Hoping for relief

I can remember the day I started having intrusive thoughts. I was so confused and scared. It’s been almost 3 months- does it get easier to manage? Currently taking medication and going to therapy, but this is all still very new, and very scary. Please tell me there’s relief in recovery..? I tend to isolate myself from my family, often. I’m tired, so so tired. :( Most days, I just stay on the couch or in bed. I don’t quite get as anxious, but like a “heart stopping” gut feeling when a thought pops up. I miss the me I was before the diagnosis. HOCD is scary and harder when it attacks the loved ones, spouse, in your home. :( My heart hurts.

dolphin49

Date posted: 11w

Sometimes it will and sometimes it won't, the thing no one wants to hear is that there is no cure for ocd. It's hard to accept but it is what it is, none of us asked for this but we have to deal with it and not let it define us

hannahmarie123

Date posted: 11w

@Prise49 Couldn’t have said that better myself

hannahmarie123

Date posted: 11w

I have the same thoughts and usually I’ve been able to handle them very well, so if you’d like to chat, I can try to help the best I can 🤍 I’m currently going through the same thing right now (like genuinely having a panic attack this moment) but just uncomfortably sitting in it and through it so that ocd will have less power over me.

jam1993

Date posted: 10w

@hannahmarie123 I’m not sure if I’ve mastered sitting uncomfortably. I’ve been able to let the thoughts pass and keep doing what I’m doing, but the feelings are tough. I hope you’re okay! Panic attacks are the worst. I started out with panic attacks when it was directed to my 2 y/o, then got on meds and less anxious, but the thoughts are still there a bit. But yes, any tips/advice would be wonderful. :)

thmp77

Date posted: 11w

I still get intrusive thoughts and when one obsession leaves OCD loves to find another so being consistent with my therapist has done wonders with her helping me identify what is OCD. She gave me the tools to basically agree or joke w my intrusive thoughts like “oh thank you ocd for telling me that i love being reminded of that” and at first it didn’t help but i just kept doing what she told me to do and after several days/weeks it literally fizzled out one of my obsessions to being almost completely gone. However, OCD latched to something new bc it always will but i at least know the method works for me so as each obsession arises i have more and more tools in my mental health tool box to combat it! it does get easier in some ways bc awareness of what’s making me think this way makes a world of a difference to cope and manage. OCD is an illness and just like any chronic illness it’ll have its ups and downs but knowing that it’s OCD and not you weakens OCD’s power

jam1993

Date posted: 10w

@thmp77 Some days are harder than others and all I want to do is stay in bed or on the couch and just scroll on my phone. Working on using some helpful tips I’ve learned, but I’m also working on how to get them to stick. Waiting for brighter days, over here! Haha.

Tea and Honey

Date posted: 11w

I remember the day this started for me too. You are not alone. Remember this, OCD will make you stronger in ways you can't imagine. If you never struggled with OCD, you wouldn't have the opportunity to GROW and mature in these ways. I am better off since I have struggled with OCD.

jam1993

Date posted: 10w

@Tea and Honey This was so very encouraging! Thank you, much. Just trying to make it. Each day is like a win for me, at the end of the day, I can say “I did it, I can do it again!”

Tea and Honey

Date posted: 10w

@jam1993 Is your therapist training you to just let the thoughts run freely through your head--because they are meaningless? When I learned to just let the thoughts run freely through my head--that was a big step forward for me.

jam1993

Date posted: 10w

@Tea and Honey Yes! And it has helped a bit, but some days I tend to get down on the thoughts.. so I definitely have ups and downs, but I’m working on it. The “leaf on a stream” method tends to work for me sometimes.

Tea and Honey

Date posted: 10w

@jam1993 Yes!!! That is the method that I explain to everyone on this app who hasn't heard of ERP. It will get better!!!! Keep up the good work!!

Luke_McElwee

Date posted: 25w

Losing my shit, freaking out

Idk if this post is even worth it but it seemed like a normal day for me, called off work due to the weather so I get to just stay home and play games all day. Easy day besides dealing with the constant and unbearable battle with my intrusive thoughts/feelings. Took a shower and I just had constant thoughts, (heart palpitations are pretty constant) ended up breaking down and bawling my eyes out. I was diagnosed with HOCD and ROCD about 2 months ago and since it's just gotten worse. It feels as real as it can get and after talking to my girlfriend about the anxiety attack, it feels even more real. I have no desire or enjoyment from what comes from my brain, and at this point I'm on my knees begging the big man upstairs for my old life back, how do I go from being obsessed with women (sexually and emotionally) to pretty much doing a 180 overnight (with the obvious anxiety and worry behind it. No real desire obviously). I'm just at a loss, I've done a little ERP and it seemed to help with the brain fog but besides that, everything that it does to someone, I have. And again there's the doubt I even have OCD and I'm in straight denial. It just sucks.

ocdnomore1

Date posted: 5w

How abou you?

I suffer since 10 - 15 yrs from specific fears. It was years that my OCD constantly wanted to be checked if I have HIV or not. I had a lot of sex and I thought this is normal. But I ruminated in my backhead about and was testing like 5 - 10 times a year. After the test I felt everytime so relieved. In Corona I was addicted to porn and even I lost control and was watching pretty hard stuff. I was chatting with a girl and we fantasized about really disturbing things. I never wanna meet her and for me was sure it's just kinda onlinestuff. I was in a relationship 3 years now. And I lost fear of HIV. But then came Morality OCD, Real Event (this chat) and after some times POCD. This combination was knocking me out, I felt like the badest person on earth. I did everything wrong and searched for relief and reassurance. It put me to the point of suicidal. I never ever hurting somebody, but my brain was making me a monster. I had to quit the relationship because I just couldn't give her what she deserved. I was in a clinic for 3 months. And we tested medication with ERP (before I took escitalopram for years). Anafranil was working first, then too many side-effects. I tried even without meds, but was so depressed. Now on sertralin for 5 weeks, but only 2 weeks on therapeutic dose 200mg. And wow, now I really feel so confused in the brain. I feel like how big my OCD became. The specific thoughts are not anymore, BUT it sticks on EVERYTHING atm. It's delusional how it feels in the brain. I really hope so deep my brain makes finally a reset and I need to wait it out. I could live with OCD for a long time but the last 1-2 yrs it took absolutely everything. I remark that POCD doesn't stick anymore like before but my brain is now constructing a very bad future because of past mistakes (that I all discussed with family, friends for relief over and over and over again). So it's like my OCD is now Real Event (The sexchat) again. Anyone was on the same point in life?

G.M

Date posted: 28d

Does it actually get better?

So I just started Zoloft 25mg almost a month ago and I’m still experiencing extreme panic and intrusive thoughts. It’s not fun, I genuinely just always think there’s no way I’ll “make it through life” living like this. And I’ve felt like this for four years straight I feel like recently it’s gotten a lot worse. Even when I feel like my brain is alittle quieter I was so obsessed w ocd that I just go right back to thinking abt it and scaring myself. Also I did ERP hated it I just started ICBT and I kinda like it. But when anyone else gets thought spirals and freaks out and has extreme panic do they have thoughts like they need to be admitted to a mental hospital and smth is seriously wrong with them? Bc the panic that comes with the ocd makes it feel soooo real and debilitating

Be a part of the largest OCD Community

Share your thoughts so the Community can respond

Hoping for relief

Related posts

Be a part of the largest OCD Community

Be a part of the largest OCD Community