Positive stories

[Catriona]

Dear all,

I am currently at a really low ebb. I suffer from depression/anxiety/OCD/agoraphobia and the list goes on. I have recently been started on an MAOI to help but I feel utterly hopeless. I struggle to do anything and everything.

What I wanted to ask was if anyone has managed to overcome similar struggles and what helped them achieve it? I feel this forum needs a bit of optimism so any response would be fantastic!

Thanks again,

Catriona

[venusbluejeans]

Take a look at our sucesses part of the forum

[Catriona]

Thanks for the heads up!

[MyNameIsTerry]

Hi Catriona,

I had CBT and didn't get very far with my GAD & OCD. My therapist introduced me to Mindfulness and after a couple of months it 'clicked' with me and my GAD started reducing and my OCD rituals started melting away.

After this I could then start to work on my OCD rituals that remaining which I couldn’t do before. To date, most have gone completely, the intrusive thoughts are mostly gone but if appear they float through without reaction or with dismissal or sometimes amusement at how daft they are.

After 6+ months of daily Mindfulness meditation I suddenly noticed a shift in attitude and felt more compassionate & positive.

Prior to this I had a breakthrough with it. I was out walking on a nice summer day and crossed over an old disused bridge over an overgrown stream. I suddenly felt the need to sit down, smell the smells, watch & listen to the birds & other noises, feel the grass between my fingers and I suddenly felt free & happy. I had it a couple of days the same and I can't tell you how good it felt.

Since then I have a sort of lower level version of it where I feel free despite symptoms.

I've also had a breakthrough moment that got rid of my nausea symptoms. I had a sickness bug and without trying, when I first legged it to the bathroom (for obvious reasons, I'll leave it at that) I had thoughts that appeared that said "so this is what nausea feels like, not what I was feeling before". Since then, it’s gone.

I still have loads to deal with yet with my GAD but less so with OCD now which is more about obsessions that rituals.

[Davit]

I have nothing any more, but never did have HA, OCD or Depression, with me it was strictly anxiety and Agoraphobia and panic attacks.
Terry is the one for OCD.