- Date posted
- 4y
- Date posted
- 4y
I have had ocd for since I was 7. I was diasnosed at 27, 20 years later. I am now 30 and the understanding I have about it has truely changed my life. I take medication, I see a psychologist, I listen to ‘The OCD Stories’ podcast and I am constantly striving to feel better. Last year I was having panic attacks every week and I have only had 1 in the last 6 months. Every small thing like that is a win! It’s hard to talk about because we all still struggle but we do need to celebrate each small win
- Date posted
- 4y
It’s been over a year and a half that my OCD returned worse than ever. It was so bad it was depriving me of sleep for weeks. But I started ERP and 10mg of Lexapro. Glad to say that today I’m in recovery. OCD never truly goes away but I’m comfortable with it. I still get intrusive thoughts and occasionally get anxious, but I’ve learned to let it be and it passes on its own. I agree there isn’t always a lot of positivity on here, half the time people are just seeking reassurance, which is unfortunate but it’s hard and I get it. But ocassionally there are people who talk about their recovery and I think it’s important to listen to them when they say don’t seek reassurance. This is truly the only way to get over the OCD. Just accept that you’re anxious and it feels like shit. And eventually after months of practice you the bad days aren’t so bad and they’re further apart. And that’s all we can ask for
- Date posted
- 4y
Yes I agree sometimes I want to comment but I know I will be giving reassurance which is bad for them
- Date posted
- 4y
Thanks for sharing your story Drvmstick. I want to see more people share there story.
Related posts
- Date posted
- 18w
I’ve seen wayyyy too many negative posts on here (I totally get it)…but can someone please share some positive experiences? Doesn’t have to be so grand, it could be just that you achieved a small goal with your ocd! I don’t want to continue feeling drowned by this debilitating disorder. I want to see what has helped some of you! So we can all encourage each other! 😊
- Date posted
- 12w
So I've been working to address my OCD for about a month now. So far, I haven't been working on it with a therapist and have instead been trying to create my own exposure exercises. The primary obsession I'm working on is the fear that I'm somehow flawed or invalid on a fundamental level. The best way I can describe it it is that its similar to the feeling you get when you have germ OCD and you feel contaminated, except my whole existence and being feels contaminated, so to speak. I've identified a list of triggers, and a list of compulsions (pretty much all mental) that I've noticed myself performing. I started out by doing imaginal exposures and scripts where I'd write out triggering fictional scenarios and read them over and over, combined with mindfulness techniques to focus on my breath and bring myself back to the present when I noticed myself performing compulsions mentally. At first it worked to some extent, but eventually I started to feel like the stories I was writing about this obsession weren't triggering any anxiety anymore or a very low level. So I stopped reading them and focused solely on improving my ability to stay present and identifying compulsions as I perform them, and disengaging. Now, I'm at the point where it seems like my general anxiety levels throughout the day are lower, and the triggers I've identified are producing noticeably less anxiety. But that makes me wonder if somehow I'm just secretly doing mental compulsions without knowing it? Is only a month of rather disorganized and unstructured ERP enough to produce this much improvement? To avoid giving me re-assurance, I'd appreciate if you guys don't directly answer those questions, maybe just provide some possibilities or your own experiences so I can get a better idea of where I'm at. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 8w
These treatments are not designed for OCD sufferers because they treat OCD like a logic disorder when OCD is very far from that. Hence why, many patients do not recover with these treatments. ⭐️ Talk therapy involves doing a lot of compulsions like rumination, reassurance-seeking, trying to figure out your thoughts, Etc. ⭐️ Similarly, standard ICBT also involves compulsions such as arguing with your thoughts. For example, if you have POCD, your therapist might say “you know you’re not p*do so just ignore the thoughts.” This is reassurance and can turn into another compulsion called thought-blocking. ‼️A reputable therapist here (Tracie Ibrahim) has told us in a support group that ICBT isn’t even evidence-based (even though people claim that it is) ⭐️ Beware of Instagram “coaches” who want your money and say they specialize in a very specific subtype of OCD (ex. relationship OCD). A good ERP therapist would know that all OCD subtypes are treated the same way so the subtype shouldn’t matter. An ERP therapist should be knowledgeable in all of them because all OCD is just OCD. One of the only things that may differ is the type of exposures you have to do. ⭐️ Also, I suggest you do not use drugs & alcohol as a crutch. You will struggle with your OCD without those, which can possibly lead to addictions. Those substances can even increase your OCD symptoms. ❤️ What I do recommend for OCD recovery: ERP therapy, behavioral activation, ACT, mindfulness, self-compassion, OCD community support, healthy distractions, bonding time with family and friends, and healthy lifestyle habits. These habits include healthy eating (try to stay away from processed foods), going out on nature walks, consistent sleep, and consistent exercise. Let me know in the comments below if you have any extra tips for what’s been helping you through your OCD journey👇
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