Sara OCD-UK

It sounds like you are having an incredibly tough time, and I'm sorry things are so upsetting. I can see lots of people have responded to your other thread and that they have offered good support there. Try to be compassionate with yourself and refocus on something else to give yourself a break. Are you having any treatment for your OCD? If not, please do get in touch with us at support@ocduk.org and we can talk through how to do this.

I'm going to be as careful as I can not to give you reassurance Ironborn. With your theme, the uncertainty may lie in not being able to accept the possibility that there isn't one big meaning to life, and allowing yourself to sit with that anxiety. Knowing that the world is the way it is (good, bad and everything in between) and there is little we can individually do about it, and making the best of what the reality of our life is, with all the uncertainty that comes with that, could be the start of a way to break out of this cycle of thinking. The more you ruminate over the meaning of life, the less you will feel certain of an answer.

It is good that you have found something that helps - we just always caution people to be mindful that things like this can become compulsions themselves to try to deal with thoughts. But certainly, refocusing is a good way to move on from intrusive thoughts without trying to push them away.

Hi Mulligan We would generally suggest going by the recommendations within the NICE Guidelines for treatment of OCD, but we know that for example in Scotland ICBT is something that has been used within some services recently - ultimately it is your decision whether to give it a try. If your therapist is accessed privately, we would suggest (as we always do) to check that they are accredited by the BABCP (British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies) to ensure that they have appropriate CBT training, or that they are a clinical psychologist and registered with the HCPC.

Hi @woodside98 I'm sorry you are having a tough time at the moment - are you having treatment yet? The support of a therapist (and good CBT therapy) can be really helpful. If you're not sure about how to access treatment, please do email us at support@ocduk.org and we can help you with this. Often therapy has to be adapted for autistic people, so we can explain about this and how to make sure you are getting what you need.

Ironborn, I'm sure that you recognise that this is OCD, and you need to treat it as such by trying to allow those 'what if' thoughts to be there without ruminating about viewing the online content or having to 'check' what that means about you by further researching online. I absolutely know how hard it is to do this, and that the risk feels too great, but it is worth it to get your life back. Remember that the content of the intrusive thoughts is not the problem, but your response to them is. Not giving them importance lessens their power over you. Remind yourself of the first line of your post 'I know I am not a pedo' and try to move on from this cycle of thinking. Are you having CBT for your OCD? It might help to have the support of a therapist with this.

I think for most people with OCD it can be incredibly hard to engage with therapy, especially at first, so please don't feel this is always going to be a barrier. The cancellations I agree are not at all helpful, and must be frustrating for you. In terms of therapy, if you feel that you have not actually focused properly on CBT yet this is something to flag up with the IAPT service - perhaps it might be useful if together with your therapist you focus on an aspect of your OCD that you want to challenge in particular, that you can then measure your progress against from week to week - does that sound manageable? It may help you to get the most out of your remaining sessions. We would probably recommend that you complete the course (which in IAPT may not be very long anyway), and then it can be easier to get stepped up to secondary care once you have shown that you have engaged with and completed therapy courses with primary mental health services first. Please do email us as support@ocduk.org if you want us to advise further or if you have any queries.

Hi Orn4 I am sorry you are having a difficult time at the moment. Thinking about what is and isn't OCD may seem helpful but actually it gets you caught in the cycle of rumination. If a thought is causing anxiety and you feel compelled to work out what it means, it is OCD. Professor Paul Salkovskis often says that if it you are not sure if it is OCD, treat it as if it is because it is very likely to be. The content of your thoughts is never important, but how you respond is. Can you change your response to allow the thought to be there without trying to figure it out? I know this can feel hard to do, but start with small steps and you can begin to tackle these new obsessions and not give them significance.

Welterwhite, we do have a 'GP Icebreaker' sheet to give to your GP if you are not comfortable with sharing the detail of your intrusive thoughts with your GP, and you are unsure if they know much about OCD - you can find it here: https://www.ocduk.org/gp-ice-breaker/ I hope this helps you to reach out

Hi Auroramaple Firstly, it is common to experience different themes of OCD at different times, and as you have noticed, your OCD will focus on what is happening in your life and what is important to you at the time. If you can allow the 'new' thoughts to be there without giving them attention, they should indeed settle once your OCD realises it will not be able to get a reaction from you

Hi Mini. If you are doubting whether something is OCD or not, it usually is (because of the very fact it is bothering you) and you should treat it as such. It is a common theme to have intrusive thoughts about your state of mind and look for evidence of serious illness. Definitely try and sit with the uncertainty and try not to ruminate over the questions that your mind is coming up with.

Hi Purplegirl. There would be a few things I would ask, the first being whether your therapist started off your therapy sessions with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), as this is usually really crucial before starting to look at exposure exercises. CBT helps us to understand the connection between thoughts, feelings and behaviour and how the cycle of OCD works, and so do you feel able to ask your therapist if you could spend a few more sessions talking this through? I would also suggest writing up a more comprehensive and detailed diary of your obsessions and compulsions, and asking if you could both adapt the hierarchy after she has had a look at it. Overall it just sounds like you need more clarity as to the structure of the therapy, what you will be doing, how and why, and a good therapist will want to work with you and understand your particular themes of OCD. 30 minutes also doesn't sound very long for a therapy session, especially if it is just once every two weeks. Has she given a reason why this is?

Hi OnlyAlex. I am sorry to hear you are struggling again. In answer to (A), yes it is common during or after a stressful period in your life for OCD to affect you more than at other times, as your resilience is lower and you have more to deal with and think about. With (B), no, again it is common to only have mental compulsions, such as ruminating on a particular theme and trying to get that certainty or final answer about what you fear might be true. So thinking about your 'what ifs' are your compulsions. Does that make sense? Please know that you can get better It is also common to have setbacks along the way towards recovery.

Cam81, just to say I am so sorry to hear that you are having this experience with your family at the moment. It is difficult when you do not have support and understanding from those closest to you, and it sounds very complicated. I am pleased you have your phone consultation and psychiatrist appointment soon - I hope they can give you something positive to focus on over these next few weeks.

Hi Charliej, I am sorry to hear you have had such a tough time, and I am pleased that you are getting some help and working towards recovery. I am not sure how much you know about effective treatment for OCD but please do have a look around our website as we have a lot of resources including conference recordings which can be really helpful on your recovery journey. Please do get in touch if you need support with anything.