OCD Thread

[ThatWomanInTheDress]

Any other OCD sufferers on here?

(I do mean proper OCD not “oh I like cleaning too”)

How are you getting on during the pandemic? Mine seems to have really ramped up recently (covid masks and breathing obsessions).

We used to have a really long running OCD thread on here for support anyone still around?

@TedMullins your post in this thread really reminded me of myself. I have suffered from OCD since i was about 10 as well and it was related to counting and also colours. I am still grappling with it but it is not as bad in my 30s. It is linked to anxiety for me now with intrusive thoughts and, like you, linked to health and thinking i have health issues such as cancers etc. It's horrible. Your point about having an unshakeable intuition really struck a cord with me. I know exactly what you mean. For me this can be either way - convincing myself i am ill, or simply dismissing other health defects as intuitively I don't feel it. It's hard to reconcile with yourself at times what is normal behavior/thoughts and what isn't. Anyways, i have been put on fluoxetine 20mg a few weeks back so here's hoping for improvement.

I was taught that I just had to accept that it might be true. Like I just have to say “maybe that will happen/has happened etc, I’ll
never know” and then you just have to resist the compulsion to continue to ruminate.

It’s obviously easier said than done, but that’s kind of the point. To begin with the compulsion to continue to ruminate after just saying “I’ll never know” is massive. But after a minute, ten minutes or an hour uou rate how strong the urge to ruminate is. It’s slowly becomes less aggressive. Then you continue to do this over and over again until you start to ruminate less.

Every time you don’t continue to ruminate and you just accept the thought as a thought, you are removing power from the OCD.

Brainlock is a good book with real life strategies in.

Wink, thank you. That's what I've been trying to do. I've had a tendency to follow up on any lapses with trying to find evidence/data to support my thoughts or dispel them and I've been avoiding doing so so I think that is a positive thing.

I've ordered the BrainLock book which a fellow Mumsnetter recommended on my initial thread about how bad things had got for me. She recognised OCD traits in my response to 'threat'.

Yeah it’s a good book if you’d rather do some work on it on your own. This one is good as an overview of OCD, and has a section that family or friends can read if you want them to:

Break Free from OCD: Overcoming Obsessive Compulsive Disorder with CBT

There are some good professional advice videos on YouTube for guidance and techniques etc. Some for adults, or children with OCD, and look up your specific types. Watch as many as you can to try and find someone you like that is really helpful.

It's horrendous enough for adults, it breaks my heart for children going through this, and of course how it affects their loved ones. Hugs to you all

Hey,

I'm on the other side here, while I don't have OCD myself, I live with my fiancé who's diagnosed as OCD since early teens (Now 27) .. at the minute it's unbearable!

I love him with all my heart, but after 10 years of what feels like hell and back at the hands of this illness, I really am considering leaving with the kids, as much as I don't want to.. I need a break from it!

He's out of control, and I'm at breaking point :(

Sorry for having a rant, things are really tough!

That sounds really hard. Is he in therapy? It sounds like he needs some help. It sounds like you do too - you could always try a couple of joint sessions. My partner attended a couple of sessions with my therapist so we could discuss how he could reduce his role in my OCD. I would use him to reassure me a lot, and whilst short term it helped, long term it made him miserable and exacerbated my OCD. Now he knows how to support me without getting involved.

It’s really hard being the family of someone living with OCD. I recommended a book further up that had a great chapter for family to read which offers techniques for them.

Can I ask what sort of OCD he has?

Argh I’ve just managed to get through an awful bout of it I’m in early pregnancy.. luckily I know what it is when it strikes but it’s so horrible.. involved me feeling physically sick about certain toys put in the wrong places.. I also suffer from pure o and negative false thoughts about my relationship..
I find grounding reads online help and finding ways of getting through. Googling success stories about how people have beaten also give me strength.. my heart goes out to anyone else suffering it’s bloody horrific

@TedMullins your post really resonates with me.. picking up on signs and things.. I always thought I was going mad and dare not tell anyone of these intuitive feelings and picking up on words I see or things I hear as it being linked to something that’s going to happen to me in the future. The mind boggles.. literally! Is scarcely spoken about.

@Wink182

That sounds really hard. Is he in therapy? It sounds like he needs some help. It sounds like you do too - you could always try a couple of joint sessions. My partner attended a couple of sessions with my therapist so we could discuss how he could reduce his role in my OCD. I would use him to reassure me a lot, and whilst short term it helped, long term it made him miserable and exacerbated my OCD. Now he knows how to support me without getting involved.

It’s really hard being the family of someone living with OCD. I recommended a book further up that had a great chapter for family to read which offers techniques for them.

Can I ask what sort of OCD he has?

