OCD

[Jz]

Hi lovely people,

Anyone out there struggling with OCD and Intrusive thoughts? I would love to hear from you and possibly share some experiences.

Keep fighting

Jz

[Dreamy]

Hello @Jz and welcome to the forums, I aswell as many others on here struggle with OCD and intrusive thoughts. Always happy to chat. Take care of yourself 😊

[Jz]

Not sure where to begin? It's my first time using a chat forum.

I guess I'm after ways to help manage my ocd, in particular intrusive thoughts. I am very interested to hear how other sufferers manage this awful condition 😢 

[Dreamy]

@Jz so for myself I run mostly on distractions, I find keeping myself busy helps to keep those thoughts a little more towards the back of my head. 

Are there things that you enjoy doing that could help when you are struggling? I do alot of colouring or other crafts, I also listen to music, watch TV shows or funny videos. Other people do exercise, meditation, grounding techniques, breathing exercises. There really is so many options.

It's very much dependent on the individual, what works for one may not work for another and its also trial and error of finding what works. 

Do you find there's things that bring on the intrusive thoughts or is it more that they are just constantly there? For me they are always there and it's just the intensity that varies. 

[Jz]

The thoughts are always there. I've been able to manage it through therapy, meds and educating myself. It's just that the content of the thoughts are quite disturbing which makes it so hard not to pay attention to. It sucks me in and Im stuck in rumination for days

[Dreamy]

@Jz i completely understand, I know how hard it is and it's exhausting. 

Know that you are not alone and we are always here for you 😊.

[Jz]

I hate the fact that there are others out there like me suffering and go through life continuously looking for answers. On the flip side, it's comforting to know there are other special people going through the same thing and constantly fighting. True warriors!!!

[Ed1975]

@Jz 

That sounds like what my thoughts do to me. Disturbing. I hate it. It changes your whole mood for days. My clinician said, "they're only thoughts". I thought it was a bit of a stupid response from her. 

[Jz]

She's right! They are "only thoughts" The problem is we as OCD sufferers give them way too much attention. The moment we stop this, we're free 😊

[Vyv]

Hey @Jz , I just wanted to say hi and share what has worked for me. I have a long history of intrusive thoughts. At various times, they have paralysed me. A therapist suggested as a form of exposure therapy that I follow some of the thoughts - yes, the disturbing ones - to their logical conclusion. It was hard but I started to really understand that thoughts don't mean I am going to do anything, or that anything is going to happen. I am not perfect - far from it - but I don't experience the levels of distress and anxiety about intrusive thoughts that I once had. At one stage, I was saying a name in my head over and over, which was annoying but fairly neutral and I realised that was really no different to the repetitive disturbing thoughts I was having, just my brain doind the thing my brain does. Anyway, that's how I stopped being so freaked out by my intrusive thinking. Take care.