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Life and ocd


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I have experienced a lot of adversity in the last 22 years and many ups and downs including divorce and the loss of my flat which I had renovated.

On the other hand, I have achieved good results academically (a degree and a masters degree), worked in journalism (not to any great heights but so what?) and travelled widely for work and pleasure.

My life has been worthwhile. I'm not so sure about fulfilling. Things would obviously have been very different without OCD - but perhaps my life would have been worse with some of the destructive lifestyle choices I was making.

Edited by PhilM
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I believe I’ve had a worthwhile and fulfilling life BECAUSE of mental illness (and subsequent addiction). Before I became unwell I was utterly lacking in compassion for others and didn’t appreciate anything in life. Now I’m much less self-absorbed (though I still have my moments!) and am grateful for every day. Life really is what you make of it.

Edited by OceanDweller
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Absolutely, I have two wonderful children and partner who I love with everything, I have a nice house, clothes on my back and food on the table which is a lot more than some people have. OCD and depression has made me a better person, I am compassionate, caring and empathetic towards others and have a lot more time for people than I think I would have before mental illness.xx

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4 hours ago, bruces said:

Hi guys would you say that you've had a worthwhile fulfilling life despite mental illness? 

Yes. Because I stood up to my issues, looked to resist rule imposition.Studied self-help plus had various sessions of CBT and worked on my homework.

I learned how to overcome worry. 

I made sure I got out and about socially and worked at my relationship with my wife. 

I keep fit by walking a lot and using the gym and pool. 

And have a number of joint with my wife, and personal hobbies and interests like theatre, and fishing.

Keeping busy and interested really helps me - like I take, as a former businessman, a continual interest in the daily business news. 

Edited by taurean
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4 hours ago, bruces said:

Hi guys would you say that you've had a worthwhile fulfilling life despite mental illness? 

I object to the use of 'had' in the past tense. :dry: 

I am HAVING a worthwhile and fulfilling life, and I will endeavour to go on making it worthwhile and fulfilling to my dying day. :) 

I've said this to you thousands of times now Bruce - your life isn't in the past. Stop telling yourself it is. :no: 

Life is in your present and in your future. Look forwards, not back. :) 

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12 minutes ago, snowbear said:

 

Life is in your present and in your future. Look forwards, not back. :) 

This is so very true.

I centre my thinking on the here and now. The past is over and done with, history. But when I do look back, I look to view it with a happy not a sad bias. 

Plus I often think how I can help someone else, and seek to do that - switching attention away from ourselves and towards making a difference for others is truly uplifting and positive. 

Edited by taurean
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1 hour ago, snowbear said:

I object to the use of 'had' in the past tense. :dry: 

I am HAVING a worthwhile and fulfilling life, and I will endeavour to go on making it worthwhile and fulfilling to my dying day. :) 

I've said this to you thousands of times now Bruce - your life isn't in the past. Stop telling yourself it is. :no: 

Life is in your present and in your future. Look forwards, not back. :) 

Not intentional snowy just poor English! 

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Ok, sorry, Brucey. I shouldn't have assumed. :blushing: 

Maybe your next post could be about something positive, hopeful or future-looking? Show us with your words that you're trying to change the way you think and what you focus on. :) 

 

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Can i compassionately ask what your heart is looking for in your recent posts? It's like you are asking for hope when all you see is doom. But when you get it you dismiss it and say 'but hope is not for me.' As if you are different in some way? 

Every human being has the ability to change their own mind to some degree, their way of looking at the world - for better or for worse. This has been proven. This is a fact.

It's like you are trying to protect yourself in some way by obsessing about the past, by making no positive changes? Or are you feeling very depressed?

may I ask you a question? Suspend all your beliefs about yourself, your situation, your past. Now. If you could imagine a life for yourself that you would really love. What would it look like? And when you've answered that question. What one small thing could move you towards that reality? what are you afraid of happening if you change the status quo?

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Hi I really wish everybody could be happy I'm tired of turning in the TV and people being hurt or killed,I'm tired of surfing Facebook and seeing animal cruelty,life is so damn hard as it is without fighting each other :( 

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Focusing on the good things is what you need to do Bruces. 

Take a break from such things, which are beyond your control anyway, and being addressed by charitable agencies. 

So why not look forward. See the glass as half full, not half empty. 

I am looking forward to some good festive TV fun, some nice Christmas music. 

A crisp walk out with my wife on boxing day, and maybe a restorative drink in the pub. 

When we are down, the only way is up. So it may be cold and frosty now, but we are around the shortest day, and after that nature will be working towards the Spring - a time we love. 

We can decide to be sad, or like many people we can choose to seek out the good and choose to be happy. 

I am looking forward to:

Days gyming and swimming. 

Cups of coffee reading the business and sport news. 

Writing 

Music and reading 

Shopping, which we both love 

Visiting country houses 

Chatting to friends, finding out what they are up to ( had a great time with local residents at our road's Christmas party last night). 

Fishing. 

 

Edited by taurean
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7 hours ago, bruces said:

I'm tired of turning in the TV and people being hurt or killed

I often feel like this but this is black and white thinking which is typical of me. Bad things happen to people and they have to choose how they deal with it. This is very difficult but it can lead to extraordinary results. I know people who have been through terrible events. They have dealt with it by forgiveness, acceptance and self-growth.

You are turning these people you hear about into one dimensional characters. That's not to say I wish bad things to be done. I do not. But even a small amount of good can come out of the bad, even if we wished the bad never happened.

to be honest you sound depressed? Have you visited your doctor yet? I hope today is a better day.

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