New thread guys!

Yay!! Not such a long thread now! I'm off for my run in a minute and will be listening to the erp! Urghhh!! I am so determined now! Hope you are okay x

Yeah I'm doing ok, cheers Lou. Great to hear you're feeling more determined, just keep pushing through,?

Good!! I had a good day too. I tried to make sure I didn’t ruminate and it makes it so much easier. Puts things into perspective. I know it’s early days, but I have hope

Well done guys! I think we are all helping each other!! Xx

I’m on 150 Sertraline too. I think I’d be worse off if I didn’t have it. I didn’t take it for a day by accident, it makes you sweat loads during the night and can have terrible side effects. So would need to come off gradually! I’m happy to hear that! Not sure how Lou is getting on but we seem to be gradually improving I’ve been a lot better overall thanks

It’s probably TMI but I’ve got food poisoning. I feel like it’s lowering the mood and making my mental health worse ?

Oh bless you Lewis. Hope you feel better . I am doing very well now thank you. Not sure if It has anything to do with it but I went back onto paroxetine which I had been on for years and since then I have felt much better. The Prozac made me feel awful. Xx

That’s good to hear Lou! What did you do? Record it and listen to it? I’ll be doing that Monday with therapist. Things are ok, it’s still a bit difficult but had a good day overall

That's great Lou, really pleased to hear things are a lot better for you. I'm doing pretty good too. Therapist this Wednesday, so just want to fine tune some of the advice he's given me.

Lovely to hear you are both doing better. It is thanks to you guys that I never gave up. Yes Lewis I recorded it with my therapist and pit it on loop and listened to it five or so times a day and when I was out running. I realised.....or my brain did....that it wasn't scary at all and most definitely did NOT insinuate at all that I was a 'P'. In fact as I was listening to it I imagined it was someone else and I said 'you poor darling.....don't be so silly.' I really really hope that it helps you. Don't forget at first it will really make you overly anxious but sit with it and I promise you it will get better and your brain will resume normality after a few days. When you feel the thoughts coming in listen to the erp again and again. I did and my brain has gone back to normal now. Muchnlive to you both and thank you again from the bottom of my heart Xxxx always here for you guys xxxx

Anyone! I keep talking on the same thread and it is getting really Long!!

Found it! Cheers Lou. Yeah Lewis I found less of a need to check it but don't be tempted as it does set you back a bit

Ok I’m here! Haha

??

Lol!! Distraction does help but I have found that your mind has to be in a certain frame if you get what I.mean. xx

Yeah, at the start it was impossible to distract myself because it was too overpowering. Now I can a lot more. I still ruminate a lot. How do I think about the topic when it comes up but not ruminate. Because I have the real memory, but don’t want to have avoidance. (Am I making any sense?)

I try to leave it in the background and if I catch myself ruminating try to stop there and then. It feels unresolved and the anxiety goes up for a little while.

Definitely gets easier with practice though.

Then over time do you gradually think about it less and less and anxiety drops more? (Not reassurance, just wanting to know how it works) I’m trying this today

As the anxiety drops Lewis so do the thoughts. It takes time but without the anxiety OCD has nothing to feed off and your mind becomes rational again. Try and do erp. It is really really helping me xx

I’m not really doing it guided at the moment. So waiting till next week for my second session with new therapist I feel ‘ok’ in general. I just want to know I’ll be free of these one day, so I can get on and enjoy my life. 3 months ago it was perfect and I’ve never had any issues before, so it’s a huge shock

That's the nature of the illness hun. I was fine and then all of a sudden I get a thought out of nowhere from 5 or so years ago and have never questioned it in all of those years! I meant to ask you how you got on with your new therapist? X

I’m just want to go back to my life, I feel like I’m running on 50% Not sure if I’ll get it back ? Yeah it was good, seemed to know lots more about ERP etc so I’ll see how it goes

You will get to that place again my lovely. Look at me last week.....I was at my wits end. Go head-on into erp and I promise It will help you immensely xx

Yep Lewis, you will get your life back. If the new therapist has a better understanding of ERP , you'll be on the right track. A big problem with ocd around real events is it really does feel real, but the anxiety is magnifying the truth into something it's not. Once you can see it in a more rational light,these fears become insignificant.

Don't ruminate, the only thought around these situations should be through ERP, Lewis.

How are you doing Lou ?

I hope so, it’s so hard to enjoy things without feeling guilt ? Ido start to see it like that. I find myself thinking about it when I don’t realise too. I’ll work on it. I just find it so strange how I only thought about this a year or 2 after

Same for me Lewis, it was a year and a half later. It just attaches to things from the past wherever we are vulnerable and the anxiety builds up.

Does it become clearer to you like “why would I think about it so long after?” That thought comes into my head like reassurance, and “surely you wouldn’t do that” I try to keep the thoughts out my head though

Well I think when we do drift into such questions, and then realise it, we don't answer it. If we start to reassure, don't finish it, it's so important when any thoughts of it come to mind like " could I have done that"? That we don't give it an answer and try to focus on something else....Avoid internal dialogue about ocd problems

Hi guys. I'm doing ok this week thanks to the erp. And yes my thought was from 5 years ago just like you guys! That's what OCD does. At the time we would have known straight away if something was wrong....It is the nature of the Illness. I have been listening to my erp since Monday.....every time I am out jogging or in the car or at home on my own. At first it put my anxiety sky high but as the week has gone on I don't get anxious from it anymore and I can honestly say that the last few mornings when I have woken up I haven't had any anxiety!! It is working thank goodness. I am starting to realise that the thought itself isn't important as It is a load of trash....it's the meaning I have given to it...just like the professionals say!!!! I hope you guys are ok xx

I think I’m in that stage too, I don’t wake up in mornings with terrible anxiety. I just tend to lay there and dream/ruminate while I’m half asleep.. I also feel like I have ROCD too in the background

I’m glad to hear you are doing better. We can all work through together

How are we all?!

