This may be selfish of me, but I really need some words of encouragement and support today. Living with ocd and anxiety + depression is hard, very very hard. I sometimes feel like giving up. But some other times I can imagine myself being free from this, and I really want that to happen. I just don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel yet.

one day you will look back on all of this and be SO grateful you got through it

Hi there. We will all look back on these obsessions we are stuck on at the moment and realise it was the disorder making us like this. Trust me....I am going through exactly the same at the moment. My anxiety is sky high most of the time making the thoughts seem so real. I know in my heart of hearts though that the thoughts are just that....in my mind....It is the anxiety that is making it feel real and it is misfiring this anxiety towards me because I have a faulty part in my brain called the amygdala. And so do you. We need to retrain our brains to how they were before we had this bout of OCD. When we have less anxiety we think more rationally and then the OCD eases. I hate the depression and anxiety and ocd but we are all the same....we all have a mental health disorder and between us we will get through it. Much love xx

Wow, @lou47. Thank you. I agree 100%. It’s all about retraining the brain and then being able to sustain change.

Hey Muni, hopefully I can help. I've had OCD for over 20 years and many spikes a long the road. It's been difficult but I've discovered many things that can help you live a normal life. Mindfulness meditation is incredible for creating distance on your thoughts, CBT therapy is incredible for gaining a healthy perspective, Exposure Therapy is also Incredible. Medication is also amazing too. You're never alone in this. Research, read, listen to podcasts and by understanding our brains and how anxiety works it will de-mystify and make you instantly feel better. I can recommend incredible books, podcasts and websites for you to learn and feel better instantly if you'd like.

Try to get a copy of 'Brain Lock' by Jeffrey M Schwartz. This will give you a clear picture what's happening in our brains and effective tools to reduce symptoms significantly. Also try to read any of Russ Harris' books on ACT. This is very powerful to reduce symptoms from a psychology perspective. For mindfulness download Insight Timer or Headspace apps and go through some guided meditations. And finally try listening to a podcast called 'The One You Feed'. They have many amazing podcasts and guests which aren't necessarily on OCD topics but mental health. Best of Luck to you all. I am sure you will be fine and lead a normal life, but always remember there's a whole profession dedicated to growth and mental health, make the call and speak to a profeasional if you need to. This will make you feel better instantly.

it can be so hard to see <3 but it’s there :)

Thank you so much. I want to hold on to the last bit of hope I have left

Thank you, I really appreciate it. I’ll keep that in my head

I would love for you to share this info!

Me too x

You are such angels! Thank you so much, dane_g!