Setbacks

[Guest l70laj]

Folks

I was wondering how you have dealt with setbacks / relapses. I have had periods of complete freedom from OCD (up to a couple of years) whereby I have been fine - which makes me think that my problem is closely linked with depression / stress

I seem to go from being fine to total OCD very quickly. My mood seems to change and then the obsessions flood back and I can't seem to get on top of them. The constant bouncing between scary thoughts has gone on for months then I've felt OK again - perhaps a holiday has helped or maybe the OCD has burnt itself for that particular episode

One thing I have never done is "keep in touch with my OCD" when I've felt better. I guess I didn't want to look back or disturb the monster. I definitely wouldn't visit a site like this, for fear of bringing it all back. Also, I tend to "go for it" when I feel OK. The huge relief of feeling OK again has meant that I don't really regulate myself - so I tend to burn out and get down and get the OCD back

I'd be interested to know how people of got well and stayed well

Thanks

[scared&worn out]

Hi, Gosh your post sounds like I wrote it I too have had a blissful 2 years totally free of OCD only for it to come back when I had stress in my life. When it was good I tended to ignore that I ever had it in the first place and I also did not "keep in touch with my ocd", which in hindsight wish I had because it would prepare me much better for the setbacks/relapses.

I think the thing to remember is that it got better and will again. Did you have CBT in the past? If so, is there any techniques that you learned that you could try to apply.

It is very common through times of stress for OCD to rear its ugly head and I think the problem arises because as soon as you have those old thoughts/feelings you get scared that it will become bad again, which heightens anxiety and wham bang before you know it the ocd cycle starts again......

This time round, I have decided that I will learn from what works with helping combat the ocd and work on my ocd, lack of self confidence/esteem and belief in myself when I am feeling 'well' as well as when I am feeling bad.

I hope this helps x

[Guest l70laj]

Hi Scared&wornout

Sounds pretty similar. I've had about 10 periods of freedom (and 10 relapses I suppose). They are very distinct. When I've felt OK I've felt fine - confidence returned, interested in things (probably too much for my own good), work hard etc etc. I probably ignore that I am getting stressed out because it is a different feeeling - it's not the sensitisation that I get with OCD so it feels like I am coping (when I'm probably not doing as well as I think I am). Then bang...I'm down and the OCD returns

I'm not really sure that CBT has helped in the past, though when I feel like this I'm willing to try again. I tend to think that there should be aone size fits all approach that will work - And I know in reality that's not the case

Cheers

[Guest Gemini]

Hi

Yes, I understand what you mean. Recently I have been working through a self-help book

called Overcoming Obsessive Thoughts. The book encourages the reader to write down the intrusive thoughts and how anxious they make you feel. To say I started feeling much worse would be an understatement. I took a break from the book for a few days and started to feel a bit better. Yesterday I went back to the book and looking at what I had written over the past few weeks seemed to somehow give me a clearer view of myself. I'm still feeling ok at the moment. I have started the next chapter which involves writing more about my thoughts and I just hope I don't start feeling as bad again.

The thoughts always come back when I'm already feeling down so I would definately say that they are linked to depression, in my case anyway. I don't know if the book is helping or if I would have started to feel better anyway. Maybe focussing on the thoughts difused them slightly. I don't know if this makes sense but I hope it helps in some way.