OCD chat

[feathermucker]

Who here has OCD? How does it manifest itself and how do you cope with it?

Mine manifests itself as obsessive behaviours like reassurance checking and then carrying out certain behaviours to stop the compulsive thoughts.

It's recently peaked and is affecting my friendships.

Would appreciate any help!

Can’t help but can sympathise. Mine is mostly around time. Checking the time, completely tasks at certain times, timing journeys, counting. It’s exagusting.

I get a bit agitated about mess but I don't have the obsessive cleaning bit. Mine's more behaviours with fruendshios and peers.....paranoia etc.

It is very exhausting!

If anyone comes across thus and has any tips to share or wants to talk about their experiences, please do so.

I do. Mine manifests in several ways, mostly around thoughts to do with my daughter or husband being killed or hurt in some way. I carry out different tasks that I have to get done in a certain amount of time to keep them safe that day. I spend a fair amount of time cancelling out my bad thoughts with good ones. I also obsessively check that the doors and windows are locked/shut in 5s. 4 is a bad number.

I'm working with a therapist at the moment and have been trying to practice mindfulness as a way to reduce the number of compulsive behaviours. It was never much of an issue for me until I had my daughter, at which point my ocd just spiralled out of control.

I get worrying thoughts about my son's health too. I don't carry out rituals as such, but do get thoughts of something might happen if the house isn't tidy or if I don't do this/that.

Have you found tgat mindfulness has helped? Can I ask for any examples of your mindfulness?

It's hit and miss. Things like when I check the front door is locked I do it really slowly and watch my hand on the handle, listen to the noise it makes. If I'm getting really anxious I make a cup of tea really slowly. Listen to the kettle boil, watch the water going into the cup, listen to the noise of the teaspoon etc. It does help to ground me sometimes.

I also worked on a bit of visualisation with my therapist. I imagine my safe place and how it smells, feels etc whilst doing some breathing exercises. That's quite effective.

That's really helpful; thank you.

I suffer with Aggression OCD, I am on 100mg of Sertraline, I do CBT with a psychiatrist and I also have counselling with a psychotherapist.

I think have been suffering since age 14 (I'm 34), the OCD spiralled out of control in 2016 after my child's birth.

I was diagnosed in March 2018. All the therapies are working well, the OCD symptoms are much less frequent and much less agonizing.

www.verywellmind.com/sexual-and-aggressive-obsessions-2510567

Dies anyone have any self help suggestions?

On the waiting list for CBT.