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Well, the cat came in while I was handling some new CD's. It jumped up on me and I stroked/cudled it and went on handling my CDs. All without washing my hands, even afterwards. And I didn't wipe the CDs after either!!!!!!!! :)

Pete

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That's brilliant ManxPete Well Done :)

Sally Don't worry, it's just one step back......the way you've done over the last two weeks have been great, you' ve done 12 steps forward so you've plenty in reserve. Don't make the easy mistake of thinking you've failed.

Still sending you the vitual tube of Smarties :(

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Guest SallyB

FANTASTIC ManxPete!! You should be really proud of yourself.

I feel a lot better today - a non-checking day as my husband was at home when I left. But am having anxious thoughts about things I said at work and worrying whether I have upset people. However, am going to try to deal with is rather than worrying until Tuesday!!

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Guest Dragonfruit

Well - so far I've done OK - slight relapse on Sunday - was in the house too long I think - disinfected three times - but still better than usual

Since then - twice a day - except yesterday when I managed once only! :)

How's everyone else doing?

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Well done Dragonfruit, that seems like good improvement :)

I was (am :( ) doing okay thanks. I've had some really good days (almost normal) for the last nine days, with a couple of bad ones like yesterday and today. In truth, when I say bad, they're not that bad, just not as good as the others. If I put it into perspective even the *bad* days are loads better than I was a month or so ago.

I have largely got my checking down to once a day, at the weekend I went from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon, then had a short blip. Same yesterday I got dragged in to a checking session for a while.

It's perhaps significant that when I did get into checking and gave in these were the worst days. At least I've been going 4 steps forward and 1 step back.

So how's everyone else doing, you're all very, very quiet out there.

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Sorry I've been quiet. I didn't have to check when leaving the house over the weekend so yesterday was my first day. I did manage to not check under the lampshades, but am still checking the downstairs loo window (my in-laws came to stay last Thursday night and I always really struggle afterwards as I feel that I don't know which windows they have opened).

Yesterday I had a real blip when checking as I got in a panic about a bit of plastic that I was going to put in the bin, but then couldn't find - and I panicked that my dog would breathe it in and suffocate. In the end I found it, but I was on the verge of ringing work and saying I couldn't come in. :)

Today was difficult too -but I got out. I have had a lot of obsessive thoughts during the weekend and beyond and it has really worn me down and made the checking much more difficult. However, I am persevering - just a bit downhearted.

Sally

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*pops head round door*

Er, hi - yeah. Did go a bit quiet for a minute didn't I? :)

Well, the good news is I'm still doing ok with the cleaning.

Since my last post I've only done what was necessary and not gone over the top with anything (wellll, hmmm maybe slight exaggeration there - overdid cleaning the kitchen sink a bit this afternoon).

But other than that I've been very good. :)

The makers of Domestos will be weeping into their cornflakes at this knowledge...but I don't care :(

Luv Queens

x

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Guest Sammyhostie

Good luck honey,

I used to have (and it still tries to come back!) the touching thing, as well as many other forms.

I used to have to touch things with opposite hands, on some days in odd numbers, some days even numbers!

It helped my maths no end though! Lol.

Keep up the good work

Sammy xx

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well, quick update from me...was on a day off today. the alarm went off @ 6:30..and i promptly switched it off and went back to sleep :(

i've made it in to work on time all week, despite deliberately not leaving enough time for my previously usual checking routines before leaving the flat..still find it difficult leaving when i feel something hasn't been checked, but am definitely getting a lot better - i managed to leave in under 10 minutes going to my support group on wednesday night, which for me is pretty good.

haven't dusted for three days....

erm...*twitch*

well, dammit! doing the housework thoroughly is fine as long as only i do it the once...i did end up cleaning the kitchen sink and cooker half a dozen times last saturday, and spent an inordinate amount of time cleaning all my electrical sockets, door handles, light switches etc. trying to take my mind off a particular thought :) but no real slips since..

