Newbie - parenting with diagnosed anxiety and OCD

[CaraB]

Hello there,

I have been diagnosed for over ten years now. I have anxiety and OCD. I am a mother of two and am finding that a lot of my thoughts and complulsions are based around my children. My husband is sympathetic however struggles and often doesn’t understand why I need to check the windows and doors. Lack of sleep creates a vicious cycle. Anxiety that keeps me up, intrusive thoughts then lead to compulsions and the cycle repeats. I have decided that I am done feeling isolated or different or ashamed with this disease. So I’ve started here. Any other mothers parenting with OCD?

😀

[Quercus]

Hi CaraB and welcome to the forums 😊

I love this...

I have decided that I am done feeling isolated or different or ashamed with this disease.

Good for you! That is inspiring to me and probably to a lot of others reading.

I don't have OCD but am old hat with managing small kids with depression and anxiety. I have an almost 3 year old and a 4 year old. How old are your little ones?

Have you ever looked into classes as your local women's health care place? I've recently just finished a course/series about managing depression but they also run art therapy and anxiety courses and others. The best thing was meeting like minded women. People just like me who were open about their mental illnesses. Other mums to talk to which was extremely benefitial to me. Is there anything like this in your area?

I hope you keep writing there is a lot of support to he found here. If you do a keyword search and find threads that interest you please feel free to join the conversation.

Lovely to have you join us here.

Nat

[geoff]

hello Cara, I'm so sorry that you have to struggle with OCD because people who don't have it can never understand why we have to check doors and locks so many times, especially when they are locked, it doesn't seem to be logical to them, but if you have OCD that's what we have to do.
Please never feel ashamed if you have OCD, I've had it for 58 years and one of my sons also has it, I want to stop it and have done an online course but as soon as the course ended, back I went to how I was, now I hide any habits/rituals that I have to do, I don't tell anyone that I'm checking the door locks or to see it the kettle is turned off, I just do it without anybody knowing.
All the intrusive thoughts are awful, but if you google 'intrusive thoughts' up will come an enormous site where people talk openly about it, please don't worry about them, I know they hurt you but please read some of my replies to other people.
Just know that that there are so many people suffering from OCD and please rest assured that you aren't alone. Geoff.