Dirty laundry germs

[BlueIris]

It can stop the thoughts affecting you so much, yes, absolutely.

One of my favourite analogies that helps me cope with my own obsessions is to imagine yourself watching cars on the motorway. If you just sit at the roadside, you can watch them pass and be at peace - you only get into trouble once you start chasing them.

It's the same thing with disturbing thoughts - you need to remind yourself they're just passing through, and you don't need to run after them.

[Carys]

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-.../#.XMAi4KTTVPY

Hi Phil, as listed on this page above OCD Action offer online resources, links to local groups and various things for self-help.

https://www.ocdaction.org.uk/support...31&layers=00BT

OCD Uk have some similar things...

http://www.ocduk.org/support-groups/

Both sites have telephone numbers, you could call and ask for links to self-help resources.

[jojo2316]

My solution? Learn to LOVE germs!
https://nypost.com/2016/08/20/we-nee...-in-our-lives/

[Fishmanpa]

Just sayin' people! Open your eyes!

"You have described your worries in great detail in this thread and others. Doing so is a compulsion, as Orwell and others are pointing out. It is not helping you to do this, in fact its helping make things worse. If you want to get better you need to start taking actions to do so, and one of the most important is to start fighting back against your compulsions. That includes these detailed ruminations about the specifics of your fears. The contamination isn't real, no matter how much you describe it to us that won't change. You need to ask yourself what you are going to do about your compulsions to get better."

Sound familiar?

Positive thoughts

[Carys]

Phil, listen, it will make no difference where you describe your fears and how often you describe them - there is no magic fairy out there who is going to find words to sort this, no matter how many forums you post the same thing on.

"You have described your worries in great detail in this thread and others. Doing so is a compulsion, as Orwell and others are pointing out. It is not helping you to do this, in fact its helping make things worse. If you want to get better you need to start taking actions to do so, and one of the most important is to start fighting back against your compulsions. That includes these detailed ruminations about the specifics of your fears. The contamination isn't real, no matter how much you describe it to us that won't change. You need to ask yourself what you are going to do about your compulsions to get better."

.....if you truly care about wanting to sort this out then take action. Follow any of my links given for self-help, or any other suggestions made by others on your many other threads!

I'll be even more brutally honest here; I'm not convinced that your GP and psychi have been unwilling to help. I just have a gut feeling because of how your behaviour changes once you are challenged, and how you view others and their actions/words towards you.....things might have been tried and failed and they too have gone in circles as we do here. (Possibly the same also with the cbt therapist.) There is no magic answer on the forums, you have to TAKE ACTION YOURSELF.

[Fishmanpa]

I'll be even more brutally honest here; I'm not convinced that your GP and psychi have been unwilling to help. I just have a gut feeling because of how your behaviour changes once you are challenged, and how you view others and their actions/words towards you.....things might have been tried and failed and they too have gone in circles as we do here. (Possibly the same also with the cbt therapist.) There is no magic answer on the forums, you have to TAKE ACTION YOURSELF.

BAM! I've seen that behavior change with several members. Posting and whining about this or that pain/fear/symptom and when challenged, they become a different person. It leads me to believe they're in more control of themselves and their situation than they let on and their reassurance seeking is a compulsion, a hungry dragon needing attention, that they allow to control them. When that dragon's source of food is threatened, their behavior changes. Its an interesting aspect of mental illness to say the least.

Positive thoughts

[MyNameIsTerry]

Phil, listen, it will make no difference where you describe your fears and how often you describe them - there is no magic fairy out there who is going to find words to sort this, no matter how many forums you post the same thing on.



.....if you truly care about wanting to sort this out then take action. Follow any of my links given for self-help, or any other suggestions made by others on your many other threads!

I'll be even more brutally honest here; I'm not convinced that your GP and psychi have been unwilling to help. I just have a gut feeling because of how your behaviour changes once you are challenged, and how you view others and their actions/words towards you.....things might have been tried and failed and they too have gone in circles as we do here. (Possibly the same also with the cbt therapist.) There is no magic answer on the forums, you have to TAKE ACTION YOURSELF.

To be fair it has not always been challenging. The same with al repetitive posters, they attract a crowd and some of that crowd just seem to want to vent at them. If anything I've been amazed at the patience of some when faced with pages of snidey comments.

I would agree on the challenging part in general though but also would add that anxiety makes us irritable and regardless of mental health the basis of many an argument starting is because of the language used or someone saying something not appreciated or a misperception of the intent.

Phil's psychiatrist actually offered a different form of therapy not long ago and I've asked him about it on here more than once but get no response. Whilst I applaud his willingness to pay for therapy to try to get help I think he has an unrealistic view of what it is and feel it's viewed as a conventional medical treatment i.e. it fixes you.

When I went through my CBT I was too deep inside my anxiety to get much benefit from it but once I found something that helped I revisited my old goals and had success. I think one course is going to fail with people who are really stuck and that's where meds can help remove some of the blockers by reducing the intensity.

[MyNameIsTerry]

No not tried that but it can’t stop the thoughts can it?

Nothing can stop thoughts, thoughts are just part of how the brain works. Even if you recover from something like intrusive thoughts it doesn't mean you never have them again. I beat mine and I still have them but they zoom through without a care and come with an intuitive "how stupid" thought riding on the back of them. I've beaten my compulsions but I still get a pull at times but now I just dismiss it as nonsense. If I could beat the rest of my anxiety maybe that goes with it? I don't know. But I am certain substantial reductions can be made whilst still being an active sufferer in different ways.

So, change your views of recovery. It's not about making it all go away, it's about not being bothered by it. Imagine if you are better and a thought comes about your xyz dirty laundry item and your reaction is "who cares" and you go off on your day without any anxiety over it? Wouldn't that be enough?

As for self help, it helps everyone. Much of self help is common sense stuff a therapist covers too.

As for Mindfulness, it can and does help. But it takes practice and time committed to it. Don't expect it to work now, keep doing it for months and see how things change.

[phil06]

Sadly my ocd has been worse today I threw a belt away due to handing my partner a towel because she touched the bin which had a toilet plunger I threw away due to it causing me months of stress.

Also i came out shower and worried my t shirt was dirty so worried about my clothes. Seems a cycle I read online the more you respond to the thoughts the worse they come is this true? I find when it’s bad it’s really bad.

I am being truthful about the doctor refusing me Cbt. If I was lying why would I pay for private Cbt and be £300 worse off?

I can see the point about how bad the ocd is I mean I don’t replace or throw away as much so perhaps I do manage it better but it’s the inbetween anxiety and stress I struggle with.

If you ask me where I need help it’s the stress I have after having these thoughts that’s the bit I find hard the anxiety and negative thoughts.

[BlueIris]

Unfortunately, the only way to break through the anxiety is to learn to sit with it, and there's no quick and easy fix to help with that.