Newbie to the Forum.. Hi

[pago_2000]

Hi there everyone.. I just wanted to introduce myself and this seemed like the right place for it :-). My name is Paul.. i'm 21 years old and live in Plymouth, England. I was so happy to find this web site, and others like it. I've been struggling with OCD for at least 5 years now, all the way through Sixth Form and University. It's been a real nightmare, making work, social life and relationships really hard. Unfortunately, everything got completely out of control recently, I was really close to trying to leave OCD behind forever by going on holiday, but everything went wrong, and suffice to say I ended up in hospital for 4 days and i'm pretty lucky to be alive, I must have a gardian angel. Anyway, since I got home from hospital, i've been trying to reach out and find others, just to make sure that i'm not alone in this anymore, so I was very happy to find this place and several others like it. Thanks for reading and I hope to talk to lots of you more from now onwards.

All the best! :-)

:on't look back in anger::

[Meg]

Hi Paul,

Welcome to the site. I hope you find the support you need here.

Well done for persevering with uni and making all those facets of your life work even if it was really hard.

Have you been geting any specialist help for your OCD and do you get any support at home ?

Glad to have you here..


Meg

Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind.
If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.
Robert Albert Bloch

[pago_2000]

Hi again. I've been seeing a Physcotherapist on and off for the last year or so, ended up having to go private because after waiting 6 months on the NHS to see someone I gave up. [xx(] But anyway, it took a long time for my parents to fully understand things, I hid a lot of stuff from there for a long time, but after my trip to hospital they really have been supportive and are helping me, which is nice. I have a really great supportive girlfriend too now which is great too. It's just great to be able to speak and read about other people in the same or similar situations, I suddenly feel a lot less alone in the world.

:on't look back in anger::

[kate]

Hi Paul,

Just a quick line to say welcome to the site.

Kate x

[Meg]

Good Paul,

That is one of the immediate benefits of a forum like this.

You have lots of support from those round you but as you say its so hard to explain to anyone who has little knowledge and is scared of it all.

When we hide things they get internalized and it ends up a sone big internal debate and usually in these cases , the pessimistic side wins leaving us thinking we are alone and the only ones with this.

Parents also have the guilt thing to cope with - did we contribute ? what could we have done differently ? so its understandable that it takes them longer to understand.

How does your OCD manisfest ?




Meg

Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind.
If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.
Robert Albert Bloch

[nomorepanic]

Hi Paul

Welcome aboard the site and the message forum.

Sorry to hear that you ended up in hopsital but I am so pleased that you now have the suport of family and a partner. That helps so much in the recovery.

It is good to talk to fellow sufferers as well cos we all truly understand how you feel.

So welcome here and look forward to hearing more from you.

Are you having some form of CBT at the moment as you say you are seeing a Physcotherapist ?

Good luck with your recovery.

Nicola

[Karen]

Hi Paul,

Just wanted to say hello and welcome.

Briary

[pago_2000]

Just to answer the questions..

i'm seeing a Physcotherapist.. but it's being done privately because there is only one NHS specialist in this area, and he takes about 6 months to get seen by (I was referred a couple of years ago, but it came too late really).. anyway.. the physcotherapist I see now is more of an alterative approach rather than CBT, but i've just been referred again through hospital to the NHS CBT person, so i'm hoping to follow that through more this time. It's all rather complicated and silly down here.

As far as my OCD manifesting itself, I remember even from a really really early age, being worried about checking things, then it became repeating things a certain number of times, feeling very anxious if I didn't do it, and over the years, it got worse and worse, to the point where it took me hours each day just to get ready, I was afraid to leave the house for a long time, trapped in my room, couldn't sleep, almost went crazy while doing my university degree, just made it to the end and passed, getting ready to go on holiday and leave my OCD behind like I wanted, something went wrong in my routines, I paniced and ODed. Since i've been home from hospital, things have changed a bit, which is good, but i'm starting to get some help again now at least.

Sorry I babbelled on, think I still need to make sense of a lot of stuff myself too. All the best and thanks for reading and replying!

:on't look back in anger::

[Meg]

Great that you made it through uni . Well Done and do take the credit deserved for being successful under very difficult circumstances.

You post away, it does help to write it out.

If you're not keeping a journal of sorts yet please do and write out a smuch as you want about the past too ... its just for your eyes so tell it how it was.

Do read First Steps to overcoming Panic and Anxiety and see whther there is anything there that you could implement to help yourself.



Meg

Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind.
If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.
Robert Albert Bloch