Advice on self help

[Emsie]

Hi everyone,

Whilst I wait for CBT, I need to be more organised in my approach as I'm trying to resist compulsions in an adhoc manner. I'm not always successful and that's maybe because if they were organised in an hierarchy they'd be too far up. 

So I've just made a list of my current compulsions in no particular order and it was interesting because as I wrote them down the corresponding fear/thought came to mind (in a general way, not specific), so it really helped me understand my compulsions. 

I've now picked one compulsion that I feel would be the easiest to tackle and resist. 

Is this the right approach?

Many thanks for any advice and I hope you all have a good day. ?

[taurean]

It seems a good plan, and I know this is how lostinme has been tackling her compulsions. 

[Avo]

Hi Emsie

That is how i have tackled my compulsions too, start easy and work up your hierarchy. It can be a bit 2 steps forward 1 step back but if you persevere you should see results. 

Good Luck.

[Emsie]

Thank you so much Roy and Avo for your replies and good luck wishes. It's really appreciated, thank you.

I know this approach is only addressing the behavioural side but because compulsions keep our fears alive I'm hoping it will be a good start. 

[Lisa davis]

Hi em, you and I seem to have the same idea right now. I hope we can be of help to each other as we try and conquer some of our compulsions. You are right when you say it only address the behavioural side but wouldn't it be amazing if we could omit just one of these. I think it would give us a huge sense of achievement. 

Good luck em, you've got this. Lisa x

Edited December 3, 2017 by Lisa davis

[Bodger]

Hi Emsie, if you search YouTube for Katie D'Ath, you will find a series of therapy videos. They follow the same path as the therapy I recieved, I use them as a refresher. Hope this helps.

[Emsie]

1 hour ago, Lisa davis said:

Hi em, you and I seem to have the same idea right now. I hope we can be of help to each other as we try and conquer some of our compulsions. You are right when you say it only address the behavioural side but wouldn't it be amazing if we could omit just one of these. I think it would give us a huge sense of achievement. 

Good luck em, you've got this. Lisa x

Hey lovely, yes, we do have the same idea right now and it was your post on Roy's thread that gave me the inspiration to do something a bit more formal to tackle my compulsions, so again a huge thank you. Absolutely, I would love it if we could be of help to each other as we resist and overcome some of our compulsions. As you said, it would be amazing if we can omit just one of these and we can then move on to the next one. It would be such a huge sense of achievement, I so agree and it would give us the confidence to move up the hierarchy to the next one. 

Thank you so much for your lovely message. Good luck too Lisa, you've got this too because you are a fighter and you're full of determination. I'll update my progress on this thread and please let me know how you're doing, no pressure of course, only if you'd like. I will support you in anyway that I can. 

Take care, and good luck again.

Em xxx

Edited December 3, 2017 by Emsie

[Emsie]

1 hour ago, Bodger said:

Hi Emsie, if you search YouTube for Katie D'Ath, you will find a series of therapy videos. They follow the same path as the therapy I recieved, I use them as a refresher. Hope this helps.

Hi Bodger, thank you so much for your recommendation, so kind of you. I'll definitely look at those. I really appreciate your support, it will help so much, a huge thank you. 

Best wishes,

Em 

[Emsie]

2 hours ago, Bodger said:

Hi Emsie, if you search YouTube for Katie D'Ath, you will find a series of therapy videos. They follow the same path as the therapy I recieved, I use them as a refresher. Hope this helps.

I've watched some already, I really like her and I think it will be such a great help to me, so again, thank you so much Bodger ?

[Bodger]

44 minutes ago, Emsie said:

I've watched some already, I really like her and I think it will be such a great help to me, so again, thank you so much Bodger ?

No problem Emsie. She's really good, my GP recommended her.

I've posted a new thread to let others know, you have reminded me how good I found them!

Edited December 3, 2017 by Bodger

[lostinme]

Hi Emsie,

Your on the right tracks  just stop doing one compulsion at a time until it no longer causes you anxiety and distress, working through your heirachy from the least anxiety provoking one first. Remember baby footsteps 

As you start to gain more confidence in yourself you may start doing a couple at a time. 

Wishing you all the best, good luck ? 

lost x

[Emsie]

7 hours ago, lostinme said:

Hi Emsie,

Your on the right tracks  just stop doing one compulsion at a time until it no longer causes you anxiety and distress, working through your heirachy from the least anxiety provoking one first. Remember baby footsteps 

As you start to gain more confidence in yourself you may start doing a couple at a time. 

Wishing you all the best, good luck ? 

lost x

Hi Lost, thank you so much for your help and support, I really appreciate your reply. I'm so glad you said about starting to do a couple at a time when I gain more confidence, as I had wondered about that. 

Thank you so much for all your good luck wishes. I hope everything is going well with you. 

All my best wishes to you, Lost.

