northpaul

Two observations: In the wider world some folks obsessively avoid doing things on Friday the 13th After over 3 years on these forums I have observed that there is a noticable reduction in activity Why? Does this irrational fear that something will go wrong on this date contradict what we are trying to do?, ie, help folks with OCD on their recovery journeys. What can possibly go wrong today that could have happened yesterday or tomorrow? Surely we should apply the same therapeutic practice regardless of what the date is. My view is: Friday the 13th - just another day - carry on like any other day!

Ferry

I will add in another view that supplements the views already stated. I have recently had it drilled into me the importance of eating and drinking well in order to help maintain better physical health. Better physical health in turn helps our mental health. Mental health hospital wards these days spend a lot of time promoting better physical health and the results for me are evident and I am on the recovery road in my mental health and OCD as a result.

Tropical

This takes me back to the comment I made early in this thread about going for the exposure that is most challenging. If we end up saying 'I dont want to', is that simply defeating the object of doing any therapy? I went for the most challenging exposure because I wanted results (recovery).

Log

Hello and welcome to rhe forums. You sound like you have determination to take control of your life and push OCD into the background. Yes, how much better life can be when we are in control and without that constant thought ''what if.....''. What progress have you made so far on your recovery journey?

Sandal

Left

Surf

Pond

Zoo

Lamb

I am not sure that this is the best way of doing ERP. In my CBT therapy I found that going for the most challenging task first gave a real kick start. When I did the less challenging tests later then I found that they were much easier.

Cotton

Sleep

Yes it makes sense to me. That undercurrent of difficulty with my OCD and wider mental health has always been there. Why it has always been there is probably another debate. I accept that it is there and yes, the challenge is how to function in a world as you describe. That is being willing and open to learning how to live with OCD so that I am in more control and OCD is pushed into the back seat.

Inspection

The question is irrelevant, I did not choose to have OCD in my life. Do we choose to have any mental illness or disorder? No. The point I am making is that I have learned (and continue to learn) how to live with OCD. This is more akin to how I see things and in particular the part 'even when she’s (I am) doing well'. Then 'rather than framing it purely as something to fix or get rid of.' Sometimes I dont have the ability to choose between living with OCD or not. Last year I was about 48 hours from being sectioned and was given the choice of ''go into hospital voluntarily or you will be sectioned''. I did go in voluntarily. There are times when due to mental illness we do not have a choice. I agree with that because at the time I was incapable of making a decision. In this type of case we are not wrong in realising that we are unable to do anything because we are ill.

Defender

I would also say that OCD is part of who I am. I hear what you are saying. When I look back over 60+ years of my life I can see that the 'undercurrent' as you describe has always been there. Now, as a state pensioner I have come to accept that OCD has always been there and for the rest of my life it will remain. Having said that, I still see myself as being in a recovery phase at the moment. Each time I go through the cycle of depression then recovery I learn more about how to live with OCD. I will never stop learning. Coping stragies? Watch and learn. Look outwards and forwards.

Silk

Handy, If 'a lift is out of order' in English, would that be 'an escalator is broken down' in American English? English and American English are different languages. Some things get lost in translation.

Pop

People with OCD do make up ''rule based systems'' because they wrongly believe that they can 'master' their compulsions. The reality is completely the opposite - making such rule based systems is making OCD the master. That time and effort making up rule based systems becomes very dibilitating and saps the mental energy leaving OCD in complete control. Would it not be a better use of mental energy to not do the compulsions and get on with something mentally stimulating?