is it normal to have ocd episodes and compulsions and everything for the entire day? i can't remember the last time i had an OCD-free day where my heart was not pounding. Prozac will take weeks to kick in. what do i do?
What are you filling your day with? Are you staying busy?
@r.m.1 i do but it doesnt work. the thoughts are there regardless. sometimes distractions work but the thoughts come back again
@r.m.1 and im not filling my day with nice things. i am doing job applications every day. i have small windows to do nice things. i got laid off on May and haven't found a job since. i'm close to losing my apartment
@Anonymous Same here đ
Iâm sorry youâre going through financial stress- it must be quite stressful. It sounds like youâre trying to make the thoughts go away- thatâs a compulsion which makes the thoughts stick around longer. You have to show your brain youâre not afraid of them behaviorally- you can feel fear, but you respond in a way that doesnât feed the cycle. So maybe you could apply for job applications outside your apartment at a library or restaurant with WiFi? You donât have to do things you enjoy- you just need to keep doing life as if you didnât have OCD. When you live as such and realize that thoughts are thoughts and you CAN still live life and experience joy (which comes more often when you donât do compulsions) even if the thoughts are still there. Itâs hard. It takes practice. Today alone I mentally sang my harm OCD intrusive thoughts and responded with âmaybe, maybe notâ âyep, that will probably happenâ all day todayâŚ. But I still went to work, I still ate lunch with friends, I did a Pilates class, I called a family member, I played a video gameâŚ. The thoughts were still in the background but I was able to do all the things that I value regardless of whatâs going on in my brain and THAT is what the goal is with OCD. Unfortunately itâs a chronic condition- youâre likely going to have stronger emotions to your thoughts and have sticky thoughts compared to the typical person without OCD, but with ERP and the right responses, you CAN still thrive and enjoy life with it
@r.m.1 You can get through this. It sometimes just takes time to learn the skills and to use them. Youâre not alone
@r.m.1 i want to give up. I'm unemployed and cannot afford OCD treatment
@Anonymous - I've seen a lot of stories on Reddit of people who learned to do self-ERP and they were successful :) They did it themselves because they couldn't afford a therapist either. There's hope for you!
@Anonymous Thereâs a ton of books that teach self ERP- Iâve used many of them and they truly are really helpful. IOCDF website has a list of them. Also you said you were doing job applications which means this isnât a forever status. It will probably feel less overwhelming to take it day by day and until you have a new job, learn as much as you can about OCD and try to do ERP on your own- even little changes can make a huge difference. And then when youâve landed a job (which is probably right around the corner) you can supplement what youâve learned with therapy. Itâs just a day by day thing and it will get better if you keep pushing through. Please donât give up, even if you feel like it. All emotions and situations pass- change will always happen meaning your circumstances will change and things will get better
I was diagnosed with OCD and I started Prozac 10 days ago. I have struggled with intrusive taboo sexual thoughts for 12+ years (Iâm 24) but now I feel like itâs turning into feelings. Iâve never done anything to anyone or nor do I wish to ever. I am just scared of my own brain if this is something I actually want. My psychiatrist said I should feel better/start getting clarity after 2 weeks. But I keep feeling worse and worse. Anyone else has experience with Prozac and how it went for them?
I am having a really hard time with ocd and anxious thoughts and feeling extremely uneasy. I'm home alone today so it's really easy for me to get stuck in my thoughts. I'm on day 4 of prozac. I felt like yesterday I had a period of time of about 30 minutes where I felt really focused and like the anxiety lifted completely. But then an obsession started and it brought me right back down. Hopefully I feel relief again today. I'm going to go get some house work done to take my mind off of things. Does anyone have any first hand experiences with prozac? How long until you felt any relief? Any really bad side effects? Any unforseen pluses? Much appreciated.
Hey everyone, I've been struggling with severe obsession over my blinking for more than a month now (&24/7), fearing I will never stop thinking about it. It came out of nowhere while I was walking (can OCD come like this without a reason ?). I'm starting to take Fluoxetine. I'm scared it won't help with the "hyperawerness". Does someone have a similar experience and can help me ?
Share your thoughts so the Community can respond
