OxCD

Take the pain, feel awful, move on. It’ll get easier. You know the answers so stand up to it.

It doesn’t disgust us. I’ve heard similar before - you’re not special. These thoughts aren’t real. The end. Go do your homework - what are your alternatives? The only other is to carry on feeling sh!t. Sorry @Cora. You can get through this - you just need to listen.

You’re still missing it @Cora. There is no “you” and then your brain. You ARE your brain. Part of YOU is broken and makes you think stuff that isn’t true. See the subtlety? You only THINK you thought it on purpose. We have faulty brains. That’s all there is to understand as the supposed “desire” doesn’t actually make sense and you won’t be able to “explain” it. Imagine someone seeing weird and wonderful delusions trying to understand why pigs are flying. However much they question it, there is no answer. Though they may well make themselves more ill by TRYING to understand it.

@Cora Do you understand that we’re not robots? We’re humans. Our brains are so so complicated and go wrong. And they are so powerful they can make us believe things that aren’t actually true. My brain and your brain go wrong. Badly. It makes you question obvious things. You have to use your intelligence and higher reasoning to ignore the cr@ppy low level “feelings” that are fake. Research shows this is painful but can effectively retrain the failing bits. You have to take this leap of faith. Are you going to keep doing this until you die in 50 or 100 years? Or are you going to say “No. I want my life back”. You can do this @Cora. Listen to people who know better than you. There IS a way out of this.

@Cora I’ve been off here for a few months as I’ve been focusing on my therapy. It looks like you’re still stuck. You need to do what I’ve been doing. And it’s pretty horrible - actually it’s horrific. I could swear my contamination fears are real and being exposed could kill me - but to be honest, I’ve made my life so rubbish that it’s probably better to “go out with a bang” and if my fears are real then to have 10 years of being happy. That is why I’ve begrudgingly been doing my therapy. I hate it. But what alternative do I have? I’m ruining my life anyway. I have to do the things I’m scared of and not obsessively clean - and actually, it is starting to improve things. You are the only one who can make this leap of faith and do your therapy. You can write endlessly on here and your problems will remain. To stop the pain you need to do the hard work. Sorry to be blunt but we all need to hear the truth sometimes. Take care.

I think you want someone to take away the pain @Cora. It’d be great if that was possible. Unfortunately - it isn’t. You are the one who can stop this - just you. At least this post didn’t involve a tonne of confessions - so well done! Now carry on and distract yourself. You know what to do. Take care. You’ve got this.

I’ve spent a long time engaging with @Cora in the past in detail. To jump in and say we’re not offering the best advice is somewhat presumptuous. @Cora is at a stage where she does need to be strong and resist compulsions. I’m not denying someone has strength just for getting up and getting on. But beating compulsions does take courage and @Cora does need to try being more disciplined with herself. And that does take even more strength - and pussy footing around that to not offend would quite frankly not be ethical. And as someone who has beaten OCD in the past - there does come a point where you need to take a leap of faith and show tremendous guts.

Stop indulging compulsions @Cora. Be strong.

Thanks @Cora. I know what I need to do to get out of this relapse. Listen to us and you can sort your issues too.

@Cora It is hard. I’m having to do the same. I think my phone’s contaminated. But I must ignore it and carry on. It is so hard but you can do this. It will feel like a struggle - but it will make you feel better before long.

We’re not angry or frustrated. We want you to get better so we keep telling you how. You are going to have to listen eventually as it will keep on getting worse if you keep indulging your compulsions. It’s **** but the only way to get out of this loop is by ignoring your urges.

See earlier replies.

You can move on. You’re choosing not to as you want certainty you will not achieve and therefore hurting yourself. Choose to move on.

You have to be strong. Say “f£ck off” in your head. Sometimes I have to get a bit cross inside to resist the OCD bully. Are you seriously going to let this thing rule your life? What have you got to lose? Ignoring it does hurt like hell - but try it. It can’t be any worse than the torture you put yourself through and it might just work. Go on - be crazy - jump into the unknown. Or you could endlessly confess on here and make your life even more miserable. PS. Sorry for being harsh but we want you to get better and you really don’t listen to much else.

You don’t need permission. Do it.

Leave it. It hurts like hell resisting compulsions - I know from bitter experience. But have you got a better plan? Do you want to stay trapped forever? It’s harsh but I’m afraid it’s true. I don’t like it either but at some point you have to say enough and suck up the painful medicine.

I don’t want to provide reassurance but it should be stated once.... BSE incidence is 1 or 2 cases per annum out of a million cows, it’s doubtable whether it’s transmittable by saliva and it may not have licked your cake. So 1 in a million times 1 in ten times 1 in ten. So let’s say 1 in 100 million. So yes - there is definitely a chance. Is it worth wasting your time on something this unlikely when it’s far more likely you’ll get cancer or die in a car crash? Clearly not. Try keep it in proportion and don’t ruminate. Be strong.

@Cora You’re clearly a clever woman. You know full well this is asking for reassurance by now. Come on: help yourself and focus on something else. Trust other people with more knowledge than you. You can do this!

@Cora Please stop this and listen. You are still seeking reassurance. You will continue to make yourself worse. We really want you to get better - which is why we are becoming increasingly blunt.

Yes - if needed. Professionals are usually obliged to report if they think someone is in actual danger. I have no doubt they will soon realise no one is in real danger.

Well done @Cora. Tbh I’m glad you had feelings of shame and disgust and tears in your appointment. It means you told them what you’ve really been experiencing and they’ll be in a better position to help you.

No @Cora. You’re speaking rubbish. I know you’re a good person - but you’re still speaking utter cr@p. You’re plain wrong. That’s the thing about mental illness - it makes you think you’re right. You’re going to have to trust other people - especially experts.

Why are you telling us @Cora? It is giving in to your compulsions. Just accept the pain for now and it will pass. Be strong. Stop asking these same questions - there are no answers and it will just make you worse. Do something to distract yourself. Like now.

Well done @Cora! That is great news. Be brave - you can do it!

@Cora Read all your posts from the last three months.... what do you notice? You’re going round and round in circles. Maybe even getting worse. The blunt and painful truth is that only you can decide to step off this horrific helter-skelter. Otherwise you’ll go down and down and down. Try something else or you just won’t improve. It’s that simple.