Newly diagnosed with OCD

[jess_b]

Hey everyone!
so I have recently been (2 weeks ago) diagnosed with OCD in terms of intrusive/obsessive thoughts and don’t have another appointment with a psychologist for another 2 weeks which has caused me some anxiety! Anyway, 2 nights ago I had a really bad dream which is a side effect of the antidepressants I have been taking but since then I have had major anxiety and can’t get the loop of thoughts about my dream out of my head and it has worked me up so much that last night I tossed and turned until 3 am and feel so tired today!
I was just wanting to get some advice or tips from other people who have OCD on ways that they can calm there mind down so I can get some rest tonight! Or just help me in general of how to cope when it gets bad because I have to wait another 2 weeks before I can go and speak to someone about some strategies in handling it!

Any advice would be really greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

[Ben_L]

Hey jess b, Thanks for reaching out,

I can't say that I myself have OCD, but my father does and he does it without even knowing, whether its moving chairs in a certain order or making sure that the dishwasher is organised in very specific categories, I have a pretty brief understanding of what it might be like for you and I'm sorry to hear that its not going well,

If maybe you could tell me more about the stages you went through before going to anti depressants, I will be able to have a better understanding of what you have gone through and will be able to offer you more support. You . don't need to I'd just like to help you to the best of my abilities.

Be here to help if you want to chat 🙂

Ben

[jess_b]

Hey Ben. L,

thanks so much for getting back to me I appreciate that a lot! I feel like it is going well and each day is a bit different but this dream I had has really rattled me and I can’t seem to shake the anxious feeling of going to bed 🤷‍♀️ The more I have thought about it the more worked up I’ve gotten which is the vicious cycle of anxiety!

to be honest it was a bit of a weird journey I started off with really bad anxiety out of the blue, couldn’t sleep, intrusive thoughts came rushing in, and went to my gp and explained what was going on and she prescribed me some to help me sleep and I havnt stopped taking them It’s been about 14 weeks and sometimes I get really weird vivid dreams some I can shake off and some stick with me but I’m not really sure how it’s supposed to be working and I’m not sure if it’s working correctly because I’ve never taken them before!!! Anyway that’s just a little rant on about how I got here haha

I have really good weeks and really good days and then some really bad aswell! But I suppose I’m just wanting some strategies of how to calm myself down and get out of my head when I get too stuck in there!!

[Summer Rose]

Hi Jess b

My daughter has OCD and anxiety and I have cared for her for about 8 years since diagnosis. I have a pretty good understanding of both illnesses and the disabling power of OCD.

My daughter uses a number of strategies to calm down and "get out of her head". Everybody is different and it's probably going to take some time for you to establish your own strategies and tactics, but you may like to try ....

Movement. Any type of exercise really helps. My daughter likes to run and says it's like "chasing the thoughts away".

Distraction. Try to busy your mind with other activities. My daughter does this by listening to music or watching tv and drawing at the same time or playing video games. Something about the mental stimulation and hand movement works for her.

Calming. My daughter does this through mindfulness, deep breathing, a warm bath and/or drinking tea or hot water with lemon.

There is a free Smiling Mind mindfulness ap available, which could help you to get started while you wait for your appointment.

I also think it's key for you to get ample rest, eat well and avoid alcohol and drugs. It will help to fight OCD if you're in top condition.

Hope this helps. Happy to keep talking.

Kind thoughts to you

[jess_b]

Hey Summer Rose,

Thank you so much for commenting back to me this is truly so helpful for me!
I hope your daughter is doing well and finding ways to manage and cope during times it peaks!

I do find it worsens after a terrible sleep or due to hormones it gets a bit erratic and hard to fight!
I will use these tactics in hope that they help me ❤️ I’m sure along the journey I will find things that work well for me!

Luckily I have been called in because of a cancellation with my psychologist so I don’t have to wait another 2 weeks! Feeling quite happy and lucky that I can go and work through some things!

Thanks again for reaching out to me

[Summer Rose]

Hi Jess B

Great news about your appointment! So happy for you, as it's so important to get on top of things early to prevent a spiral.

Thank you for your kind words about my girl. She fell ill in year 8 and had some really tough years. Nothing but darkness for a long time. But with the right treatment and hard work she has healed and reached a state of "recovery".

For her this means a much better life. She graduated high school, travelled Europe with her best friend and now at uni with lots of friends and in love. There are still bad days but she can manage with ongoing professional support.

You can do this sweet girl. You are not alone and all of us here at bb will support you.

If you have time let us know how the appointment goes and how you're getting on.

Kind thoughts to you

[jess_b]

Hey Summer Rose,

I am so so happy to hear that about your daughter that is truly inspiring and gives me a lot of hope that I can get through this! What amazing resilience she has you should be very proud!

my appointment went really well and it’s everything that I needed it was a great release of emotion and good to get some things worked out it definitely has given me so much relief! A lot to get through but I’m positive that I can get back to being the person I was with a healthy, happy mind full of abundance and resilience 😁

I am going home to visit family this weekend so I am looking forward to being around my support group! Wishing you the happiest of weekends and thank you again for reaching out to me!

[Summer Rose]

Hi Jess

What awesome news all round! You sound positive and strong. You got this.

Enjoy your weekend with family. Lap up the love.

Kind thoughts to you