creative daydreamer

Hi Gemma Thank you for your reply and sorry I’ve only just seen it. I’m seeing a therapist privately, who I found on Psychology Today. We are doing ERP right now. We firstly did Trauma rewind therapy for the events that triggered my OCD two years ago. My therapist is a counsellor and a psychotherapist, and I talk to her about other issues (including a past abusive relationship) and family, work, etc., not just my OCD/anxiety. I believe that my OCD fears of contamination are linked to feeling alone emotionally, needing to be strong in my family, needing to perform extremely well at school and work (which is why I fear getting ill). So that’s what I meant about looking at what causes my OCD to try to understand it better and dispel those deeper causes. So we have done some sessions exploring those as well. Does that still sound ok for my treatment? Many thanks

Hi Keeks, I can relate to much of what you said here. I have those same obsessions and compulsive behaviours regarding contamination and food, preparing food, public places, wiping down everything, showering, hand washing, and Covid fears. I have been seeing a therapist (she’s both a counsellor and a psychotherapist) for about 4 months privately. If there was a specific triggering event or events for your OCD, maybe you will benefit from Trauma rewind therapy. I did this with my therapist for the events that triggered my OCD over 2 years ago. It aims to put those bad memories that have got ‘stuck’ towards the back of your brain alongside other ‘normal’ memories. I felt it was good to address those triggering events and try to process them better in a safe space with a professional. Now I’ve begun Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy with her - trying to face the fears and sit with the uncomfortableness of the anxiety when I want to carry out a compulsion. My therapist also recommended the book Daring to Challenge OCD, which has given me a lot of helpful, detailed insight into the disorder. She also gives me psycho education on how the OCD cycle works I.e. the more you do compulsions, the worse it gets. These are all helpful but I know I still have the real work ahead of me. It’s too daunting to think about committing to ERP during Covid. Hopefully I can after, and try to get through this. I’m trying to find the right medication for me that doesn’t give me side effects. My doctor said that medication can be really useful at the same time as therapy. Hope that helps in any way, and drop me a message if you’d ever like to. Maybe we can share more things that help us? Best wishes

Hi PolarBear Thank you for your kind reply and sound advice. I like to understand everything so I think that’s why, and I read about it in a book. But I agree that, after a while, finding out the cause is not as helpful as focusing on the treatment, which we know works. I think I have been stalling the treatment a bit because I am worried. But, I will try to focus on the Exposure and Response Prevention treatment exercises now. It’s good to know that I can post on this forum also. Thank you again, and best wishes

I have read that it is common for new themes to emerge during treatment. I have also experienced it a bit, but we must stay strong. And remember that it’s just a part of the process and it doesn’t mean you’re going backwards

Hi Rory, I’m in university and have had OCD for about 2 years now. I would just like to say, you are doing so well. And I would also like to advise you not to worry about your GCSE mocks too much. I really agree with the post from malina about picking up the studying and doing just a bit (use Pomodoro timer online if this helps you, you study for 25 mins then take a 5 min break) to help ease your mind away from the OCD. Also try ‘study with me’ videos on YouTube - I like the background noise and set time. But don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Mock exams are for learning - to just try out the tests and to see what you already know, and direct you to which sections you should revise more before the real thing. I personally wish I had worried and stressed less about my exams in school. I did GCSEs, A Levels and then university. Getting a good grade on a test or assessment is not the be all and end all of the world. I would not worry yourself about your future and put too much pressure on yourself. There are many initiatives that make further and higher education courses more accessible now, if you did find that you didn’t have the grades. Colleges, sixth forms and universities (and employers!) are largely very understanding of mental health disorders and offer a range of support. (They will take into consideration your mental health condition.) Things like foundation years at uni can also be great. I am just putting these here for your information, in case you didn’t know these were a thing. Finally, I would like to say that your mental health comes first before any exam mark. Try to enjoy what you are learning, find the subjects that you particularly love, and this will help you a lot. Just try your best on the subjects you struggle with, seek help with your teacher outside of class if possible (really recommend this), and thrive in the subjects that you do like. Try to find one or two that you’re particularly passionate about. It may help give you a space to escape the OCD. Also, online support for revision, peer discussion and morale boosting can be found on The Student Room. Best wishes

Hi everyone, A counsellor suggested I come on here for support with my OCD, because I tell my parents that I see a therapist for my OCD, but they’re not interested. And I have not told my friends, but some may have guessed. I did a questionnaire with my therapist and it concluded that I have moderate to severe (largely contamination) OCD. I do not yet have a diagnosis by a psychiatrist. I started ERP with my therapist, which has been shocking to finally talk through the thoughts I’ve had for about 2 years. Recently I sidetracked my therapy sessions a bit to discuss other issues, and I wanted to find out the underlying deep causes of my OCD (my therapist is also a psychotherapist). We have already done rewind trauma therapy for the illnesses that largely triggered my OCD. The ERP feels like it’s going to take so long, and feels so impossible in the current climate. A counsellor heavily recommended medication (I have been trying to find one without upsetting side effects) and seeking a formal diagnosis. The homework for my next week’s therapy session is to sometimes write down the obsessive thoughts I have when I’m doing compulsions. I should also try more frequently to pause for a bit before doing a compulsion I want to do. But I’ve found the latter kind of task very hard to actually do in the moment. However, there have been multiple occasions where I have been able to remove a compulsion, by rationalising it out. I feel very alone in this (and often still doubt whether I even have OCD, even though my therapist has identified severe OCD). I am in my early 20s and I also have anxiety. I am worried at the information that this is often a lifelong condition, and that it’s a complex mental health disorder. I always have very sore hands from washing compulsions. Does any one have any similar experiences? Or any advice for me? Any would be much appreciated If you read my story, thank you, and I would love to hear your experience.

Hi everyone, A counsellor suggested I come on here for support with my OCD, because I tell my parents that I see a therapist for my OCD, but they’re not interested. I did a questionnaire with my therapist and it concluded that I have moderate to severe (largely contamination) OCD. I do not yet have a diagnosis by a psychiatrist. I started ERP with my therapist, which has been shocking to finally talk through the thoughts I’ve had for about 2 years. Recently I sidetracked my therapy sessions a bit to discuss other issues, and I wanted to find out the underlying deep causes of my OCD (my therapist is also a psychotherapist). We have already done rewind trauma therapy for the illnesses that largely triggered my OCD. The ERP feels like it’s going to take so long, and feels so impossible in the current climate. A counsellor heavily recommended medication (I have been trying to find one without upsetting side effects) and seeking a formal diagnosis. The homework for my next week’s therapy session is to sometimes write down the obsessive thoughts I have when I’m doing compulsions. I should also try more frequently to pause for a bit before doing a compulsion I want to do. But I’ve found the latter kind of task very hard to actually do in the moment. However, there have been multiple occasions where I have been able to remove a compulsion, by rationalising it out. I feel very alone in this (and often still doubt whether I even have OCD, even though my therapist has identified severe OCD). I am in my early 20s and I also have anxiety. I am worried at the information that this is often a lifelong condition, and that it’s a complex mental health disorder. Does any one have any similar experiences? Or any advice for me? Any would be much appreciated :) If you read my story, thank you, and I would love to hear your experience.