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styx402

OCD-UK Member
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About styx402

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  • OCD Status
    In recovery

Profile Information

  • Gender
    Female
  • Location
    Southern England

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  1. Yes, I also practice meditation and have found it really helpful at slowing down when I am anxious or for that matter when I just want to take 10 minutes out. Along with taurean’s suggestion, checkout The Honest Guys on YouTube they offer some really great guided meditations and they are all free.
  2. If I can do it BelAnna then so can you. I’ve had OCD for thirty years and have only been formally diagnosed in the last year. OCD has crept into most aspects of my life and I am determined to chase it away for good!
  3. Hi BelAnna, Your OCD contamination fears mirror the way in which I thought about my pets. Therapy has made me challenge my thinking biases and also work on various CBT tasks. These include placing an empty/full bottle of washing liquid near the dogs water bowl. Washing the dog bowls up and placing them on the draining board without rinsing them. I used to rinse their food/water bowls over and over with cold water in case I left some washing-up residue on them (this was very distressing for me and created a lot of anxiety). Other ways in which I’ve challenged my OCD is to splash a little washing-up foam on the kitchen floor and leave it there. Also when mopping the kitchen floor with a cleaning product I would always rinse the floor with clean water, ‘just in case...’, now I just let it dry. Initially after I did these tasks, I felt really anxious that the dogs would become ill and so I would sit and watch them in case they showed signs of being unwell. They didn’t and from this point on I started to get better. I’m still work in progress, it’s not perfect but 100 times better.
  4. Hi BelAnna, I’ve had OCD surrounding my dogs and contamination for 15 years plus. Like you I felt embarrassed about discussing this with my therapist. I thought that this was the way most owners cared for their pets, always on the lookout, ‘just in case...’ My dogs enjoy their walks off lead but I was constantly on the lookout for danger in case they ate or trod in something that could make them ill and ultimately kill them. It became exhausting. My worries also centered on cleaning products in the home especially washing up liquid residue left on their food bowls. Now with the help of my therapist, I now know this is pretty unlikely to happen and if in the unlikely situation it did, then I’ll handle it. I feel now that at least I am starting to win the battle against my OCD, it’s not perfect but I’m getting there. Wishing you all the very best to you and your four-legged friend!
  5. Hello BelAnna I can understand your worries regarding your dog because I too have the same thoughts regarding contamination with my two collies. My worries are about them ingesting something in or outside of the house which would make them very ill. Don’t feel embarrassed about discussing this with your therapist. It’s not silly at all. I know it can be very distressing and cause all sorts of worries. My therapist has really helped me with this particular obsession and I am sure yours will be very understanding and helpful too.
  6. Thank you Taurean for your kind words. Your posts on this forum have been particularly helpful to me over the past year. Best wishes and Happy New Year to you.
  7. What a fantastic post Ashley. 2017 has been so positive for me. This time last year I had a pretty low mood and had become a slave to my OCD. I was feeling thoroughly trapped and miserable. I have always had obsessional thinking for as long as I can remember but was able to keep it secret, afraid people would think badly of me. This continued until about three years ago when my anxiety became overwhelming. I refused to take medication the GP prescribed as I was frightened it would ‘contaminate’ me. Then last January I came across the OCD-UK website and Ashley’s New Year message which spurred me into action. I joined the charity and set about finding out what help was available to me. I was able to fund my CBT privately in April with a wonderful Psychologist who diagnosed my OCD formally. Since then I have been making steady progress. I have virtually conquered my ‘checking’ obsessions and I am able to leave the house without checking multiple times which is so amazing I just cannot put into words. I just wanted to thank this wonderful charity so much for helping me to take back control. Also to all the wonderful forum users whose stories, advice and encouragement I have read which has been inspirational. My journey is not yet over there is still work to be done but gradually I am getting there. I feel determined that 2018 is going to be successful for me at beating OCD. Happy New Year to you all.
  8. A huge thank you Ashley for everything you do. Happy New Year. x
  9. A huge thank you to Prof. Paul, Ashley and everyone involved in organising a fantastic webinar this evening. I came away with the belief that OCD is not only manageable but beatable. Thank you so much.
  10. I would definitely agree with that. My OCD was playing up today and I felt pretty anxious and my senses hyper vigilant. I just sat quietly and managed to let the thoughts go. After a while did some mindfulness and felt much better.
  11. I'm a huge fan of LBC Radio. LBC is a nationwide talk radio station who often discuss topics relating to mental health/wellbeing issues. I wonder if it might be an idea to approach them. Who knows you may even get offered some air time to coincide with OCD Awareness Week.
  12. I have just watched OCD - An Actor's Tale. The programme highlighted the plight of each of the individual sufferers and the difficulty they have in obtaining CBT. I really hope the programme raises the awareness of OCD to others, the lack of available treatment and prompts someone somewhere to invest in the appropriate training. Congratulations to Ian Puleston-Davies for making the programme.
  13. An excellent talk by Prof Adam Radomski. Thank you Ashley for all your hard work in organising it. Really looking forward to future webinars.
  14. I couldn't have put this any better lostinme. This sums it up for me and helps me think more positively because I realise that ruminating really is a completely pointless exercise which we all have to try to resist. Thank you taurean what a great thread.
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