Advice for RECOVERY please? I completely cut out asking for reassurance of any kind and am trying my best to ‘walk the unaltered path’ not changing plans etc. Doing basic ERP twice daily as well. I’m still terrified constantly and always have the loop playing in my head. I have Suicidal OCD and it always feels like I’m barely making it through the day. I feel like I don’t want to do anything but scream and cry and thrash because I’ve lost my lust for life in the past few months. Does anyone have any advice on recovery and how to get better quicker? What else should I be doing? Love to all xx.

Hey there! I want to applaud you for taking the time out to do ERP at least twice a day. You’re making recovery a priority and that inspires me to do so, too. I really don’t have advice, though, considering I need to focus more on erp. Butttt I can say that you should just keep moving forward and keep up the great work! Best wishes.

You are doing so well by keeping yourself on track! I am sorry that you’re in distress but I think you should be more patient with yourself, ocd knows you want it gone quickly but the process is a gradual one. You should try to accept that this is how your brain is wired for now and keep disregarding the thoughts as unimportant along with erp! I hope this helps!

Keep up all of your hard work and be patient, I suffer from the same theme. The sooner you realize it won't go away over night the sooner you will start to feel better. As you recover your theme will probably switch but stay related. For example it may switch to you being afraid of depression or mental illness that is linked with SOCD be aware of these switches and handle them the same!

Don’t think about your life to much and how you have lost your lust for life this will only exacerbate your symptoms it will make you spike. I have SOCD as well, your not alone and can recover from this

I had such a bad experience with this theme, I would move or eat or take care of myself bc I was terrified I was going to kill myself. I lost 10 pounds over 2 weeks and cried all the time. I was angry, then happy, then in despair, and the thought, the terrible cold, heavy feeling of dread and doom sat in my chest and stomach bc of my anxiety over the thought of killing myself. I would just sit and stare at the wall. I would barely get dressed. I wouldn’t do anything. I even had to sleep in my moms bed bc I was afraid I was going to stab myself. It was terrible. OCD is terrible. But thank god, whatever we ocd about we never end up doing, which helped me have the strength to do exposures and realize my obsession was switching from suicide to depression and mental health issues that could lead to suicide!!! But I stopped it and it has gotten a lot better!!! I thought I would never get better. I thought I wanted to. I thought I would. I knew I would. I had emotions of enjoyment when I thought about it which freaked me out so much. But I’m all better now. How can that be?? Bc we never are or will do what we obsess over. OCD in a way keeps us safe. But even despite this we must expose ourselves and keep talking to others and getting help when we are terrified....

Thank you so much Diana. I don’t know if it’s reassurance it’s just nice to hear I’m not dying. Just had a crying episode and told my partner that I feel like I would commit suicide if it wasn’t for my family. Makes me uncomfortable to type that. Such a twisting, warping theme to deal with. Thank you for making me feel less crazy.

I would take any theme over this one hahaha. I know that’s what everyone says but I’ve had a few and this is the most intense. It’s made me feel like I don’t have a future and nothing to look forward to. I know in myself intellectually the plans I had for my life before this hit me, but it still feels legitimate. Thanks for being a fellow trooper!

I literally have felt all that you feel it’s soooo comforting and makes this not as terrible. This theme will end, as all others end. Preventing a new theme is very possible so, with this being the scariest one, you will be more and more resilient to fears in the future :) I am here for you Jackieboy!!!! Btw your accent is amazing since you said your from Australia!!?

Thank you for sharing everyone. I’m so thankful to have found this thread of messages. I always felt so alone in this but my ERP therapist reassured me I wasn’t and told me to come on here and search for others that shared in it :)