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Caveman,

Fantastic - sounds like you've been doing really well. I can appreciate that 10 mins checking before going out is .........well..........amazing!! I take 45 mins and am late for work every day!

You should be proud of yourself.

Sally

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Howdy,

I dunno if this counts but i have always had a what you may call a real fear of daddy long legged insects. My mother being the delightful person that she was used to pick them off the walls and throw them in my face laughing hence where i got the fear.

Tonight one was in the living room i gently held its leg let it relax on my hand and held it for a couple of minutes, i was really calm and then i let it go out of the house. It was a good feeling in the sense it felt like one mini milestone from my past which contributed to my ocd anyway.

Rock on people keep up the good work!

Love

Tracy

ccccc

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Great stuff Tracy, that is a biggy :)

And I bet the Daddy Long Legs appreciated not being rough handled, he'd have been a terrified little critter as well, Well Done you :p

You can tell I'm someone who doesn't kill a fly......I could fear becoming a homicidal maniac, but flies.....Nah :) :dry:

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Guest Cricket

Hi everyone, I'm new to this site and the idea of a challenge section sounds really good. What I am struggling with at the moment though is the thought that I know that the solution to overcoming this is to face things head on but I am so SCARED to do that. It's so frustrating, in my life outside OCD (the one where people don't know about it) people perceive me as someone who is in control, organised and efficient but my OCD life shows the complete opposite. I am questioning WHY ME? So often lately, I am so tearful and emotional. I have had a lot of emotional disturbances throughout my life and now that I have got my life together and I have direction and passion for what I am doing I now have this annoyance and interruption. What will all this mean one day? How much time is wasted before this goes away? I'm angry :p and sad :) about this disorder. Aargh, it's so frustrating. I am normally far more positive about this but I'm having a low week. I started taking Omega 3 because I heard about the benefits of it but tonight I discovered that I have to stop taking it because it does not agree with aspirin allergy people and guess who is allergic to aspirin. Thanks for (listening) reading:-)

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in my life outside OCD (the one where people don't know about it) people perceive me as someone who is in control, organised and efficient but my OCD life shows the complete opposite

That's me too :)

The thing about facing things head on doesn't mean trying to tackle every issue at once, pick a smaller issue first and start there, every great journey starts with one small step, as they say.

Perhaps if you could share some of your worries, people can shed some light on them.

Hello btw :p

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hi Caramoole and Northern Star,

Thanks for your replies to my mini milestone, i'm like you i can't hurt a fly i was really gentle with the daddy long legs i didn't want to hurt it, my son was fascinated at the time cos i was saying shoosh to it to calm down.

I do have another thing about the windows upstairs in my house, the downstairs ones i am fine with but the upstairs everytime i either open or close them i have to wash my hands its automatic not because i feel they are dirty but to wash away the association with them. My youngest son who is two and a half when he was 6 weeks old i had a thought that played over and over again in my head about throwing him out of the window and when i used to put him in his cot i avoided the window i used to get these horrible images and i would walk as close to my bed as possible so i wouldn't be near the window itself. I know it was a danger thing that got out of hand but i got rid of the thought by somehow washing my hands everytime i touched the window.

That was back when we lived in a flat on the third floor, now we live in a house and have done for over two years now and i don't do it with the downstairs ones as i feel they are safe, its just the upstairs ones i think sometimes its habit. What i wanted to say is soon i am going to be working on that as i feel its time to take another little step.

Love

Tracy

xxxxx

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Hi Ittyk,

Thanks for your support here and everyone else's too, just to let you know there was another daddy long legs in the kitchen earlier tonight i didn't think too hard i just gently got it in my hand and put it outside. I was as cool as a cucumber :lol:

I like this, this is really good stuff little steps at a time.

