How to stop checking stools vigorously? OCD

[pulisa]

I think if you have been investigated for bowel problems and all is ok then you have to "flush and go"-no exceptions. How can you choose which bowel movement to check and which one to flush immediately?
I think you would feel liberated by going cold turkey on this. It would be hell to begin with but think of the distress you are experiencing now? How long does your therapist expect this cutting down process will take?

[rainbow]

I haven't been investigated for bowel problems as my symptoms have pretty much settled down but my mind is still causing me problems.

I'm not sure how long the process will take and unfortunately I only see my therapist monthly which really is'nt often enough so my recovery is going to take quite a while.

[pulisa]

I know how difficult it is with OCD. Both my daughter and I are affected by it greatly. We make our own "rules" up which aren't necessarily what the book says but I think it's what works for you, if anything.
Once a month is hardly enough, Rainbow. Is there any chance you could get weekly appointments, just to keep the continuity and encouragement for improvement? Very hard for you to make progress and keep that progress going.

[rainbow]

Sorry to hear you both have ocd, my daughter has severe ocd which causes massive anxiety for her.

I really don't think there's any chance of weekly appointments, every time i'm there she tells me if there's a cancellation she get me in sooner, it never happens. I agree that I don't think this is helping at all and I need to be seen more frequently but it's just not going to happen.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I'm definitely not as bad as I was but unfortunately i'm still struggling with the anxiety. My daughter has severe ocd and my therapist told me that you wouldn't ask anyone with ocd to suddenly stop checking windows, washing hands etc but would ask them to cut back on the amount of times. This is just the same.

When I posted on here last year about stopping checking I was advised by a number of people to lessen the amount of times I checked.

It's part of CBT, the ERP component. Based on Pavlovian Extinction. You learn to tolerate the anxiety.

The old methods like stopping completely/confronting the worst fear, known as "flooding", aren't as successful.

NICE & the NHS will use ERP because it's based on clinical evidence.

If you can stop cold turkey, great, but many can't. I couldn't. Some things that don't bother you as much, you may just stop, but something that is massive to you can be too overwhelming therefore you work on smaller goals to get to the end result.

And they need to get to the root of the anxiety. It's not flushing, it's the core belief stuff underneath, but removing compulsions will start giving back more power over your choices.

[pulisa]

I'm sorry you can't be seen more regularly, Rainbow. It can't be easy trying to do this with very infrequent therapy sessions and living with the fear of missing something on the occasions that you don't check.
I've only ever had success with an all or nothing approach with certain issues but with others I can't even go there. I couldn't do a gradual approach but that's just me! I realise that I go against NICE guidelines!

[rainbow]

I don't feel like the therapy is doing me any good whatsoever and have thought about giving up on it. Also, my therapist is really nice but we seem to be talking over the same things each time I go, I don't really feel i'm making any progress. I was doing much better when I was seeing my art therapist.

I'm completely obsessed about my bowel movements and still sometimes have looser stools when i'm obsessing. I still struggle to go into town as I tend to associate it with having an upset stomach. I manage to work and feel a lot better when i'm there but when i'm at home I tend to go back and forward to the bathroom at the slightest little twinge. I honestly feel i'm never going to get back to the old me

[pulisa]

Home is often where all the OCD habits and rituals happen and are at their most distressing. Do you find you have to check your stools at work or does this just happen at home?

[rainbow]

I tend not to go anywhere but at home, although there have been the odd ocassion and I will look closely at the tp. I dont check my stools as thoroughly as I used to just a quick look in the toilet and a close look at the tp.

When I went through the same thing about 7 years ago I was still obsessing over my stools after about 14 months and at some point I just seemed to stop. This has been going on for a year and a half and it seems to be lodged firmly in my brain. So fed up with this.

[pulisa]

There may come a point where you just think "enough's enough" and end this nightmare once and for all without therapy or anything. I believe we all overthink anxiety too much and give it too much "power". There's so much focus on mental health and therapy now but we also do have it in us to help ourselves but don't have the confidence to follow it through.
I expect you have a lot of sustained stress in your life as I do? The mind can latch on to allsorts as a response to distress and anxiety. I need to keep myself well as a carer for my daughter who also has autism hence my own HA. It would be wonderful to feel liberated!