Hello everyone! I haven’t been on this app in a long time and I wanted to share some words of encouragement. I’m currently 20 years old and have had OCD since I was a young child. I finally confessed to someone how I was feeling at 17 years old and that is when I started ERP/medication. When I started having intrusive thoughts about harm, I knew I needed to tell someone because my anxiety was truly paralyzing. That year was the hardest year of my life and I was at the lowest of the lows. I never thought I would be thriving as a 20 year old university student with a prestigious scholarship. I thought life would never get better. It’s been exactly 3 years and I have moved out, am succeeding in school, and work full-time! I really want everyone who is in the state that I was in to have hope. Trust me- with the proper treatment, recovery is possible and WILL 100% happen! Once, I received treatment, I experienced true happiness that I had never felt before! Sending my love to all the OCD warriors out there. You will conquer this and become a stronger person from it!!!❤️💪

Absolutely! All the best❤️

Absolutely! As a child, I also suffered from obsessions surrounding my health. When I was a young teen, I started having intrusive thoughts about harming the people and animals that I loved. I started on venlafaxine (very small dose which didn’t help) an am currently on 80mg of Prozac (Fluoxetine). Therapy and medication has truly transformed my life. I couldn’t be more grateful for my therapists and psychiatrist. Harm is definitely an excruciating theme. It’s a theme that attacks people like us’s morals and what we care about/value most. Of course I still get the occasional harm thought, but it doesn’t give me crippling anxiety anymore. I can finally live life not taking these stupid thoughts seriously and enjoying my family and friends. All the best- I know you’ll succeed!❤️

@CatLove9 You are so welcome. I had the same concerns about medication. It definitely takes a little while to feel the positive effects (in my case and from what I’ve heard before). Ultimately, I believe and will always believe that people with Harm OCD are the LAST people who would ever harm someone! And I know reassurance fuels the cycle- but this is just my experience from hearing people’s stories and attending support groups. 5 weeks isn’t very long at all, I definitely recommend waiting a few months and seeing how you feel. Also, ERP is crucial!!! I know that they now that OCD specialists on this app that you can contact. They didn’t have that before, so take advantage if you can :)