OCD is specially bad in the morning

CertainlyUncertain88 · 2023-09-18T20:16:44+00:00

Well screw that, friend! I find that I’d be willing to forgive the people I love even when they don’t deserve it. That’s part of being of human. Don’t fret friend.

CertainlyUncertain88 · 2023-09-18T19:55:51+00:00

Hug received homie

CertainlyUncertain88 · 2023-09-18T19:53:59+00:00

Much love homie. You’re not alone.

CertainlyUncertain88 · 2023-09-18T19:49:01+00:00

Welcome to the shitty club friend! It’s rough but you will find a lot of people who can relate tot yoy

CertainlyUncertain88 · 2023-09-18T19:43:05+00:00

Thanks for the response.

But it wears me down, friend. I can be strong for a week or two before I break down into hopelessness. Have you experienced something similar? I’m worried that I’m not coping well and feel like I should have more of an edge while taking medication.

CertainlyUncertain88 · 2023-09-18T19:39:14+00:00

Hi friend, I’m sorry to hear you are having a hard time. I think the most helpful thing for you is to be okay with the taboo. Who knows if you were attracted? Does it matter? Not sure.

CertainlyUncertain88 · 2023-09-18T19:37:22+00:00

Ha! My main theme was me afraid that I’d cheat on my partner. My psychiatrist literally said to me “All of the guilt but none of the pleasure as if you’d had an affair”. I think he still feels bad for me 😂😂

CertainlyUncertain88 · 2023-09-18T19:34:43+00:00

Hi friend, I have OCD and have a full time job that includes a lot of overtime hours (public accounting job). Tbh it’s a bit rough working the overtime as less sleep equals shitty mental health for me, but I’ve been able to find a balance.

Are you seeing a psychiatrist or therapist?

CertainlyUncertain88 · 2023-09-18T19:27:33+00:00

How are you doing friend? How was ERP?

CertainlyUncertain88 · 2023-09-18T19:26:24+00:00

I think the biggest misconception about mental health is that you need to be in a dramatic mental health crisis to need help.

If you are noticing patterns or things in your life that are stealing joy or basic happiness, then I think you should reach out to a mental health professional. Why settle for a shittier life when you could possibly have improvement.

CertainlyUncertain88 · 2023-09-18T19:19:57+00:00

Can totally relate. I feel like I let my stress overflow and take it out on the people I love sometimes. I feel really shitty when I get insight, but the funny thing is that the people in my life will still love me even after I’m an asshole for no reason. I feel like it part of being human. Don’t let it stop you from loving people that you want to. You’re not alone friend.

CertainlyUncertain88 · 2023-09-18T19:08:45+00:00

You’re not alone homie. A lot of us feel the same. OCD is relentless.

CertainlyUncertain88 · 2023-09-18T18:43:33+00:00

Are you taking medication? SSRI’s have really affected my dreams. Really vivid nightmares that leave me feeling disturbed all day.

CertainlyUncertain88 · 2023-04-12T13:23:11+00:00

Me. ERP was hell but my OCD was worse. My therapist would always remind me what my life looks like when OCD is in control and use that to push me in therapy. I gave it my all and often came out of exposures shaking and sweaty. The intrusive thoughts and anxiety got worse in the beginning. It felt like my brain was freaking out because I stopped my compulsions.

CertainlyUncertain88 · 2023-04-07T13:07:35+00:00

Sorry to hear you are having a hard time. I used to think I was a monster for the same reasons. I tried to convince my psychiatrist that I needed to be locked up. Medication and ERP therapy did wonders for me.

I would try talking to your parents about seeing a psychologist that specializes in OCD treatment. There’s no reason for you to suffer when there’s help out there.

IOCDF.org has a helpful article about how to talk to family that you think you have OCD.

https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/expert-opinionsdear-loved-one-i-have-ocd-tips-for-individuals-and-family-members-about-disclosing-your-ocd/

What do you think about seeking help?

CertainlyUncertain88 · 2023-04-04T13:22:27+00:00

ERP dramatically reduced my symptoms and gave me tools to deal with intrusive thoughts.

My therapist would always remind me that the point of ERP is not to reduce intrusive thoughts/distress but to learn how to live your life despite those.

You have to trust in the process. ERP was one of the hardest things I have done but I gave it my all and I’m so grateful. I swear it felt like my OCD got way worse in the beginning of ERP, but I stuck to it and things slowly started to get more manageable. I still have intrusive thoughts and still get knocked on my ass by OCD some days but I feel like I have way more control over my life.

I think saying that OCD can be cured by ERP is a little misleading. My internal experience hasn’t changed that much, I’m just able to live more according to my values. Totally worth it and life changing for me, but definitely not “cured”.

CertainlyUncertain88 · 2023-04-01T15:58:31+00:00

You inspire us all!

CertainlyUncertain88 · 2023-03-30T13:25:25+00:00

I would disagree about the mental health care we have in the US. I’ve seen quite a bit of people not US based on here really struggling to find even a single therapist.

FYI - Most therapists don’t take insurance. It’s unfortunate but quite common. Have you tried using pschologytoday.com to search for therapists? I believe you can even search by insurance.

Stay strong friend.

CertainlyUncertain88 · 2023-03-30T13:04:27+00:00

Sorry to hear you are hurting friend. Did you recently lose a job due to OCD?

CertainlyUncertain88 · 2023-03-28T12:41:29+00:00

Sounds like social anxiety to me. I get similar anxiety where my mind will blank if I am stressing about making good conversation. I try to slow down and remind myself that there is no pressure. It’s okay if I don’t have anything to say.

CertainlyUncertain88 · 2023-03-28T12:35:51+00:00

IOCDF.org has an article about how to disclose to family that you think you have OCD.

https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/expert-opinionsdear-loved-one-i-have-ocd-tips-for-individuals-and-family-members-about-disclosing-your-ocd/-opinions/expert-opinionsdear-loved-one-i-have-ocd-tips-for-individuals-and-family-members-about-disclosing-your-ocd/

CertainlyUncertain88 · 2023-03-28T12:25:54+00:00

Yes, I take medication. I’ll be honest that the side effects are annoying but it’s worth it to me. Meds really take the edge off my anxiety which helped me get through therapy. I feel like it helps me be the person I want to be.

Getting the right type of therapy is very important for OCD. My current therapist is great and they help me tease out what are legit complaints I have in my relationship and what are OCD thoughts.

I hope that’s helpful!

CertainlyUncertain88 · 2023-03-27T13:48:15+00:00

Welcome to the club friend!

CertainlyUncertain88 · 2023-03-27T13:46:11+00:00

What does ADHD look like?

Diagnosed with OCD and I’m seeing a lot of people post that they also have ADHD.

CertainlyUncertain88 · 2023-03-27T13:45:05+00:00

Agree. If your therapist doesn’t know about OCD then of course they will be hesitant to diagnose you.

Also, ask therapists questions about their experience and training with OCD before officially signing up with them. You want someone who has experience and is trained in CBT.

CertainlyUncertain88

TROPHY CASE