How can I stop relying on snacks and staying up late for making me feel better? So I’ve gotten into the habit of eating snacks and watching tv with my brother before bed. We will usually start at around 12:30-1am and finish by 2am, to which I’ll watch something on my own until 4-ish am. While I’m watching with my brother I’ll snack on something, most of the time being hot Cheetos. A couple years ago I was addicted to eating them because they taste amazing and back then I think I was kinda depressed since I was living away from home at the time so they were my comfort food. I stopped eating them for a while because I had eaten so much it messed up my stomach and gave me horrible acid for a while. I picked the snack back up a few months ago after over a year and a half and while they’re just as addictive as before, I limit myself to eating some most nights instead of throughout the day in binges. Anyways, with my late eating and staying up so late (which results in me waking up between 12-2pm), I’ve started gaining weight. I’m female, 24, 5’7, and I used to weigh about 145-150 but now I’m hitting 165. This is the heaviest I’ve ever been and it’s making me panic. I used to go out a lot and walk around all day before as well which I think kept me somewhat in shape but with the pandemic having us stay home it’s taken that away from me. I know this isn’t a great excuse though because I could work out at home, but walking has always been my thing. Another thing as well is I feel I’m relying too much on my staying up and snack consumption to make me feel better. Most of the time I look forward to that time because it keeps me at peace and my OCD/anxiety feels at bay. I think I’ve been using this as a crutch and forming an unhealthy habit in order to avoid dealing with scary feelings. Now of course I’ve gained weight and I’m starting to look it as well and it’s taking hits at my self-esteem. Not to mention I deal with hormonal acne so my lower face is constantly broken out. How can I learn to drop these bad habits and adopt new ones without fear of my comfort food/time?

I understand that. I deal with something similar where I can’t eat after 6pm. Its just ocd being weird. I encourage you to slowly. Slowly. Work your way through. I believe in you!

@sheeby I’ve been doing this for 2 years and a bit it’s exhausting having to did these rituals. I wake up everyday knowing I need to do this or I will feel really anxious the whole day and sometimes days later

@louisa12345 I feel you. Although mine is only 2 months. It’s killing me already. I’m trying to find ways to make myself just live normally. I wish you the best

@sheeby Meaning two months with a food theme. Others I’ve had for years.

I feel you. It’s so fucking hard. Would you be willing to do ERP?

@sheeby I mean it would be hard but I will be willing. I mean I’ve tried not doing compulsions before and rarely I can be successful when doing this.

@louisa12345 Yes I feel you. It takes a long time to be successful at this.

@sheeby Io just need to keep of trying and I’m trying to forget about my compulsions. I can’t stop my intrusive thoughts and obsessive behaviour I want to cause I don’t wanna thing that and it’s on unwanted topics and themes

Yeah but I don’t wanna feel like a burden to my family I wanna talk to someone’s it’s just I don’t want my family to know. Idk cause my sister sees someone about her mental health and I’ve seen people like I was sick years ago and seen a therapist it’s just I don’t wanna worry my parents.

I should of done that manny years ago as a child when I started with these symptoms

@louisa davoil Your well-being is so so important. Please don’t think of yourself as a burden to your family I can assure you that isn’t the case. A life of peace is completely possible with OCD. It doesn’t matter whether you started when it first appeared or many years later, really doesn’t matter, you still deserve to get help and recover. The fear of worrying parents and family doesn’t help, if they knew you were dealing with this they would completely want you to get better. Don’t fall into the trap of not getting better and suffering more than you need to 💛

@Evelyn4416 Thanks my parents don’t really know and idk and Ik that they would be shock if the truth came out. I shouldn’t worry about them worrying if I would come out with it cause I’m doing this for myself to get better, idk if I’ll ever get better like I wanna talk but I’m afraid cause I have wired obsessions and thoughts I don’t wanna be jugded. Ik a therapist wouldn’t but people around me would

@louisa davoil You don’t have to share to everyone either that you have OCD but I do think your parents at least should know so that can support you and help you. You don’t even have to share the contents of your OCD if you don’t feel comfortable. In my case I felt that I wanted to share with my parents, but my brother and others I’ve decided to share with that I have OCD don’t know the content of my themes and thoughts. And I can 100% guarantee you share your obsessions with many people, I thought I was alone in my thoughts and going crazy, when I decided to open up and was very surprised to learn that more and more people shared my thoughts and fears. And regardless of your themes and fears, doesn’t matter what it’s about, ERP can heal it. It’s so worth it I promise you.

@Evelyn4416 I just don’t think they would really understand cause they think ocd is just being a clean freak and organised. Like it’s much more than that like I’m not even clean myself eventually I think I’ll see someone because right now it’s bad everyday. I don’t wanna be like this I’m just afraid to say anything so I rather keep it in. Ik this isn’t healthy it’s just what I do like I’m normally open to my parents when I’m emotional and always confine in them. It’s just this seems too much idk

@louisa davoil My parents didn’t understand at all either, what helped was that I sent them articles explaining what OCD was. Heck I didn’t even know what OCD really was until it happened to me. Give them a chance, with some information and education you might be surprised. I don’t mean to push you into anything and of course I understand it’s scary, I just want to you consider the possibility that it can and will get better if you allow the opportunity for recovery to happen. I was scared to open up at first, but doing so in itself made me feel a lot better in the long run. You’re stronger and braver than you think!

@Evelyn4416 I’ve always pictured myself telling like a therapist but I never will not having one. Ik I should tell my parents it just seems too much and my ocd is crazy like idk who else thinks the wierd things I do. Ik they would support me cause that’s just the type of people they r and would want me to open up. I just feel uncomfortable talking about it. Ik I’m not the only one and one day I hope I open up to a therapist or someone I just don’t think my parents cause it will be hard.

@louisa davoil Well I hope you are able to one day, you can do it 💛

@Evelyn4416 Yeah hopefully one day when I get the courage