Good Morning Lovely,

Currently not in therapy, but he's had every sort of therapy, counselling, CBT, hypnotherapy, psychotherapy going and to be honest it's the worst it's ever been right and and out of control.. I feel like we're right back at the beginning again.

My DP's OCD is with like cleanliness, personal hygiene and germs etc. So as you can imagine with the whole corona virus and washing your hands theory for someone who has manic OCD is almost like telling a alcoholic there's a free bar!

Years ago it was just his own cleanliness and hygiene but as the years have gone on, it's rubbing off on us. For example my kids have to have a bath if theyv been out to play etc. Which probally doesn't seem too bad but he's really bad with washing them, and their skin is really dry!

My eldest is 6 and is aware now that daddy is 'poorly' and I feel he's holding resentment towards him.

It's such a sad situation... besides from the OCD he's the best partner and daddy, and we are the happiest little family! But right night it's so stressful.

I'm trying to accommodate his illness but I feel like I'm making it worse! In fact I know I am because I'v been told by therapist in the past... I'm just anything for a easy life right now but I'm burnt out, and feel like I'm really run into the ground carrying the load of it all on my own!

Do I sound really selfish :( sorry xx

I watched this YouTube video at the weekend and thought I'd share it here in case it helps others. It's a therapists perspective of OCD. He says that OCD is a symptom of underlying anxiety and that that anxiety will always (unconsciously) want to make you 'go home'. I found it really illuminating. Even looking back years ago at times when I seemed to self sabotage or had illnesses, I can see a lot of this was very probably attributable to underlying anxiety, I just didn't recognise it as such at the time.

Ella - can’t fully reply right now but you’re not selfish at all xx

[quote polelynn]I watched this YouTube video at the weekend and thought I'd share it here in case it helps others. It's a therapists perspective of OCD. He says that OCD is a symptom of underlying anxiety and that that anxiety will always (unconsciously) want to make you 'go home'. I found it really illuminating. Even looking back years ago at times when I seemed to self sabotage or had illnesses, I can see a lot of this was very probably attributable to underlying anxiety, I just didn't recognise it as such at the time.

[/quote] That was an excellent video thanks. Beginning to tackle my OCD as well as my anxiety and it makes sense that anxiety causes OCD. Now on week 4 of 20mg fluoxetine.

@escape212 how are you finding the fluoxetine? I'm nearly 2 weeks in (20mg) and I'm not quite as terrified as I was, it seems to have dialled things back a little in terms of my intrusive thoughts. The nausea it caused is settling down too. Are you having any therapy to help you?

@Peachee I really sympathise with you. I'm in early pregnancy too. How far on are you? I suffer from real event OCD and I'm struggling to allow myself to be excited, I'm dreading telling my family because then it will all seem real. Hope you're doing ok

@polelynn much the same as yourself....less over thinking and less thinking the worst. Anxiety wise overall i am feeling a little better and also a bit more upbeat. But nothing remarkable as yet. My side effects have subsided now apart from disrupted sleep. I find i am waking more than usual but nothing like the insomnia of week 1. Currently, it's doing nothing for my OCD. No therapy but Dr has put me forward for counselling...god knows how long that will take though.

Ah I've found my people!

I'm currently an inpatient in hospital and have been for the last 6 months due to my OCD and emetophobia. The two overlap but also are very separate in different ways. I was sectioned unfortunately but I needed to come back in- this is my 3rd stay in 3 years. I feel super guilty as I have a 10 year old DS at home.

I'm on the OCD program run by Professor Veale- he's a well known consultant for both OCD and emetophobia. He has a great book available on amazon.

I'm doing ERP which is incredibly hard, especially as I have BPD which makes me emotions extreme.

To those of you struggling with loved ones, keep nagging your GP til you get help. In my experience it only gets worse.

@DarlingWithoutYou Hello, I hope you are getting the treatment and care you need. I get that sense of guilt, despite being at home I'm very mindful of how my MH impacts on my DC. Can I ask, what is ERP?

Same here. Intrusive thoughts, I posted a thread recently on here (name changed since and had it taken down as was worried someone would recognise me)

I'm getting worries about some threads on here, 'triggering' me and found a few others with similar, around mistakes at work.

A new thread has set me off today and I'm feeling really bad again, after being able to feel slightly better.

Hi @polelynn sorry for late response. ERP is exposure and response prevention - it's a CBT form of therapy recommended for OCD. It's basically deliberately facing your fears in a safe and controlled way.

My 7 year old started with germ OCD last summer and is now fully blown symptomatic. Last week he saw a private therapist for the first settling in session, he goes again this weekend. I'm praying it has some results

Good luck, @Ifonlyidknownthen let us know if it helps.

@DarlingWithoutYou. thank you, Ile check back in