Research for Uni Project on OCD Coping Strategies and Self Help

[Rebecca113]

Hi everyone,

 

I hope this is okay to post here! I am currently doing a Creative Conscience brief for my Graphic Design course at Nottingham Trent University. I have decided to do it on mental health and more specifically OCD, because as I suffer from it I thought I could be in a good position to create something that could help people with OCD or raise awareness. I want to look into how people with OCD cope with their obsessions and compulsions - not necessarily how they tackle them but even just how they distract themselves or calm themselves down. I have been doing research on my own coping strategies and looking at how I deal with my compulsions, however because OCD is so broad it terms of different types I thought it would be best to ask others as well!

If you have any coping strategies that work for you and you'd like to share that would be really helpful!

Thank you

[taurean]

First line of coping for me is understanding.

I didn't understand why my brain would stick  and obsessive thoughts would repeat without resolving away. 

Jeffrey Schwartz's book "Brainlock" explained why this happens, and his "The Four Steps"  treatment programme explained how to deal with OCD intrusions. 

The cognitive part of CBT tells us why we obsess and compulse, and how we can go about stopping that process with thinking and behavioural changes including ERP. 

Knowing we can never have certainty, but we can use probability, is very calming when we accept that we have a mental illness called OCD, and we are in all probability experiencing a manifestation of that when doubt springs up in our minds. 

Remembering that the OCD theme is so convincing, but it would be, wouldn't it as the distorted thoughts feelings images supporting the OCD theme reach our consciousness through the normal channels in our brain. 

 

[Rebecca113]

On 16/11/2017 at 20:32, taurean said:

First line of coping for me is understanding.

I didn't understand why my brain would stick  and obsessive thoughts would repeat without resolving away. 

Jeffrey Schwartz's book "Brainlock" explained why this happens, and his "The Four Steps"  treatment programme explained how to deal with OCD intrusions. 

The cognitive part of CBT tells us why we obsess and compulse, and how we can go about stopping that process with thinking and behavioural changes including ERP. 

Knowing we can never have certainty, but we can use probability, is very calming when we accept that we have a mental illness called OCD, and we are in all probability experiencing a manifestation of that when doubt springs up in our minds. 

Remembering that the OCD theme is so convincing, but it would be, wouldn't it as the distorted thoughts feelings images supporting the OCD theme reach our consciousness through the normal channels in our brain. 

 

Thank you! I plan on using the Four Steps in my project so you have helped me a lot!

[PhilM]

Can you post an e-mail address for people who perhaps don't want to go into detail but would like to help otherwise?