how long did it take you guys to reach out for help, get diagnosed and start treatment? im just curious because ive seen many people say that they first started having intrusive thoughts when they were 14 for example but only got an ocd diagnosis and started therapy multiple years later which is kind of odd.

Anon4

Date posted: 5y

It took me about a month to reach out for help and get diagnosed lol. That was when I was 12 years old. I was like nah this is not working for me and I immediately wanted help, so i went back to an old talk therapist I’d had a few years prior. Fortunately, she was able to diagnose me correctly, but it was not the right treatment. We did regular talk therapy and then eventually when the ocd got worse I went on medication. Luckily, this allowed me to function for several years even though I was still doing mental compulsions unknowingly. I again reached out for help when I was around 17 or 18, but I was convinced medication was the sole answer and I just needed some more talk therapy, so when the ocd specialist tried to do erp with me I was like absolutely not cause I didn’t understand the process and I was functioning enough to think I could go without. Fast forward about 7-8 years and I finally reached out for erp help earlier this month, because a new theme came into the picture and I was beyond unprepared. This is a very long way to say it took me about 13 years to start erp treatment.

feethebee

Date posted: 5y

hm, i started seriously struggling with this ocd thing a month ago, and i am currently considering getting professional help but im stuck in a loop of doubt and i don't know if it's worth it or not since i could be just making this up or something and i don't wanna waste any professional's time... thank you for sharing your story and i hope that you'll start healing soon!

Anon4

Date posted: 5y

@feethebee Definitely get professional help, cause trust me, it’s worth it. I hope you feel better soon too!

feethebee

Date posted: 5y

@MegB thank you for insight i really appreciate it and i hope you feel better soon! it's just that every time i feel "good" (meaning every time im distracted by doing something i like) i say to myself, "i am doing well right now, i can't think of something negative, so i must be alright. if i had ocd i would feel distressed, wouldn't i? maybe my intrusive thoughts aren't that important to me anymore and my brain is just playing tricks on me sometimes, nothing serious. it'll go away". this usually if not always ends up being false since the next day i probably go through a mildly depressive episode or just feel extreme mental discomfort when im exposed to triggers, when i try to avoid ruminating, or when a new intrusive thought comes up when im just staring at the ceiling doing nothing. it's like im always changing my mind and doubting myself. sorry if this was lengthy i just wanted to get it out of system

Anon4

Date posted: 5y

@feethebee That’s okay. Yeah, I would definitely reach out for help!

Hopefloats227

Date posted: 5y

I realize now I have had OCD for a very long time ( 15+ years?) but it wasn’t until the themes became taboo that i ever suspected something was wrong. It took me 2 1/2 years before I sought true help with ERP. If you suspect you have OCD, don’t wait. It can get absolutely debilitating. And themes can switch too unfortunately. It’s usually the taboo themes (harm, violence, sexual, HOCD) that cause people to finally reach out in my opinion.

missbluesky

Date posted: 5y

why is that odd?

feethebee

Date posted: 5y

hm, maybe 'odd' wasn't the right word, 'unfortunate' fits better i think. i believe that, you know, having to struggle with intrusive thoughts and other ocd symptoms for months or years on end without knowing what is going on in your mind can have a detrimental effect on someone's well-being and that it is sad how so many people live in darkness because of this. sorry for causing any misunderstandings

Just another...

Date posted: 5y

@feethebee I had no idea I had OCD. I always thought OCD meant being neat and clean.. you know the typical stereotype that I’ve learned to dislike lol I always thought I just had a guilty conscience and that I was a monster but kept it from everyone until one day I couldn’t take it anymore and decided to get therapy. My first therapist diagnosed me with OCD and that’s when I became informed on OCD. I think I developed it in my late teens and I was diagnosed at 26

feethebee

Date posted: 5y

@Staying Alive oh i see, i hope you're doing better now. thank you for sharing your story!

feethebee

Date posted: 5y

thank you for sharing your story! i honestly don't know how to feel about the fact that the onset of my ocd was being bombarded by taboo themed intrusive thoughts, mostly sexual. so much stigma

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