OCD and asking for the help you need

[Petal22]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to start this thread in the hope it helps someone to feel they can ask for help in regards to their OCD...

When you have OCD it can feel like a very overwhelming scary place to live in..

We have intrusive thoughts that can seem taboo to the sufferer to talk about with someone you know let alone a health professional who we don’t know..

We have the thoughts of “ what is this person going to think of me for having these thoughts “...... so some people suffer in silence instead of reaching out to a professional....

OCD is a condition that is very treatable..... our health professionals can help us.....

You can learn to get on top of your OCD.... with the help of professionals.... many people have this condition... choose to ask for help.... if you think you have OCD talk to a health professional about it.... try to be as honest as you can about the thoughts you are having so a clear diagnosis can be made, try not to hide the thoughts.... if we try to hide them OCD can be missed in the diagnosis and it can be be brushed aside as just anxiety.... so be as open as you can so you can receive the correct treatment....

OCD has a name, for me it was intrusive thoughts that seemed irrational but felt very real...... the anxiety with OCD is very intense.....

there is help out there available for OCD you don’t have to live with it... learn how to beat it with treatment because you CAN! Life can be great after OCD! Just be brave and ask for help....

im here if anyone wants to chat 😊

[geoff]

Hello Petal, this is a terrific thread and there are many good suggestions supported by different people, but we need to remember what may work for one person, may not be the case for another person, so it's actually no different from many things in life, for example, one person can run the 100 metres in 30 seconds, while another person can only do it in 45 seconds.

Some people may have to count to 100 and if for any reason they are interrupted, they have to start from scratch again, beginning at one, the same applies if another person has to swallow their own saliva 30 times, not only is this exhausting but again if they are disturbed, they have to start all over again.

If you going to visit someone and you have any intrusive thoughts about this particular person, you might try and convince yourself not to have any of these thoughts, which only makes the situation worse, so they rapidly take over your mind and dominate.

It's an illness that is difficult to explain to another person who doesn't suffer from it because all they say is 'why do you need to do that'.

My best.

Geoff.

[Knots0]

Hi, Thanks everyone for your support and ideas, I constantly do mindfulness exersises etc, and they help. I think I would be in a much worse place without it. Nice to know there is a community out there. Keep up the good work

[Petal22]

Thanks Knots 0,

That’s great you do mindfulness exercises.... they are wonderful.... keep practicing.... I found breaking free of the OCD cycle took perseverance and practice....

Exercise is also great for it aswell, I like practicing mindfulness while out walking.... also being with people also helped me 😊

keep talking, you aren’t alone.... we are all always here to support and chat to you anytime 😊

please reach out to us if you feel you want to have a chat..

keep up the practice 😊

[Petal22]

Thanks Geoff 🙂

There is always hope that the person suffering reaches out to a professional and finds the correct treatment for them 😊

all the best

[Chizzy]

Hi, this is my first time ever on this forum, I suffer with OCD I’ve had it my whole life I am 32 years old now and I’m having intrusive thoughts about my beautiful wife, it makes me doubt my love, attraction and makes me always feel so terrible and I even start crying when I can’t deal with the thoughts and the possibility that it’s real thoughts, my compulsions are always reassurance seeking, I am on medication which helps but I still get my terrible days.

[Petal22]

Hi Chizzy,

Welcome to our forums and thank you for reaching out to me.

I totally understand what you are saying about your intrusive thoughts. The OCD cycle is a vicious cycle..... you can learn to break free of its grips with the correct help.

have you done any type of therapy for your OCD? I did meta cognitive therapy....... it was the best thing I ever did..... I learned to master my OCD...

I had very severe OCD it was very distressing for me and debilitating.... after doing my therapy and putting it all in to practice on a daily basis I no longer get caught up in my OCD cycle..... I still have intrusive thoughts but that’s were they stay now as just intrusive thoughts I have learned not to ask for reassurance, not to question the thought or analyse the thought... I no longer do compulsions.... by not doing these things I have disengaged from my OCD cycle.........