Hello my lovely. I am really good thank you. Erp most certainly works please do it with your therapist. Xx

Is it helping you lots? I happy to hear that! Got a session Monday Someone on here told me to ‘take a leap of faith’ that it didn’t happen. I’m not sure if that is useful?

It is helping me immensely Lewis. It is making my brain realise that it is a load of nonsense!! My brain is changing to the way it should be. Taking that leap of faith is hard but with erp after the first day or so your anxiety goes right down and you actually realise that it is a load of nonsense. Insist on erp...It is hard at first and the anxiety is massive but it is worth it xx

Ok thank you. I think right at the beginning taking a leap of faith is too hard. Once you lower the anxiety you can take the leap I think, I will get on with ERP. I’m glad to hear you are feeling better :)

Good to hear things are improving for you Lou, yeah, facing the anxiety really does help. I think taking a leap of faith is really, treating it like an illness, despite the anxiety telling you its something important.

What do you mean Garrett? Do you think it’s the right think it’s the right thing to do? (Sorry I may have misinterpreted haha)

Well I mean when you ruminate and you need to stop it, you have to take a leap of faith that it's the right thing to do, and despite fearing the thoughts are real.

Hope this makes sense...It does in my head ,?

Yeah I understand now. And that’s basically taking the leap of faith in thinking it’s not real too or not important I’ve been very stable on the anxiety front for a week. O just need to get my head in the right place

Stay as positive as you can, Lewis, try not to spend too much time in your head. Try to keep occupied in other ways.

That's a good start Lewis with the anxiety gone down.....don't over analyse that though as people can tend to wonder why they still have the thoughts without the anxiety..... It is the first step to recovery and you are On your way lovely!! How are you doing Garrett? Xx

I’ll try! Thank you ? Is that how it usually goes with you Lou?

Not too bad Lou, drifted a bit this week into old habits at times, but overall pretty good. Just trying to stay determined?

How long have you been getting help Garrett?

That's good to hear Garrett. It can be a slow recovery but so worth it. When I am jogging I listen to the erp and when I am in my car....this morning I didn't go jogging but knew I had to listen to it as I was getting a bit ocdish! It worked though! Yes Lewis......once the anxiety has gone right down it tends to make you see things more clearly. I really can't thank you two guys enough you know for your help and support over theladt couple of weeks. I'm so glad I found this site. I don't however read a lot of the other anxiety provoking threads as I don't think that is good when you are in recovery. Xx

Yeah I tend to stick to the posts I’ve already gone on mostly, and the other types of OCD don’t really apply to us (as much) But yeah, it’s been great to find people going through similar things

When your anxiety goes down, does it ever go away until you barely think about the obsession anymore?

Yes it disappears altogether Lewis. And even if the obsession comes up the anxiety isn't there therefore I don't get the OCD.

How long does it usually take for them to go away for you? Thank you for all your help. I’m going to really work on not ruminating today

Having a pretty good day today! Keep it up guys :)

Well done Lewis!!!!! Keep going!!!! X

How you guys doing today?

Had a good day today Lewis. Been getting help for about 4 months now. Had tried self help, for the last 2 years or so, once I knew what the illness was. Always knew it was a mental illness, but had no idea it was ocd, till then.

Hey guys, how have you been?

Pretty good, have my therapist next week so I want to fire a few questions at him. I'm on 150mg Setraline, don't think it does much, but reluctant to come off it yet ,in case it's doing something. How are you guys getting on ?

Paroxetine? I’m not sure if that would be better than Sertraline. Should I talk to my doctor about it?

Well I have tried sertraline and it was okay but it just depends on the person really. How long have you been on them did you say? X

I’ve been on them since January. I saw somebody mention CBD oil, have you tried it?

No I haven't. I would give the sertraline time to work. It does take a while xx

I think I’d be worse off without it. How’s your ERP going? :)

Hope you guys are doing ok?

I’m ok thanks, had a few not so good days. I get stuck in ‘Will I ever be happy again?’ Which is Rumination too haha How are you Garrett?

Ah pretty good, yeah I often get the "Will I ever have peace of mind" but I think I'm on the right road and just a case of sticking with it.

That’s good, I hope so! Do you ever find it difficult to concentrate on other things?

Sometimes but even if I can't, once I leave the thoughts be and don't debate with them. That does get easier?

Hi guys. How are you both doing? I am so much over my ocd for now again!! The erp worked brilliantly. Only took literally a couple of days for the obsession to back down. I have been so busy with catching up with things I hadn't done for a couple of months! One being my decorating! Hope you are both well. Xx

Hey guys, sorry i don’t want to be rude but i keep getting notifications for this thread so is it okay if you can start another one ? sorryy

Sorry didn’t realise! Garrett set a new thread up Lou