Cupcake4

It's great that you've started exercising and I wouldn't give it up if I were you. However I would chat to your doctor about the confusion but it also might be a side effect of medication. Worth exploring it with your doctor anyway. Also if you have started exercising just make sure you are eating enough to because that can also bring on the symptoms you talk about. Unless you are advised to stop by your doctor I would absolutely keep exercising. It's great for your health and mindfulness. In the long term I am sure exercise will bring you lots of benefits

I think this is a great video. Whilst it can annoy me when people say they have "OCD" when they don't, I think it's just important to get this message out there and educate people about OCD. For those who don't understand OCD but more importantly for those living with OCD and not realising it. I never thought I had OCD! Not at all. I thought OCD was washing your hands all time, that's not even a joke. When my therapist told me 7 years ago I was suffering from OCD, I could have laughed! This is why it's so important to educate people.

Great! When doing this, do it over a few days. Give it a good go and know it takes practise

Has anyone tried it yet? I'd love to hear how you all get on Have a great weekend

Try your best to stop the researching and seeking reassurance. You are still doing so well and these blips can happen so try and get a hold of it now and recognise it for what it is. Sending a virtual hug

OCD is the master of attacking what we love most. Recognise it as OCD and try and apply CBT/Mindfulness

You are very welcome. Stick at it and just go through the motions even if your mind is full of thoughts tonight, keep doing the task. Keep repeating this and you'll be surprised

I can understand that feeling, it's never very nice. Apply Mindfulness to this and get your mind in the present. Start making plans for things that will help you now and start enjoying all the things you have missed out on. Enjoy your recovery, it's a fresh New Year. How about make a scrap book of 2017 and add pictures of all the great stuff you have done and achieved. That way you can look back on great, positive memories!

Hello everyone. I just thought I would share something with you that might help. It's nothing much but I do believe this helps. I have been given similar advise on the forum but it's also something my therapist has really been pushing on me to do and she works with other OCD patients and studies OCD to. She is a massive believer in Mindfulness and it's also helped her in her own anxiety battles. Mindfulness is not easy, it's very hard but with practise it can help. It might come easier to others. When I originally heard about Mindfulness I thought it was all about meditation (which isn't always for me) and some of it is but it's also a bit more than that, it can be a lot more simple. Often with anxiety we can spend a lot of time worrying about the past, things that may or may not have happened, obsessional thoughts and "what ifs" and also worrying a lot about the future. Mindfulness encourages you to bring your mind back to the present and focusing on other things that are in the now. Appreciating the simple things around us that we often take for granted. I challenge some of you to do some simple mindfulness before the week ends and see how you get on. It takes practise but I do think it's a great way of dealing with obsessional thoughts or if you are struck with sudden anxiety. Do it in the moment though. My therapist has told me I really need to practise this and I have seen some improvements, I'll explain below. Find some simple tasks. Nothing that takes up to much concentration but stuff that are easily done. For example reading a book, watching some of your favourite films, knitting, painting, baking, running, walking, online free courses like DuoLingo etc etc. Even if you don't feel like doing these things, do them anyway. I know when OCD is at it's worst coupled with depression, doing the most simple task almost feels impossible but try your best to do something. Almost force yourself to do something. That's why simple tasks are the best to choose, Just to go through the motions. I'm not saying that the thoughts will disappear but it's allowing them to be there whilst being involved in another task. If you get the thought for example whilst your painting a picture, acknowledge the thought as OCD and then turn your mind back to the present, keep painting your picture. Don't engage with it just simply keep painting. It's sounds easier said that done but with practise you will notice that the thoughts become less frequent or less distressing. Fill your days with little tasks like this and see how you get on. Im still in recovery and still practising Mindfulness but sometimes it's easier to not engage with a thought when you've actually got something to do. Whilst doing the task you might find that your obsessional thoughts are always there but keep going through the motions of the simple task even if you don't feel like it. Keep paining, running, walking, knitting or whatever. I hope his helps some of you out Cupcake x

Perhaps apply some mindfulness here. I don't mean meditation but doing something to distract you. Something that doesn't require much effort like watching something you like on TV, going for a walk or finding a new recipe to cook. Sometimes when the anxiety gets back it's good to do something like this even when you feel like you don't want to. It's just a good way of getting the brain to engage in something else that isn't to demanding. If you get the thought pop in to your head, acknowledge it as an OCD thought and then move back on to the task itself. Keep doing this and you'll be surprised with the results Feel better soon

Hey and sorry you are feeling so anxious at the moment. Its really awful when things like this catch us off guard and it's very common in OCD for these sort of things to happen. Remember that people have thoughts all the time and it does not mean that you will act on this thought, treat it as OCD and try and move on. Easier said than done I know. Find yourself a distraction if you can and apply some mindfulness. Do a simple task, maybe read a book, watch something on TV just something to distract you. Let the thoughts be there like background noise and continue with the task. Do your very best not to engage with the thought. If you feel like you are to panicky for this today, try it again tomorrow. I know more than anything you want reassurance but it really won't be beneficial in the long run, just try and distract yourself and give the thoughts no attention. Once you keep doing this, it will become easier. You are not alone and take comfort in that. I hope you feel better soon. Big hug x

Mindfulness and having a distraction will really help with this. Let the thought be there in the background but continue doing what you are doing should it be reading, running or whatever. Having a new hobby will help with distraction.

