All Activity

Hello All, maybe some of you can relate to this, maybe some can provide comfort, because it makes me sad: Through lots of therapy, I made significant progress, very slowly. However, I am not yet free and no significant improvements occur. I already have to pay the therapy myself and she is actually good, focused on the disorder and has knowledge about it, no nonsense. But she says (although I am willing to pay further) she does not see much progress and if this does not change, she will suggest to finish the therapy. On the one hand, I agree with her, on the other hand, what is the alternative? I don't see the "magic boost" coming, but I am also not really healthy in a sense that I am free and left OCD really behind myself. I feel like being in a cage, do not see the way out. But there is not so much help besides "you just have to dare more"...I feel a bit clueless what to do. Can anyone relate to it? How did you get an impuls or push to "change something" when you observe a plateau in your therapy? Thanks!

That’s cool - it looks like her.

Nest > snot (so can we use an anagram or do we have to always change one letter?)

Padlock

for pointing that out, snowbear - you are absolutely right Pest > nest

Hi Roami That's definitely helpful I'm going to post again but do you have any other ideas on how I can stop associating meanings to numbers? Thanks Rajesh

#tag Just saying ... anything can be a trigger, even words that 'most people' consider safe or positive. Also, the meaning of a word can vary depending on how it is interpreted by the individual, within cultures, and depending on context. Case in point... an affectionate name would call somebody I love in a fun and happy way... Rest > pest (Good idea for a topic Raomi. Just pulling your leg a wee bit by pointing out the flaw in the thinking that it's even possible to avoid trigger words or 'negative' words. )

Ah, I get you. I'm not aware of any such official list, but people might post replies with some good tips. My top tip is to mentally ringfence your work. OCD thinking doesn't apply during working hours and compulsive urges can be ignored completely. I used that technique very successfuly for decades. Not only was it essential (because I had to work) but it also gave me a break from the OCD from the moment I went into work to the moment I left. That made going to work pleasurable and something to look forward too, as well as making it easier (possible) to do my job without OCD causing problems.

OCD fools us into thinking we are alone... But it is a liar... A barefaced liar. We can defy it, in order to win our happiness back. We havew an absolute right to be happy. No one has any right to take that away... We have to fight for our happiness... Drive the negative thoughts away. We can do it! Terry 123

I don't know... But hopefully there is a force for good around us, hopefully stronger than the evil stuff that goes on... Terry 123 I don't know... But hopefully there is a force for good around us, hopefully stronger than the evil stuff that goes on... Terry 123

I will try and look that one up... Terry 123

When we are tired or overloaded, our resistance to everything wavers. This may just be a passing phase. Be persistent, shout back at the urges. It can be done, but it is worth it to get our lives back. Don't let it win, shout back at it. Give it a name if you like, but shout back at it... Terry 123

Gate

Thank you everyone for your replies . It really helps . Sometimes I can fight it and sometimes I just can’t . Thank you all for being there for me in those times .

I thought it sounded like the two stressors were coinciding, the school holidays and the memories of a summer past. I think it helps to be aware of why you are feeling stressed(which you are) and finding ways to offset that. So if you know you will feel stressed at a certain date, try to find ways to change how you feel on that date. Go on a break before. Reduce your stress levels in your own ways before the date, and although you will still feel the stress you wil be managing it, you are in control. It will fade with time. Also you can let troubling thoughts go over time and replace them with healthier ones> summer holidays great time for fun 'Let's try something different' 'I got better from ocd problems before and now I'm in control and can handle it. I've proved that to myself'. Positive approach to over ride negative memories.

Hi , you sound like me years ago . The thought no longer troubles me . You will over come this.

Rest

Back

Very interesting. You think in English and your obsession was expressed in English. You then had the thought in your native language which caused alarm but when you had the same thought again in English it ceased to bother you. I don’t know why this might be the case but I think it needs exploring in those who think in more than one language. It seems to be for you a partial remedy for obsessional thoughts to code switch in languages. I don’t know whether this issue has been researched. But if it hasn’t it needs to be researched in the borderland between psychology and linguistics -psycho linguistics. There is a long standing debate on the extent to which language determines or influences our perceptions of the world. There is a whole series of potential research doctorates in this area.

Never heard of hip therapist

I have been seeing high intensity therapist through NHS Talking Therapies for a few weeks now. It is not exactly what I expected but I find it really interesting and challenging how things are put into perspective. We tried some elements of ERP which didn't seem to help much so she is looking at different approaches. I feel a relief after each session and find it really interesting how everything narrows down to 100% OCD. And while my conscious brain has always known that, there is still something in my head that makes thoughts feel uncomfortable and we are working on that. Overall I am happy with the experience so far.

Hi all, something clicked in my head yesterday and I would appreciate some advice. I had this thought for nearly 5 years that was my main issue. I think in English which is not my native language. Yesterday while doing compulsions the same thought appeared in my native language. It was very uncomfortable and disturbing. Since then this same thought doesn't seem to bother me anymore when in English. The new one feels like an object embedded in my brain. What is happening to me?

To be honest the tinnitus worries are minor compared to the rest of the themes in my head. I now recognise that I have beaten the tinnitus theme before so although it’s back it’s not so bad but I feel it’s an indicator of my stress level right now. my overwhelming worry is that I will have a flashback or confused memory related to my supernatural theme ocd and that is very scary. Or that I will go crazy in my worry over ocd. These are the two overarching themes of my ocd. That first summer when it happened was quite hard for me- the girls have no idea as I hid it from them. But it makes me fearful of each summer now and a sense of dread. I can no longer afford therapy and to be honest I feel I am the only one who can help myself now. And I was doing well until last week. Finding it hard to apply my tools but already I’ve managed to get out from the pit I was in a few hours ago, although still feeling rubbish. the girls are wonderful and no trouble at all- I just feel sorry for them that they have a mum like me- although they have no idea and I am very much highly functioning despite all of this. But it’s so hard.

Stroke

It seems to me that you're under pressure to give up your ruminations over your tinnitus because they are distressing and impairing, but you may not feel ready to give them up because of the fear of what may happen if you do try to give them up. However, if you thought that your fear of the worst happening if you gave up your ruminations wasn't reasonable, would you be more willing to try giving them up and use your CBT tools for that purpose?