Em x

[lostinme]

Hi Em, your more than welcome  

Im not bad thanks, therapy is going well, but it’s tuff at times, but I’ve been doing some intensive therapy over the last few weeks so it’s going to be. That’s why I’ve not been so active on the forum sadly, but I need to concentrate on my therapy homework first. 

Take things nice and steady, little baby steps to start, remember it’s not a race. Always celebrate every achievement no matter how small 

Belive in yourself Emsie, you can do this x

[Emsie]

41 minutes ago, lostinme said:

Hi Em, your more than welcome  

Im not bad thanks, therapy is going well, but it’s tuff at times, but I’ve been doing some intensive therapy over the last few weeks so it’s going to be. That’s why I’ve not been so active on the forum sadly, but I need to concentrate on my therapy homework first. 

Take things nice and steady, little baby steps to start, remember it’s not a race. Always celebrate every achievement no matter how small 

Belive in yourself Emsie, you can do this x

Bless you Lost, you're so lovely. 

I'm so pleased your therapy is going well, yes it's bound to be tough with it being intensive over the last few weeks. You are so full of determination and commitment, it's inspiring. Absolutely, you have to concentrate on your therapy homework first. 

Thank you so much for all your advice and lovely words, it means a lot. 

All my best wishes to you. X

[Emsie]

Hi everyone, 

A quick update, I've done 3 days of resisting the compulsion at the bottom of my hierarchy and for the majority of the time I haven't done it. So I'm quite pleased.

I wish you all a good day. ?

[Tanana]

Well done Emsie. Remember - Don't beat yourself up if you do have a bad day though. It happens to all of us.

I hope, like me, you'll find the whole process much easier when you understand the cognitive side of the illness. Understanding what's going on in our heads can make it easier to accept our thoughts as ocd and, hence, treat them as ocd and resist our compulsions.  Good luck.

[Emsie]

26 minutes ago, Tanana said:

Well done Emsie. Remember - Don't beat yourself up if you do have a bad day though. It happens to all of us.

I hope, like me, you'll find the whole process much easier when you understand the cognitive side of the illness. Understanding what's going on in our heads can make it easier to accept our thoughts as ocd and, hence, treat them as ocd and resist our compulsions.  Good luck.

Thank you so much Tanana. I really appreciate your message, thank you.

Thank you, I hope so too, I'm looking forward to understanding the cognitive side. I'm so pleased for you that you are finding the whole process much easier with the understanding of the cognitive side. I hope you are doing well. Have a good day. ?

Edited December 9, 2017 by Emsie

[Avo]

Well done Emsie, a very positive start, as said if you have a bad day or hour or so, don't beat yourself up. The cognitive side will hopefully complete the picture for you, its a bit of a roller coaster and one i am still on. OCD is a cunning disorder and it's about trying to spot it's games.

In a bad phase try and remember the positive and how anxiety can be horrid but it will fade eventually, and the satisfaction that you rode it out and didn't do what OCD wanted you to - the complusions.

There is nothing like putting that theory to the test yourself and seeing it work. 

 

[taurean]

Well done Emsie and Tanana. 

I am really pleased that you are putting into practice what you have learned from us. 

Yes, expect setbacks but just accept that - "glide over"  them and get straight back on the horse  without allowing an emotional reaction - think "so what, only a blip" 

And remember "it's a marathon not a sprint" 

[Lisa davis]

2 hours ago, Emsie said:

Hi everyone, 

A quick update, I've done 3 days of resisting the compulsion at the bottom of my hierarchy and for the majority of the time I haven't done it. So I'm quite pleased.

I wish you all a good day. ?

This is fantastic news. I am so so pleased for you 

Keep going strong em, you got this and remember to be kind to yourslef at all times xx  

Edited December 9, 2017 by Lisa davis

[Bodger]

Well done Emsie!!! As others have said expect the odd blip, but you are doing everything right.

[lostinme]

11 hours ago, Emsie said:

Hi everyone, 

A quick update, I've done 3 days of resisting the compulsion at the bottom of my hierarchy and for the majority of the time I haven't done it. So I'm quite pleased.

I wish you all a good day. ?

Hi Emsie, 

Thats fantastic news! Be proud of yourself your doing great! 

Dont worry about the odd blip here and there, it’s normal, we all have them  

Celebrate ? every little achievement 

Youve got this Emsie! Keep going you can do this 

Best wishes as always, 

lost x 

[Emsie]

Hi Avo, Roy, Lisa, Bodger and Lost, bless you guys, thank you so so much for your messages, it means the world to have your support and help and lovely kind words. 

Thank you so much for all of your advice and support and such kind and helpful words of encouragement and I will take everything on board.

I'm really sorry that I'm not replying to you all individually, not feeling too bright this evening (not OCD related, just a headache). I really hope that you are all doing well and you're having a good weekend. 

We can do this, keep going everyone and all my best wishes to you all. Xxx