Absolutely. I learnt it from here and therapy. I also learnt what my compulsions were from posting on here to. I'm trying my very best now to stop these compulsions. I do agree with you though that people must read and digest the advise they are given, no matter what state you are in. Even if you can't apply it in that moment, apply it the next day. If you post, listen to what people are telling you!

They might smoke it to relieve stress but I'm talking about long term negative effects. I have no problem with places that have legalised it. Amsterdam is one of my favourite cities in the world but I don't do drugs because I know it has a negative effect on mental health and health in general. The same reason I don't smoke cigarettes.

Maybe try and find new things in your life? I know when you are in this frame of mind the last thing you want to do is to get new hobbies and find things to do but even by just doing the actions of something simple, is great mindfulness and distraction. You might think it sounds ridiculous but the time you spend smoking why don't you replace it with reading a book? Keep your mind occupied in other ways. Join a gym perhaps, take up running or join a sports team? I think you get my point. Replace it with something positive to give your mind something else to do. Check out future learn, they offer loads of free courses. Perhaps pass the time away and occupy yourself with something like that? Good luck with what you decide but in my opinion, give it a try and see what happens!

Great post Ashley. At first when I had my relapse in November I was a serial poster, constantly looking for reassurance and panicking all the time. Ive now decided to try and find a healthy balance and I come on here from time to time to try and post positively. Obviously we all have slip ups. Ive taken some great advise from the users of this forum and coupled with my therapy I am seeing improvements but it's a long road. I really would agree and say that you need to use the advise you are given and try your absolute best to get better!

I am yet to read one but lots of people on here swear by them. I'm doing more mindfulness at the moment and reading about that. However I am sure one of the more experienced forum users could recommend some books to you. From what you said you are struggling with I am sure CBT and exposure will be the way forward for you

My sister works in mental health and she believes that one of the biggest causes for mental illness is drugs and alcohol. Whist weed might ease your anxiety initially/at the time of smoking it, I don't believe it will have any positive long term effects on your health, in fact I'm sure it will be the opposite. Even alcohol for me can make me feel worse. If weed was a great thing then I am sure it would be legalised everywhere in the world. This is just my opinion but I am with Ashley on this one!

Mindfulness is great for this. Try doing simple tasks through out the day. Maybe read a book, watch tv, do some crafts, ect etc. When the thought arrives back try your absolute best to not engage with it, accept it's there like background noise and the slowly turn your mind back to the task in hand. Do this as much as you need but eventually that thought will get bored when it realises you are not feeding it the attention it needs to survive.

Hello and welcome to the forum! I would recommend seeing a therapist that knows about OCD and I would STRONGLY recommend doing CBT/Mindfulness. Mindfulness has helped me recently but I am unsure how it would work in your circumstances but I am certain CBT and exposure would help you. Perhaps talking to your doctor about CBT would be a good idea/starting point and an OCD self help book.

Maybe explore your options and see if stopping it does make a difference. If you've smoked it for years then you won't know what affect it will have? Maybe stop and see how it goes? Surely it's worth exploring?

Hi Yellow Submarine, Welcome to the forum Sorry to read that you are having a tough time at the moment but this is a great site with lots of excellent advise and support so you have come to the right place! I had a relapse in November and I decided that I needed to act and get therapy straight away. I knew that I had a waiting list for my area and I was really bad, so I decided to research therapists with the right credentials but I went private. I'm so glad I did as I have found a great therapist. Obviously going private isn't an option for everyone but if you really are struggling and you feel you need to talk to a professional sooner rather than later then it might not be a bad idea to research in to it. Even if it's just a few sessions to talk to someone initially before you start your CBT. This is just a suggestion from my personal experience as I honestly felt like I was going crazy and the anxiety and panic became to much. Whilst talking to family and friends can be great, for me personally it became reassurance seeking and talking to a professional was far more beneficial.

Are you getting therapy at the moment? If not I would strongly recommend you go to your doctor and get referred to CBT. I don't know much about drugs as I've never done them myself, however I have heard that they can make mental health much worse. The same goes for bad diet, lack of exercise, etc. If you really want to get better then I would go to your doctor and discuss your options if you have not done so already. I hope you feel better soon

Great article PolarBear. I have to say that each time I've had therapy I've been very lucky with my therapists. Both times my therapists have been specifically studying OCD, treating OCD patients and luckily know the more "unusual themes" of OCD and not just the ones we see in the media. The first time I had CBT and this time around we are focusing a lot more on mindfulness.

Fantastic story and it goes to show there is a way out of the dark. Keep fighting