What Have We Learned And Practised That Best Helps Us Tackle Our OCD?

[taurean]

At 72 years old  and having sufferered periodic episodes of OCD since adulthood  my treatment journey has been along one.

And it's included meds as well as CBT, relaxation, exercise and mindfulness.

I have to say the meds were, in my case  of no value. I tend to go along with the adage that , for some, they help the patient to "float" whilst they work on therapy. 

Learning how OCD operates was of massive value - changing my beliefs and behavioural responses, and teaching my brain new ways of thinking without obsessional bias, has been enormous for me.

But especially important has been shifting focus away from obsessions to mindful beneficial distraction. The four  biggest of these, for me, have been.

Watercolour painting

Photography, and membership of a camera club.

Regular exercise at the gym

Adult education classes in archaeology history and art.

For me, the more our brain fills it's time with these sort of distractions, the less time it has for being led astray by OCD.

[northpaul]

2 hours ago, taurean said:

But especially important has been shifting focus away from obsessions to mindful beneficial distraction.

I did this 'big style' back in the early noughties.  At that time I was in my mid 40s and had suffered a long and debilitating episode of depression and OCD.  One of my nurses was good on diversion therapy and suggested trying something new.

I went back to college to do some part time courses and eventually ended up doing 2 years full time vocational training. Being part of the college community and meeting new people had significantly lifted my mood.  At the end of this experience my depression/OCD was still around but firmly in the back seat.

Early in 2006 I started in full time employment using my newly acquired skills.  The work was challenging and rewarding.  Once again, the depression/OCD remained in the back seat.

I am now in ill health retirement due to the CVD, but I continue to look for things to do that are beneficial.  I learnt alot from my experience of filling my brain with beneficial distractions.

This afternoon's distraction was a trip to Lugano in southern Switzerland.  Amazing what can be done on th'internet.