northpaul

Circus

Fingers

Links

Cake

Greeting

Entrance

This idea of having times of non-suffering and then times of suffering would indeed summarise how my life has been. I have seen accounts in these forums of people who describe their OCD as episodic. That resonates with me. As I stated earlier my OCD can range from being dormant to being quite debilitating. I would say that I have a propensity to OCD behaviours. How this came about for me is not clear. I have just re-read the section in the OCD-UK information pages about ''what causes OCD'' but I am no wiser and cannot put my finger on a specific cause. I can recall situations and events back in the 1960s which would indicate that I had OCD then. Late in life now and I just accept that I have a propensity to OCD behaviours. ''Living with OCD'' is now my ''normal''. As they say up north - 'geron wi it'. As the old folks in the 1960s said ''make hay while the sun shines''.

At various times in my long life with OCD I have been able to say that I have no symptoms of OCD. However, deep inside, I know OCD is still there. It may appear to be gone but it is just lying dormant and as I have learned over many times it wakes up and bites me. Hence I say I am living with OCD wether it be dormant or raging like a bull. I would suggest that is the nature of OCD. A most ditressing disorder when it bites.

So you are ''living with OCD''? As I stated earlier in this thread I am living with OCD wether I take medication or not.

Limited

Corporation

Of course we have a discussion. This is a forum to discuss OCD issues. If we have no discussion then what is the purpose of these forums? I say keep on discussing this issue.

I have stated before in a forum that takiing lots of medication can become a compulsion in itself. If someone never tries to come off medication then they will never know if they can cope without it - fear of uncertainty. Looking at ways of tolerating uncertainty can be done via some therapy modules - I did one as an attachment to my CBT. For me, medication lifted my mood. Medication is no cure for OCD. I still ''live with OCD'' wether I am on medication or not.

Dolphin

Oats

You seem to have some understanding of what is going on with your OCD thinking. In a nutshell I would answer part of your question by saying look outwards rather than inwards. What practical ways can we achieve that? One of the ''bolt on'' attachments to my CBT was a module on Tolerating Uncertainty. Some of the ideas that I took from this was to get out to new places and meet new people. I found that by doing this it helped to reduce the negative thinking and set me on a more positive mindset (looking outwards and not inwards). Now that the better weather is coming I will be able to get out on to the street more and chat to the neighbours and see what they have to say. Sometimes I can help them solve a problem. That way of life was commonplace in the 1960-70s. Sadly today it is far less commonplace. Looking outwards in a small way of big way is always a positive attribute for one's mental health.

Jail

Stem

The normal procedure for this is the therapist sends a letter to your GP at the end of your therapy. The letter will give a brief report of the therapy and the outcome. You can request a copy of the letter to yourself (some therapists will do that automatically). You can use your copy of the letter for your PIP claim.

Axle

Elbow

Court

I hear what you are saying. Are you keeping in touch with your Doctor and therapy team?

Core

Rubber