always a new obsession and i am worried it will ruin my holiday :-(

[Lincoln83]

Hi been suffering with OCD since October 2013. Started with intrusive horrible thoughts around children. Had CBT since May and have finished 4 weeks ago. Really tackled my horrid thoughts but the last 3 months I have suffered with b0dy obsessions. First bladder pain, then blinking, then breathing then taste , and the last 4 days I keep seeing my nose in the eye sight - weird I know but it is in my vision all the time and I cant get rid of the annoyance and anxiety. I am waiting on a psychiatric referral as CBT has not helped with these types of obsessions but I am going abroad Friday and have been looking forward to it but now feel so anxious, upset and frustrated!! Been on Escitalopram since January and it is not really helping towards the OCD

[PolarBear]

Carry on anyway. You're not going to be able to suddenly stop your obsessions by Friday. Go on holiday and do the best you can. Put into practice the standard practice of not giving your obsessions attention through compulsions. Take time for yourself. Relax. Get plenty of sleep. Eat well balanced meals. All the usual stuff.

[Guest Rosiebella1]

Hi Hun. The more you stress about ruining your holiday, the more anxious you will be. I know it's easier said than done but one thing that helps me is to think to myself when ocd takes over is I could die tomorrow so I am going to live today as if it's my last. Then I think sod the doubts. Sod the ocd. I am going to enjoy myself. Eventually if you focus on the moment and not being inside your head, the anxiety will pass. The more you focus on it going away the more it will not. So carry on as normal with the anxiety and eventually it will disappear before you even realise!!! Have a lovely holiday oh and a glass of wine always helps you to relax it is your holidays after all!!! (But I don't encourage this for every time you are anxious obviously!) xx

[Lincoln83]

Thanks rosiebella and polar bear

[Guest Rosiebella1]

No worries and I have had the exact same obsessions as you before the blinking and breathing one drove me mad!!! So you are not alone. Take a good book to read when you get anxious and escape your mind! Xx

[dksea]

Hey Lincoln, keep in mind that CBT is all about learning the techniques to handle and overcome the OCD. You might be done with the formal therapy but you need to keep applying the skills you learned and get better and better at them! Its like training for a sport or learning a musical instrument, you have to keep practicing in order to improve. Keep applying the things you have learned to your latest obsessions and you'll be able to overcome those too.

As for the vacation, well I can't promise that your OCD won't bother you during it, no one can, but I can't promise it will bother you either. What if it bothers you? Well what if it doesn't? What if you go and have a great time? What if you go and the OCD happens, and you still do things you enjoy anyway? Its not always easy but one of the best things you can do to overcome OCD is to continue to live your life doing the things that you want to do inspite of the fact that OCD gets in the way sometimes. Keep fighting and moving forward, its worth it!

[Lincoln83]

Thank you dksea for your reply. Rosiebella thanks again for yours its good to know that there is a support network out there. Going to the notttingham ocd conference and looking forward to meeting like minded people x