Love

Tracy

xxxxx

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  • 4 weeks later...
Guest SallyB

Realised that I hadn't logged anything on here for a while. I have am still trying to not check the lightbulbs upstairs - am fine with one of them - never now do I have to stand on the bed and peep at it (it is an uplighter shade). :D I am not so good on the other one - still have to peep now and again if I'm feeling anxious. :)

However, I was on holiday for a week at the beginning of September and have managed to stop checking all the windows (except the downstairs loo - for some reason that one is a toughie) since we returned. I know that it is easier as it has now turned cooler and we don't open the windows as much. However, I have even managed to not check the bedroom window when I know it has been open. I still have really bad days where whatever I check feels wrong, but try to keep persevering. :dry:

I had a terrible time a couple of weeks ago when I had booked a taxi which arrived early (when does a taxi ever arrive early? Mine are always 5 or 10 mintues late?!!!) Anyway, I hadn't finished checking and had to do so really quickly. I felt dreadfully anxious to the point of tears, but the taxi driver was so lovely that just chatting to him helped a lot. Luckily I was on my way to counselling so I could explain how I felt and managed to get through it. However, the point is that I managed to do it quickly and nothing awful happened - horrible though the situation was.

Anyway, will continue to battle with the lights, and the windows. I am also going to stop going into a room that I know that I have checked the day before to recheck. Will let you know how I get on. :eek:

SallyB

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Hi All,

What a great thread :)

I want to stop checking before I leave the house (plugs, lights, windows, cooker) but I find it really hard as I have 2 dogs and I am frightened I have left something on or the outside door open and something bad will happen to them. Luckily for me the checking doesn't take up too much time (more when I am particularly anxious) but feel that not doing this could be of harm to my dogs.

Any advice welcome. I suppose I could limit how often I check them - but as we all know you always want to check again - if there was no-one left in the house when I left I really wouldn't be as bad :eek:

By the way - Well done everyone for setting these goals and going for it!!! :dry:

Love Marah xxxxx :D

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Guest SallyB

Marah,

I am the same before leaving the house - I check everything (although as you can see above I am trying to cut down). I am also worried because of my dog - it is a lot easier to leave the house when I am taking him out for a walk.

I worry about him a lot - and make as sure as I can that the house is safe which means checking doors (and usually windows), sockets, lights, taps, gas cooker etc etc. I also panic about him drinking water with hairs in it in case he chokes so have to keep changing the water in his bowl until it feels that it is clean and safe. I check that there are no carrier bags, anything sharp - and so it goes on........

All I can say is that I try to be rational about things. One really helpful thing that I have found is to really look at things when they are on - ie the light, the computer etc so that when I am checking whether they are off I can logically compare the difference. I also try my "one check"system where I give myself one opportunity to check. It means that I really check when I am checking each thing - focus on it and make sure that I am happy that it is off - and then move onto the next thing. It doesn't always work, and sometimes I still go back and check again - but just telling my brain that it has one chance to check seems to help somehow.

I don't know whether you will think I'm mad but I also believe in angels - and ask one to look after my dog when I leave the house. Whether it is true or not - it really helps me to imagine some other being looking after him when I can't.

The other thing that I do is to remind myself that I am the only person that I know who checks as well as I do - I'm sure that you could say the same about yourself!! Therefore, you know that you do a thorough checking job - the best you can do. So you don't need to keep repeating it.

Don't know if this helps - but it does help me. If you want to chat further, please send me a PM and I will do my best.

Take care

Sally

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I worry about him a lot - and make as sure as I can that the house is safe which means checking doors (and usually windows), sockets, lights, taps, gas cooker etc etc. I also panic about him drinking water with hairs in it in case he chokes so have to keep changing the water in his bowl until it feels that it is clean and safe. I check that there are no carrier bags, anything sharp - and so it goes on........

I can empathise with this so much, I am so terrified of them being harmed in any way. When I am at work I am OK as I know the woman who walks them will take them out and would call me if anything was wrong. But when coming home I still can't wait to see the house to make sure there hasn't been a fire and they are both OK. I will try what you said SallyB - and your right I do thoroughly check and will try and put faith in this. I'll start tomorrow.

Thanks and good luck to everyone.

Love Marah xxxxx :)

PS Sally I think I have sent this as a PM also, sorry. :blushing:

Also I STILL can't do the 'quote thing' :wallbash:

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