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Going cold turkey with OCD

Posted , 6 users are following.

rob23708
rob23708

I've been an anxiety suffer for about 5 years and have made huge amounts of progress. I feel like it's 80% gone but one thing holding me back is my OCD. I wouldn't say it completely controls my life but it gets in the way. Stuff like hand washing, over checking things, avoiding certain thought processes thinking it will come true if I think about it (stupid I know). Stuff like that. I feel like once the OCD is gone i will 100% be better as this is the last phase I need to lift. I have attempted to give up before but after a couple of weeks it creeps back in, start acting on it for reassurance on my 'bad days'. I need to be strong and get out of the old habits, do any ex OCDers or experts have any advice for me to overcome this once and for all ? Thank you

2 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • jan34534
    jan34534 rob23708

    Posted

      Congratulations on the progress for the anxiety! That is a big step. 

    Do you speak to a counselor about OCD? I know that some people can be cured of it

    but that is after treatment. Other people can still have it but get a lot of relief from it . there is something called behavior modification Therapy that is used to treat OCD. There's also medication and lifestyle changes.  

    Your best bet would most likely be to speak to a therapist who specializes in treating people with OCD. It may be more difficult to overcome on your own.

     Best of luck! 

  • liamtnelson
    liamtnelson rob23708

    Posted

    Hi Rob,

    I don't think you need a therapist personally - you've done some incredible work obviously with your anxiety being 80% gone. That didn't happen overnight, obviously, it was gradual through you learning to control your thought processes, and giving your mind time to rewire itself. This physical manifestation of anxiety is no different, it's just more obvious in your life, and is clearly just a coping mechanism based on how you describe it. Therefore, simply keep being mindful of it, control it as much as you can, but always practice total patience with yourself - it's a journey in the end. Over time, this too will pass. 

  • Tbeisy
    Tbeisy rob23708

    Posted

    Hello!

    I defeated my ocd roughly 2 years ago now. My OCD was I had to repeat absolutely everything I do over and over again. It became a way of life and it was so awful, I couldn’t do anything without having a strong urge to do it over again or else “I would die”. One day I just didn’t listen to the voice in my head. I didn’t givenin. When I realized that I woke up the next morning, I care to the realization that it’s not real. The rituals won’t prevent the obsessive things you think about to not happen. Just like not doing the rituals won’t kill you.

    I don’t have much advice other than to think about it logically (as hard as that seems) once you don’t give in to the rituals the obsessive thoughts go away.

    Someone once told me that when a bad thought comes into the mind of a “normal” brain, said person can just ignore it, whereas someone with ocd will over think it and obsess about it. What I learned to do is to just accept it. I accept the thought, let it linger for a bit until it passes, then I get on with my day.

    I wish you the best of luck in getting over this OCD, remember if I did it, so can you!

  • rob23708
    rob23708

    Posted

    Thanks everyone I really appreciate your comments and will update you on how it goes ☺️
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