OCD

[Paul301]

Hi there ,

my first time putting anything up on a discussion board but feel for the younger people dealing with OCD, i was diagnosed with Pure O OCD three years ago when i was 50 and not going to lie it was an extremely challenging period in my life with a brief stint in hospital, but as challenging as therapy was and is eventually there can be a freedom that can help release you from the prison within your head . it was only after being diagnosed that i was able to look back and see how much of my life was driven by OCD , the best advice i was given at the time was to educate myself on OCD first as i think that is a massive step forward to be able to understand what is OCD , second and the absolute most important thing was to find a therapist that is experienced in dealing with OCD as lots claim it but i dont believe some are well enough trained in that specific disorder , the third thing for me was being able to open yourself up at therapy and do the work as OCD is very paradoxical , facing your fears with the help of your therapist i believe was the best way , i wanted to write this for the people new to this disorder to give them so hope so that they can find the courage to seek help and move forward and not let OCD dictate their lives, there will be some difficult days but they will get better ! three years ago i was on medication and having rigorous therapy and now i am off medication and touch base every now and then with my therapist and feel much better , OCD along with Depression still challenge me but i have the tools and the understanding of the disorder  to calm  myself down much quicker , there is light at the end of the tunnel you just have to make the first step, to the people caring for someone with OCD remember if you find it hard, imagine how they must be feeling not being able to understand themselves , so i tell you, you only need to help them by being understanding and not necessarily having to understand the condition , i think it is also important that the people caring for them get up to speed on the best way of helping an OCD person as it will be just as difficult for you because often it will require you not to offer reassurance.

anyway i wish everyone here who is suffering to go and get help because it is there and whilst not perfect it will help ALOT !! 

[Bob_22]

Hi Paul301,

Thank you for sharing your story here and providing hope for anyone who experiences OCD or OCD symptoms. As someone with major depressive disorder I can definitely empathise with the depressive side of the illness. For anyone looking to learn more about OCD please also consult the information available through beyond blue here:

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/mental-health/anxiety/types-of-anxiety/ocd 

There is also a great story of recovery available on this page.

Bob

[jane_1]

Hi Paul301,

Thank you so much for sharing this. My partner has recently being diagnosed with pure OCD and is struggling. Like you said, its important to know the best way to help someone with OCD. Would you be able to share some ways that helped you calm down or reduce the rumination on intrusive thoughts? What did you find most helpful from other people when you were having a tough period? 

[Paul301]

Hi Jane_1

i am sure it must be a tough time for both of you , in regards to your partner my advice that he sees some one that really knows OCD as alot claim to but it really is specialised and Exposure response therapy is the gold standard therapy, also i found that educating my self via audio books for me was massively helpful , i did listen to a hard but incredibly helpful audio book on harm ocd that i could share if interested.

in regard to yourself i believe that educating your self and trying to understand the condition will be helpfull for you both as its not an easy thing to understand , if you go down the path of exposure response therapy it can be difficult for both of you but extremely rewarding , all they need is for you to be understanding even if you dont understand it , eduction via book or therapy is key , does not matter the theme the premis is the same , i was very ill a few years ago and on medication and although its still there i can manage it much better and function pretty good without medication . I hope this helps , i know it may seem hard now but it realy does get better !! If you need to ask anything else feel free to ask ,