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Ocd checking


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Hello everyone... not posted on here in awhile

My ocd is all about checking...I check a lot when I’m at work or at home... I know and can see when I’ve done something but my ocd keeps getting stuck which Is undermining my confidence...all I seem to do is bounce around from one compulsion to another...

 

please how do I stop carrying out these compulsions??

Tomorrow I have an over the phone consultation with a psychiatrist....I possible could have bipolar or some other mood disorder

Feeling like I have no hope

Edited by seb79
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Hi Seb,

I'm really sorry to hear that you're struggling at the moment. I know that things are tough right now, but it's likely that you just don't yet have the tools to tackle the OCD, but they can be gained in therapy. Have you looked into Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for the OCD? 

Gemma :)

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8 hours ago, seb79 said:

Is there anything I can do to stop the compulsions on my own??

Yes, don’t do them & sit with your uncertainty.

It’s a bit unconventional but I took pictures of things. That’s how I got over it.  I didn’t have to look at the pictures just knowing they were there was enough.

 

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3 minutes ago, Handy said:

It's a bit unconventional but I took pictures of things. That’s how I got over it.  I didn’t have to look at the pictures just knowing they were there was enough.

That is interesting, because I would imagine that this technique replaces one compulsion with another, & potentially makes matters worse!  

Please do give us some examples! 

 

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17 hours ago, seb79 said:

I’ve had cbt for depression but not for ocd

suppose I wait for for tomorrow and see what the psychiatrist says

I hope the appointment goes well today :)

I think looking into CBT for OCD may be something worth thinking about, particularly if you're finding it hard not to do compulsions. 

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Just come off the phone to my psychiatrist and she’s referred me to psychological help with ERP so hopefully on the way up...

After a lengthy assessment she thinks that I have an anxiety disorder along with the ocd

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3 hours ago, seb79 said:

Just come off the phone to my psychiatrist and she’s referred me to psychological help with ERP so hopefully on the way up...

After a lengthy assessment she thinks that I have an anxiety disorder along with the ocd

It's great that you have a referral for therapy, hopefully you will begin to get on top of OCD really soon :)

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Well, know it's coming but try not to fear it. It doesn't feel great but it won't hurt you. 

If you judt let it be there but get on with your day and stay involved with your day to day life, you'll be better off.

At first, it csn be really bad. Part of your mind wants you to pay attention yo your obsessions and it will make a fuss if you don't. Over time, that part of your mind becomes quieter which means less anxiety.

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Hi @seb79,

Similarly to @Handy, I found that taking photos of things allowed me to stop checking things. For example, one of my fears is leaving my hair straighteners on when I leave the house so I take a photo of them turned off and the plugs clearly away from the plug socket. That way, if I panic that they are still on when I've left the house, I can refer to the photo to check. I rarely do look at the photos though - they are there more for reassurance. 

Much love, 

Sarah

Edited by SarahW
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27 minutes ago, SarahW said:

Hi @seb79,

Similarly to @Handy, I found that taking photos of things allowed me to stop checking things. For example, one of my fears is leaving my hair straighteners on when I leave the house so I take a photo of them turned off and the plugs clearly away from the plug socket. That way, if I panic that they are still on when I've left the house, I can refer to the photo to check. I rarely do look at the photos though - they are there more for reassurance. 

Much love, 

Sarah

Hi Sarah & :welcome:

I know it may seem ideal, but taking a photo for reassurance purposes is likely to make OCD matters far worse! It would be a bit like checking countless times that your hair straighteners are off, but then doubting yourself so much that you then ask say your partner to double check, & before long, you then question if you got it wrong, & partner never really checked, & so on.

I know many might think photo's cant lie, but trust me, OCD will then have you thinking, was the time/date on the photo wrong, or did I plug the hair straighteners in again, & forget to take a photo?

OCD is also sometimes regarded as the doubting disease, & to get over it, you need to work on not checking, or carrying out reassurance behaviours.

 

All the best.

:) 

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Not been at work today so the ocd not been to bad.... got stuck on a few things this morning but since I’ve done my best not to check...

it’s at work where I really struggle... I’m a care worker with a lot of responsibility so there’s endless things that my ocd latches on to...like polarbear said I can see that it’s coming but the the hard bit is to carry on regardless of what my minds telling me...

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3 hours ago, seb79 said:

Dreading work this afternoon....going to do my best not to check things

Hi Seb

I just read your post, sorry it's so tough, I know it doesn't solve the issue but you're not alone, we all understand how hard it is.

Sounds like you've made some good decisions in getting CBT arranged so well done on that.  In the meantime perhaps try to recognise you don't have all the mental tools to help yourself for now so can only do so much.  Sadly there's no off switch as it's well engrained beliefs that keep you hostage, i.e if I don't check something bad will happen and I cannot allow that.

That's not to say you are helpless because there's a lot of books out there as well as support here.

Hope work went well today and good on you for doing what you do as a career, it must be incredibly tough at the moment. 

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On 03/02/2021 at 17:37, felix4 said:

That is interesting, because I would imagine that this technique replaces one compulsion with another, & potentially makes matters worse!  

Please do give us some examples! 

 

So is medication, one compulsion for another as long as someone is on it, which is usually forever. But I don’t have to take pictures anymore, seems like a great cure for me & a great time saver.  I only did it 3 times in one year. I doubt it ranks as a compulsion. One minute of picture taking saves hours of compulsions.  

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Another day at work..., times that I wasn’t checking as much then times when I got completely stuck spending 10 minutes checking the same thing... god knows how I’m still holding down a job while the ocd is so high... 

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