Andrew06
- Date posted
- 6y
Andrew06Andrew06
- Date posted
- 6y
I agree these are tough, especially when you feel you have a rational reason behind it! The most effective way is to at some point get so fed up and angry at the OCD or doubt or whatever it is that you just accept the uncertainty. You can start small, use a ton of self compassion in your journey. We must walk through the fire only to turn around and realize there was never any danger in the first place!
jenagadejenagade
- Date posted
- 6y
How did you cope with rational (albeit catastrophised) anxieties intermingling with OCD? For example I've always had contamination OCD, but a few years ago I was misdiagnosed for a physical illness and ended up with permanent irreversible health problems as a result. I now suffer a lot of anxiety about my personal safety out of fear of getting injured or sick and having the same thing happen. So there's a reasonable cause to an extent, but that anxiety is now tightly woven with my contamination OCD and any time I make strides with ERP, the other anxiety undoes it again
Caroline8008Caroline8008
- Date posted
- 6y
How did you start to accept uncertainty? I am finding this so hard, and almost avoiding the topic altogether. I am terrified about the outcome. Some background is that I have rocd and I guess I'm scared once I accept uncertainty the thoughts and feelings might be true and I'm struggling to overcome this. Any help would be massively appreciated as I want to start my road to recovery asap but fear I can't
Andrew06Andrew06
- Date posted
- 6y
You’ll have to at some point decide for yourself you are so goddamn sick of this garbage disorder that you are motivated and willing to overcome it
Andrew06Andrew06
- Date posted
- 6y
In the same token, be very forgiving and kind to yourself! Having this crap is hard enough and we often put ourselves down without even realizing it!
Caroline8008Caroline8008
- Date posted
- 6y
I am fed up with it. I want to overcome it with all my being, I just am still so scared. But yeah you're right I think it's hard to be kind to ourselves
Andrew06Andrew06
- Date posted
- 6y
If you’ve tried everything else, try to accept the fear! You’re not in this alone, I know how hard it is because I still struggle but Exposure work has helped! You can do it!!
Caroline8008Caroline8008
- Date posted
- 6y
Thank you (: I will give it a go!
Related posts
Cody Fournier
- User type
- Therapist
- Date posted
- 25w
OCD switches themes
I was just thinking about how OCD tries to be tricky and switches themes on us!! The amount of times I have said to myself in the past, IF ONLY I HAD THE OLDER THEME I USE TO WORRY ABOUT BECAUSE THIS NEW ONE IS SO MUCH WORSE!!! Has anyone ever experienced this before? Once I started ERP therapy, I began to really start understanding what mental/physical compulsions I was doing to really keep my OCD alive! While I did this, I would also tap into my self-compassion bucket, even when it felt like it was dry at times, because it was SO easy to judge myself for because of the sheer presence of my thoughts. I would also have the most self-compassion for myself for those taboo intrusive thoughts that really felt so strong, ego-dystonic and real!!! My OCD would hop around from theme to theme and just when I thought I figured it out (compulsion) it would hop again and make me discouraged! I noticed for me that once I really understood my compulsions, it didn't matter when the theme switched as I could tackle it at its core. If I was able to stay steadfast and resist compulsions the best I could, I started to notice that my CONFIDENCE increased in the long run! I also noticed that some of the core fears were the same for different OCD subtypes. OCD treatment is hard BUT living with OCD is harder. I have experienced subtypes including Harm OCD, ROCD, Moral Scrupulosity, Sensorimotor, Contamination, Perfectionism/Just Right, Hit and Run, Magical Thinking, Real Event/False Memory. ERP therapy allowed me to really work on stopping these compulsions and switching from theme to theme. I was fed up with what OCD took from me and I needed to do something about it. I talked to an ERP therapist and it was one of the best decisions of my life. If you are struggling, keep pushing and get the help you deserve!! You got this!!!
Nica
- Date posted
- 17w
Q&A About OCD w/ Someone’s Who’s Subclinical
I haven’t done a Q&A in over a year (my bad) but I used to do these at least once a month. Work is slow today, so please send me any questions you have about OCD and I’ll answer them as best as I can. A little about me: I’ve been subclinical/recovered for going on 5 years and I’ve been on this app volunteering since 2019 in an unofficial capacity—I’m not connected to the NOCD team, so I don’t have any badges. I did ERP treatment with my therapist in-person while I was also being treated for PTSD. I have OCD, PTSD, ADHD, depression, GAD, social anxiety, driving anxiety, and a few speech impediments.
Anonymous 25#
- Date posted
- 8w
Anyone?
Hey everyone it’s been a while since I posted on here. Honestly, I try to stay off of this app unless I really need advice because I find it triggering at times. But right now I’m feeling pretty down and just would like some hopeful and helpful advice. Has anyone ever felt like they’re just not capable of getting out of this? Has anyone ever felt like ERP therapy isn’t working or that they just can’t get it’s a click? . I’ve been in ERP therapy for over a year just about a year and a half actually and I literally feel so stagnant and stuck still. I show up every week I do my exposures, but my body is in such a chronic fight or fight all the time that it feels almost impossible to apply the tools. I’m super sensitive to begin with and I feel things very deeply and because of that it feels like I’m not gonna be able to ever change. It feels like no matter what I do or experience I’m just gonna always feel it so deeply and it’s gonna just rattle me all of the time. I’m honestly so frustrated. I’m tired and I’m overwhelmed. I so badly wanna change these patterns that I have and grow and be out of this OCD spiral, but everything just feels impossible. I’m just wondering if I’m alone here?? Has anyone ever felt this way? Has ERP taken a long time for anyone else or am I the only one that just can’t get my brain to click with it? Any encouraging and helpful words would be greatly appreciated thank you 🙏
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