing and then after I told her she said I want you to try something. She said “I want you to find a Polaroid picture you can put in your wallet and every time you have an anxiety episode come along pull it out and look at and make sure the picture has positive memories attached to it.” I tried it for a couple weeks and no luck. I was in complete despair. I still proceeded to see her for another four weeks and during those last four sessions as I sat there and talked to her she would just stare out the window behind me. I began to realize she didn’t give a damn about listening to what I had to say and for her to be a psychologist with a PhD she didn’t impress me any. I also realized she must have given up on her career two decades ago and was now simply riding the gravy train to retirement. All the time I seen this woman she never once mentioned ERP or CBT. In my opinion she was a piss poor excuse for a psychologist. Her best advice was the Polaroid idea? I mean that’s pathetic. Since then I realize I just need to seek out another specialist with not only better credentials but one that actually cares about their patient and holds their own knowledge in high regard and at least attempts to use all the educational tools in their arsenal to treat their patients. I haven’t been able to find another specialist since. My only option to help myself until then is to do my own research. So you see I feel that if I can meet somebody with similar experiences then perhaps that other person might hold the missing puzzle piece that I need and perhaps I might have the puzzle piece that he or she might need to complete each other’s OCD puzzles thus bringing us both to greater mindfulness. Thanks Katie for taking the time to read this. I realize it was quite lengthy.

Excellent. Thank you very much Katie. I will check this link out. But you know I couldn’t help to think that from a professional standpoint if she cared about my recovery don’t you think once she (my past therapist) realized she was in too deep she should have swallowed her pride and referred me to a colleague and or another specialist that was properly trained in OCD instead of raking in the cash just so she could get through our sessions and push me out the door so she could get to bingo night and enjoy caviar with her high class friends? Just some food for thought. Thanks again Katie.

Well of course. I believe specialists can treat OCD because that’s what they train for. However colleges need to train up and coming psychologists how to recognize when its time for them to throw in the towel and get that patient proper help.

Well said