I too use to react the same way you do in regards to becoming distressed by my intrusive thoughts....I was also put on medication.... antidepressants to manage my anxiety... I’m glad your medication helps you..... I had really terrible days too until I did my therapy.... in therapy I learned OCD runs on a sliding scale some days will be better than others but eventually your good days will out way your bad days....

if you haven’t done therapy for your OCD I highly recommend you do therapy..... it will teach you so many tools to help you manage your OCD if I can recover from OCD there is hope you can too...

im here if you have any questions or want to chat 😊

[geoff]

Hello Chizzy, and welcome to the forums and thanks Petal for your reply.

I'm really sorry you are having these thoughts, there is nothing worse that could possibly happen because you have to acknowledge that these thoughts are not true, it's the illness making you think this way, you love your wife and OCD is trying to punish you, but in all my experience of having OCD for 60 odd years, none of these thoughts have ever come true.

These are only toying with your mind, be open with your wife, tell her about them, but also tell her that this is what happens to someone suffering from this illness and once they begin ask her to distract you.

Everyone has thoughts like these but it's different when you have OCD because it seems to be more intense, plus they reoccur, once you discuss with her, she will show you that it's only your mind playing with you.

Let the love for her dominate how you are thinking.

Take care.

Geoff.

[Chizzy]

Just like to Thankyou petal and Geoff for your replies, I really appreciate it your words give me peace as I know I’m not the only one who is dealing with this and I have hope I can get ontop of my OCD, I have had psychological help and I am currently seeing one now, but I will mention meta cognitive therapy to him and see what he says, my ocd is very tricky as for some reason if my wife has her hair up in a bun I get anxiety and think it must mean I’m not attracted to her and then I get a lot more panicky and I have to ask my parents or even my wife that these are not true, for some reasons I am hyper focused on her looks which kills me as I am not shallow and I love my wife and wouldn’t want to think this.

[Petal22]

That’s ok Chizzy happy to support you 😊 you are not alone many people have this condition..... you can get on top of your OCD Chizzy it just takes practice....

I saw a specialised clinic that dealt with OCD it was an 8 week therapy.....

As said above the therapy was meta cognitive..... I really believe this therapy is great for someone with OCD it teaches us how to break free of its cycle and yes you can learn to break free Chizzy! Once you learn how you will begin to fly..... it takes time and practice to learn the skills you are taught but once you learn them you will feel free of the OCD cycle...... you can learn many tools.....

can I ask if your psychologist is trained in the OCD area? I believe it’s a specialised area we’re certain phycologists understand it...

please mention the therapy to your phycologist and let me know how you go....

ok I can see were you are going in your ocd cycle with what you are saying when your wife has her hair in a bun..... I think you are looking for a meaning in this thought which is something that happens in our ocd cycle..... your anxiety then goes up and you ask for reassurance as a compulsion to bring it down.......

can I ask next time this happens instead of looking for a meaning in the thought just turn your attention to something in the present moment instead.... like how does your feet feel on the ground or what can you see? Also do this instead of seeking re assurance.... just allow the thoughts to be there but redirect your attention to something in the present moment..... let me know how you go it does take practice....

have you tried any meditation? We did a specialised one in our ocd therapy....

I think it’s wonderful that you are receiving professional help... well done...

please let me know how you go..

there is always hope Chizzy.... you can learn to get on top of your OCD..

im always here to chat to you 😊

[geoff]

Hello Chizzy and thanks again Petal.

I hope that as Petal has suggested seeing someone who is trained in this field and if I can say that I did an online course to help people with OCD, from memory it was free, and during it, I did seem to improve but as soon as the course finished, I was lazy and didn't abide by what I was taught.

After 60 odd years of having this illness, yes I still have my obsessions/compulsions as my psychologist was going to deal with my OCD after I had recovered from depression, but she suddenly left the practice, now having to still do them, but at a much reduced amount, it doesn't make me anxious any more, that doesn't mean I would love to not have it, I only wish I didn't.

Best wishes.

Geoff.