greentea
23-06-06, 02:38
Hi all, I'm new to this forum. I've had OCD since Oct 2003... it was at its worse in 2004, and it was ok in '05 and now, '06. But I still have it... and I was wondering if anyone has overcome OCD, and what methods they used??
I've never had any anxiety disorder up until 2003... i'm just afraid, will I have this for the rest of my life? Nothing traumatic happened... I graduated from university, found a job, then this started. Is it b/c I hated my job or b/c I didn't have anymore goals in life...?? I'm not too sure, I just know I wasn't like this before!! And I want to be normal again.
I've seen a psychiatrist, and it helped a little. I'm sure you all heard of "Exposure and Response Prevention" therapy - I've read books on this, and I do think it is the best method to overcome our obsessions/compulsions. But you must practice this EVERYDAY. Too often I end up performing the compulsion when the anxiety gets too high.... when I should just feel the anxiety and NOT perform the compulsion. B/c the anxiety is a FAKE anxiety - try telling yourself, "It's my OCD brain acting up again.. it's not ME!" and after you delay your compulsion for a few days, your anxiety will lower and you won't feel the need to perform compulsion.
Anyways, my compulsions are just WEIRD... I don't think any of you has what I have?? These days I'd obsess over an ex-friend's facial features... exactly how her nose curves or her eyes or her mouth... I'd go back to her pictures to check again and again until I get it right. It is just nonsense!! I tell myself to NOT go back to the pictures and I will be fine. (some ppl say we obsess over things we can't change - perhaps i am just sad that i lost this childhood friend and wished i had a good friend like her now, even though I have close friends in my life). I just hope it is sort of a "mourning period" of a lost friendship (silly yes, i know, since this was a long time ago) and i will get over this in time. Or just learn from this lesson.
Any comments/advice would be greatly appreciated!!
Thank you all for listening.
~Greentea
I've never had any anxiety disorder up until 2003... i'm just afraid, will I have this for the rest of my life? Nothing traumatic happened... I graduated from university, found a job, then this started. Is it b/c I hated my job or b/c I didn't have anymore goals in life...?? I'm not too sure, I just know I wasn't like this before!! And I want to be normal again.
I've seen a psychiatrist, and it helped a little. I'm sure you all heard of "Exposure and Response Prevention" therapy - I've read books on this, and I do think it is the best method to overcome our obsessions/compulsions. But you must practice this EVERYDAY. Too often I end up performing the compulsion when the anxiety gets too high.... when I should just feel the anxiety and NOT perform the compulsion. B/c the anxiety is a FAKE anxiety - try telling yourself, "It's my OCD brain acting up again.. it's not ME!" and after you delay your compulsion for a few days, your anxiety will lower and you won't feel the need to perform compulsion.
Anyways, my compulsions are just WEIRD... I don't think any of you has what I have?? These days I'd obsess over an ex-friend's facial features... exactly how her nose curves or her eyes or her mouth... I'd go back to her pictures to check again and again until I get it right. It is just nonsense!! I tell myself to NOT go back to the pictures and I will be fine. (some ppl say we obsess over things we can't change - perhaps i am just sad that i lost this childhood friend and wished i had a good friend like her now, even though I have close friends in my life). I just hope it is sort of a "mourning period" of a lost friendship (silly yes, i know, since this was a long time ago) and i will get over this in time. Or just learn from this lesson.
Any comments/advice would be greatly appreciated!!
Thank you all for listening.
~Greentea