YOU CAN DEFEAT IT!

[Guest Batl1423]

hey everyone,

new to site.

Never thought id be writing a post as a former ocd sufferer.

Im 19 and suffered incredibly badly with ocd since i was about 14. Put it this way, ive had manic depression, a coke problem and a caffiene addiction (i know caffiene addiction sounds a bit like someone who says there addicted to terry's chocolate orange, but it is actually quite debilitating).

Anyway, my point is that out of all these things ocd is by far the strongest, and that includes manic depression. Think its the fact that you cant escape from it. You can escape drugs, you can do things to relieve depression and make yourself feel happier, but you cant escape ocd. You cant defeat it or outlogic it, even if you think you have for 5 minutes (if that!), it always comes back, and it always comes back stronger and more potent. Its kind of like telling someone that their entire family went down in a plane crash and that only 50% of passangers survived. and then its like saying, 'well you know what, they probably survived, so dont worry about it.'

How could anyone not worry about it!

Now im no doctor (though i think id do a better job than some of ones i saw), and for anyone seeking recovery i strongly advice the first thing that you do is find out the science of how ocd works, even if only briefly. Info is available all over the web. But my general understanding of ocd is that it is purely a physical reaction in your brain. Your brain sends you strong signals that there is something urgently wrong, something that needs dealing with now, something that cant wait. In evolutionary terms this is probably on the same wave as the 'fight or 'flight' response that we experience during times of percieved danger. Most people experience this reaction to things that are a genuine threat, like your life or the life of a loved one being put in danger. This is normal and is the brains natural reaction. my understanding of current research, is that ocd is a misfiring of these signals. There is a glitch in the brain, no differant to someone who has a glitch in the heart or the lungs or the stomach or wherever. This glitch causes the brain to send you these messages about subjects that it percieves to be a threat when in actual fact, more often than not they aren't. Hence the obsession - The brain keeps telling you something is wrong and no matter what you do it wont dissapear, no matter how much you fight it you cant outlogic it. Thats why it is so strong and so hard to resist, almost to the point where you feel it is impossible. Imagine the plane crash scenario and trying not to worry about it. With ocd your getting the same signal from your brain, but the important thing to remember is, IT IS NOT REAL! its kind of like a magic trick that feels so real, but you know its an illusion

This is just my interpretation of ocd and any alternative views are welcome.

However, its all well and good knowing what ocd is, but how do you defeat it?

The first step is to identify it. Find out what it going in your brain so that when you feel the ocd trigger, you can say to yourself that 'this is an ocd thought and it is not real its just a glitch caused by a chemical inbalance in my brain and i dont need to think about it'.

Now comes the hard bit. The very hard bit. Probably the hardest thing you will have to do ever in your life - let go. You know what it is, acting on the urge gets you nowhere. You have to let go. You have to say to yourself 'this is an ocd thought, its not real and I am not going to respond to it'. Now Ive been there. It makes you sweat, your heart pounds, you feel dizzy, you'll snap at anything, the urge is going to get stronger and stronger as you dont respond. But then all of sudden you'll suddenly realise 'oh my god, i forgot about it. I didnt respond and it went away'. And then it'll come back and you'll go through the same thing, maybe even stronger but you'll again suddenly realise that you forgot about it. And because you continue not to respond, the gaps between remembering about your urges gets longer and longer and longer untill eventually you'll have gone longer than you ever thought you could without it.

and eventually the ocd will begin to shrink in your mind, sort of like that bit in the wizard of oz where the powerful scary wizard is later revealed to be a little man behind a curtain pulling some levers (think thats how it goes).

The main thing to remember is that this is by no means easy and will be incredibly uncomfortable but it can be done. I know because i did it myself. And i suffered hurrendously with ocd and the prospect of ignoring it a few years ago was almost laughable, but you can do it! I am at a stage now when i believe i can actually call myself an ex-sufferer. Granted, it still pops up from time to time, but because i know exactly what it is, i know not to respond and i can buzz it away like a fly rather than shrink before it. I used to suffer with it every second of every day, but now i can go months until i suddenly think 'oh yeh i forget about you you little *******! see ya!'

Books on these cognitive techniques are available all over internet. If your not seeing a therapist, then do so now, and also one thing that helped for me was the anti-depressants called fluoxetine. It did seem to help me shift my thoughts and be able to dismiss the the obsessions a lot easier.

SORRY FOR THE LONG POST - BUT HOPE IT HELPS.

SERIOUSLY THOUGH, SEARCH OCD COGNITIVE THERAPY ETC ON AMZON.

Good luck to every one

[catherine]

Hi Batl1423

Your story is truly inspirational and thank you for taking the trouble to share it with us. I think how you describe your understanding of what OCD is, is a very good way of thinking about it and certainly you are spot on with saying you have to 'let go' or as my therapist often says 'take a leap of faith'.

You have had some tough battles on your hands and it sounds like you've come through them with great conviction.

I hope others read your post as it is an encouraging and inspiring account.

Many thanks

Catherine :original:

[Guest KTC]

Well done and thanks for the great story. I think us sufferers need to hear the good stories. I think your post was a very accurate picture of OCD and has some great advice. I'm having a relpase at the moment for an obsessive thought that I just forgot about but it has come back stonger. I know that I have to just get on living my life and just let the thought exist - rather than fight it just let it be there. Although this is easier said that done, if I want to get better I have to do it.

[Rachie]

Hi there. Welcome to the site and thanks for your post - very inspirational. I hope you will stick around to give support to our members, and of course seek support should you ever need it yourself.

Rach