Well, I have read the basics of oCD before and online and stuff. I have OCD/anxiety/depression. I was diagnosed with it by the top psychologist in my state. But I have an extremely hard time with it. I obsessed with things from like diseases-
all the way too death. Its crazy, I obsessed I had an STD one time, and I was a virgin too. Anyways im not going to get into any stories or things. I just wanna know if anyone has some pointers, or things they do to help cope with these things, other than the things written in the books. Like maybe some things you have discovered on your own. BUT if you have any input at all, please share it, I would be glad to read up on it. Thanks! BTW, im sure you are all gunna "DUH' me when I say I have ocd, because it in my name, so it would be obvious that I have it. Anyways, thanks!
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Uhm, I can't think of many examples really, but there is one that might make people question my sanity...
When I was very little I used to day dream, and sometimes I would imagine a door opening and closing, and I wouldn't be able to stop that clip in my head, if that makes sense. It would just be an unattached door and door frame constantly closing and opening, and it would be stuck in my mind.
I found it distressing, and eventually would just force myself to imagine nothing (the color black), over and over again, until it went away.
Another more conventional example is the obsession most of us get at some point in our lives (I'm very sorry): Manual breathing and blinking. I came home from school panicking, convinced I would be on manual mode for forever. The resolution of course was when I had to move on and actually do things, and eventually I had realized I had forgotten all about it.
Today neither examples cause worry... well, the first one doesn't happen at all any more, but my brain definitely wasn't as developed as a child...
So basically; maybe meditation, and possibly distracting yourself with other activites would help?
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Meditation. I stare deep into that narrow place between blue part of the flame and yellow part of the flame of a candle and empty my mind.
It allows me to 'ground' my brain in one moment and one moment only - then I can start working on whatever is disturbing me at that moment.
Since you were diagnosed by a psychologist, I would suggest you find a psychologist who works with your list and who an help you to find YOUR tools to deal with, cope with, and mitigate as much as possible these tendencies.
Understanding self is crucial to living better. There are no cures mind you, but you can easy the symptoms and perhaps even gain more symptom free days.
I have no idea what you believe and ascribe too. I knew one girl who used her faith and prayer rituals to make everything better for her. It worked for her - if you are an atheist then it won't work for you.
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Thanks for the replies so far guys, keep them coming im looking for any out of the box healing or helping tools
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I have had minor OCD in my past, as well as my sister. Though I have not ever known anyone who has or had an extreme case of it.
For me and my sister, they were pretty much learned traits from our "mother". Her OCD came in the forms of lying, cheating, and making others feel like garbage, as well as hypochondria.
I realized what was going on with me early on, back in my 20's and dealt with it then. My sister has been dealing with hers all of her life, until the past year, when she admitted to a lot of things, which caused her OCD's to diminish, if not wither away altogether.
From my personal experience, I would suggest picking one OCD issue and fighting it face on until its been killed dead, or dealt with in an extreme way to get it from reoccurring. You have to find out what is causing the OCD and deal with it from there. If you can understand what exactly is causing the OCD's, understand the cause and why its causing you to do/think the things you do, then you can find ways to kill the OCD effects.
Finding the underlying reason is the first step. My sister refused to acknowledge the reasons of her issues, so they just got worse over the years, until she did finally confront them and deal with them on her own terms.
OCD's stem from some underlying source in your life. You just have to take each OCD at a time, figure out where it came from, why it effects you the way it does, and how to kill it off. Once you understand it, you have pretty much killed it off anyway.
As BA suggested, meditation does help, but only if you are to the point of understanding where your problem is coming from. Meditation helps you clearly see what is in your way, and how to deal with it.
Once YOU fully comprehend the basis, cause, and effects, then you can get counseling on how to just squash it.
Once one OCD is gone, work on the next one.
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Having been on medication since I was a child for various issues (OCD, ADD, depression), my first suggetion is always: See a doctor, see what they can prescribe to help.
I also suggest seeing a therapist regularly. I see mine every three weeks and my other doctor every couple months for medication checks to see if it's working or not.
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I have a history of mild OCD, also suffered with panic attacks and anxiety as well as depression. I would follow Bowyn's advice, meditation does absolute wonders.
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As others have said, therapy and medication help. I think it also helps to understand that you will have to deal with some uncertainty for the rest of your life. This is a very scary thought, because OCD demands that you know precisely what is going to happen and when. For example, using your STD scare, I am sure the OCD make it seem absolutely essential that you knew whether you had an STD or not. It wouldn't just let you shrug it off and think, "Well, maybe I have something, maybe I don't." There are going to be a lot of things that we won't know until much later--like how or when we are going to die, if we will ever get a sickness or disease, etc. Part of recovery from this disorder, though, is starting to accept that there is only so much you can control, and what you can't control cannot be changed by worrying and obsessing over it. Easier said than done, which is why I really advise a therapist, because they can work with you to prescribe a treatment plan that fits your needs.
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Oh yeah it's on your name...
Well aside from medication, obviously.. and psychological interventions done by a licensed psychologist,
Something you can do on your own to cope with this is via Self Exposure Therapy.. it's concept is pretty obvious, your brain wont find a thing frightening when it is exposed to it for a long time...You can search it on the internet for step by step process...
They also say you will be more prone to anxiety symptoms if you dont have enough magnesium on your body. So maybe consider getting some magnesium supplements...though you still have to ask your doctor about it of course..
What else? Breathing exercises would surely help...and exercising to burn the stress hormones which impedes anxiety
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Thanks guys I'm getting some great tips here honestly. Thanks so much. I will put some too use. Please if anyone else has some more tools please post any thing!
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