bahiano

Hey.... sorry you are having a rough time, all you can really do is CBT, if it is not helping, maybe discuss this with your therapist... is he an OCD specialist?

The feeling "real" is all what OCD is about, if it wouldn´t feel as real as it can get, OCD wouldn´t be a problem, always keep that in mind. Are you doing any kind of CBT/ERP therapy?

Hi... I am sorry you are having a bad time with OCD.... how about starting a CBT/ERP therapy? OCD is quite treatable and manageble...

We can recover and manage OCD well, there is no cure....

That is what you are taught in CBT, having a thought is not the problem, the reaction to the thoughts decides if it will stick and become part of the ocd cycle OR the thought will just pass by like a cloud... We doubt the thoughts because we have OCD, the doubting disorder...

Accepting the thoughts does not mean that you agree with their content, you just accept their presence...

I was prescribed Sertraline, how was your reaction to it? I am kind of hesitating it still... I know for some it works though...

OCD will always try to keep the upper hand by sending new or morphed thoughts according to your theme, try staying unimpressed and treat all the same, notice it and go on about your day, try NOT to ruminate over it. No proving or analysing the thoughts, the more importance you give it, the longer it stays.... not easy, but just try practicing this... read a good selfhelp book until your CBT starts...

Hey... I am sorry you are still in a bad place. Just try seeing it as OCD, no need to accept any content of your intrusive thoughts, you know it is rubbish... accept having intrusive thoughts created by OCD for a start. Everything else you will learn doing CBT... have you started CBT yet?

Hey there.. I am very sorry you are in a bad place... please seek help, my OCD started spiraling as well this year to a very bad place, I am starting CBT/ERP tomorrow with a specially trained OCD therapist. I just couldn´t anymore with selfhelp...and forums were becoming reassurance in itself. I believe for me ERP will be very helpful... Please lets us know how your journey continues... Markus

Sorry to hear you are having a hard time. What about CBT/ERP therapy? It is the gold standard for OCD. Meds are helpful for some, you may give it a try, please discuss this with your doctor.

Hey... you want certainty here and that is OCD talking. The threat is there sure, there are many threats and diseases you COULD catch. Just do all you can, but you can never be sure not to get sick or get a disease. The Covid fear is tricky, but treat it like all OCD worries. You will learn that in therapy for sure. Why not try some selfhelp or mindfulness?

I am sorry you can´t access therapy right now. Until then maybe try to get a good self-help book and educate yourself on OCD in order to get past these obsessions.

Hey Corrie22, Are you doing CBT/ERP therapy actually? Can´t you discuss this issue with your therapist and he can offer you some guidance?

Hey Nikki, To me the purpose of ERP is to bring on the anxiety and once it´s there let it subside without doing any compulsion so the brain can learn from that experience. It would be good to rate your anxiety from 1 to 10 before ERP, right after ERP and them like 15 mins after ERP. By doing this you can track your anxiety levels. Remember: The goal of ERP is NOT to get rid of obsessive thoughts or images, goal is to accept them and getting habituated