Serenity77

Thanks everyone. I am going to try to go with the flow and not put too much pressure on myself. I know OCD likes to try to ruin any positive things we have going on and when I am happy OCD likes to remind me that the bully is still about. Am going to take each minute and each hour as it comes over the next couple of days and try to keep with the positives x

Hi everyone, I am getting married on Saturday which is great but my OCD is playing me up so much. My dad has just got out of hospital after being rather poorly and the anxiety is crippling today. Why can such a happy time cause so much anxiety and does anyone have any tips to make the next few days more peaceful mentally? Thanks for reading x

Hi @Midnight jasmine my theme is the same and it’s so difficult. Unfortunately the more we ‘confess’ our thoughts the more we are fuelling the OCD. Confessing and reassurance seeking are both compulsions and we need to do all we can to stop these to move forward. I know it is easier said that done! Another compulsion is going over things in our heads to prove or disprove a thought, sometimes this feels like we are doing it automatically but we must try to stop that to beat the OCD bully. OCD likes to attack the things that mean to the most to us and clearly your relationship is important that’s why it is picking on that. Hope you feel better soon x

I have the exact same thoughts and it is such a tough one. Cheating OCD is very common and worse where alcohol is concerned. OCD latches on the the things/people we care most about which is why you are having thoughts of this nature. Sometimes we need to take a step back and realise that real life doesn’t work the way we think it does …. If we had done something wrong we would remember. OCD is known as the doubting disease for good reason. Just wanted you know you are not alone x

Thank you @snowbear and @BelAnna for your replies. I totally get it. Self talk is definitely important but at the same time when you have been through a rough time I think you are understandably cautious. I have started the HRT prescribed and probably psychological but I am feeling a bit better already (it’s only been a week). I will definitely look at the supplements you have mentioned as will hopefully help. Not fair being a lady of a certain age, let alone one with OCD hey. On a positive note I have just started some CBT as been a long time since my original course of CBT and I think I have become complacent. I have took my foot off the pedal and forgot that OCD can have a habit of sneaking back in when we least expect it. Thanks again and wishing you well x

I think I am perimenopausal and it is causing a problem as my OCD seems to be getting worse. I have a resurfacing of my previous OCD thoughts which historically caused me most problems when pregnant. Can this be the reason my OCD has surfaced again? I’m scared of going back to that very dark place. Thought please or any one else’s experiences? Thank you x

My OCD was extreme during pregnancy and I ended up continuing my medication after weighing up the pros and cons. I’m glad I did. My daughter is now 5, soon to be 6 and is amazing x

I have the same theme and it’s so difficult but that’s OCD’s plan. Remember that OCD picks on the things that mean the most to us, hence this obsession. Retracing your steps, reassurance seeking and confession are all compulsions which will not help but instead keep you in the cycle x

My OCD used to be worse when pregnant and now I am slowly becoming pre-menopausal it is happening again. No tips I’m afraid as trying to find some myself but just wanted you to know you are not alone x

I have the exact same problem. OCD likes to pick on the things that mean the most to us so I bet the subject for you is something that scares you or makes you worry. You will never find evidence for something that didn’t happen. It is impossible (easier said that done I know as I still think if I try hard enough I will find proof of something) It’s almost as as having the thought Is the same as doing it = thought-action fusion. Hang on in there. Ignore it for the junk it is

Thank you @Summer9173 and likewise, you can always message me. The media are notorious for spreading propaganda and making things worse. Keep strong and remember OCD likes to thrive on all of this x

Feeling the same ?

@Summer9173 I feel the same as you but think having OCD definitely makes it worse and makes us catastrophise more x

Am learning that compulsions don’t work but really need to find a CBT therapist as my compulsions are relentless. Was thinking of asking the gp to refer me to the Maudsley. I’m not in their local area however

Thanks everyone for your replies and thank you @PolarBear for explaining. I just find it hard to accept that I have OCD sometimes. I think if I think about something long enough I will find the solution but it hasn’t happened so far. I have had OCD for 20 years and thought I had a handle on it until this latest relapse ? I think I might be peri-menopausal as my OCD has always been worse during that time of the month and when pregnant when the hormones are all over the place

Not too bad this evening @Veryblue Read some self help stuff which has helped a little bit. Hope you are doing ok.

How do you mean @PolarBear?

Sorry to hear you are going through such a tough time. Having OCD is so awful ?

Thank you @Veryblue for your kind words. I am on medication but haven’t had CBT for many years. Been trying to find a private therapist but not getting far at the moment as there seems to be a waiting list everywhere. I just feel so low, like my life is not destined to be happy. I have a lot to be happy about but I seem to be self sabotaging it. I am getting married in July and find that even positive events cause me to spiral

I am still struggling to accept that my thoughts are OCD. How do you know that it is OCD and not real? Can doubting/questioning it is OCD become an obsessional thought in itself? Thing is no matter how much I try to ignore the thoughts they won’t go away. They are there constantly and it is really getting me down. It’s like I need to be 100% certain my thoughts are not true and I guess I must still be doing compulsions or else surely this doubt would go away. I read in Break Free from OCD that checking our memory for something that didn’t happen is an impossible thing but that doesn’t seem to sink into my head. I just can’t accept it as OCD. I can’t seem to get past the conclusion that as I have the thoughts it must be true or why else would I think these things What am I doing wrong? I know reassurance seeking doesn’t help but I am desperate need of someone to talk some sense into me as I am struggling badly today and it is ruining everything. I am at work today and can’t concentrate. I feel like I am going mad. What if I am this bad person I keep thinking I am? I don’t deserve my little girl and I don’t deserve my life ?

I can resonate with this so much as I do exactly the same! The book you are waiting for is an amazing book, it is one of the best ones in my own opinion

Thank you so much @snowbear for your reply and what you are saying makes sense. It’s so hard sometimes to accept that it is OCD and not some fundamental flaw in myself but I am going to try really hard to stop the compulsions. They are taking up most of my day at the moment and making me feel like I can’t get on with my day because this thought needs solving. I have asked for a re-referral back to the mental health team and am going to look into some CBT privately as I can’t carry on like this for much longer

Thank you. It’s so hard isn’t it ? Does anyone else have any advice please as feeling quite alone at the moment

Anyone?

It feels like my compulsions are taking over my life. I went back to work today having been off because I had covid but I can’t concentrate as the compulsions feel automatic almost. Is that possible? I keep trying to ignore them but I feel like i need to be able to think it through to get the solution. It is just there all the time. I’m almost autopilot retracing my steps and trying to find evidence of something that prior to this bout of OCD I knew never happened. I keep getting this thought that I have cheated and it is making me so anxious. I would never cheat, it goes against everything I hold dear. Then I keep thinking that if it’s not OCD and I’m just this bad person despite having no evidence. I keep thinking if i think about it for long enough I will find the answer and stop. Surely if I had done nothing wrong I wouldn’t be so worried about it. I have asked to be referred back to the Mental health team as it has been a long time but desperately trying to curb this anxiety as it is affecting my relationships and family life as well as work. Today the anxiety is the worst and I am scared. I know reassurance doesn’t help but I need some advice on what I can do to either accept this is OCD or that my worst fears are true. Thanks for reading