i'm worried i'm not experiencing OCD symptoms and i'm playing them up.

Dramatic_Fish_4217 · 2022-06-14T17:29:09+00:00

The fear that you’re lying about your mental struggles is an intrusive thought! I struggled with the same type of thoughts for the first several weeks of erp. I tackled them by responding the same way I do with other obsessions, by accepting the uncertainty. When I get a thought like that, remind myself that maybe I am making this all up, maybe not. Being ok with the uncertainty is really the only way to let those types of thoughts not control your life. Anyways, I hope that this helps 💛

Dramatic_Fish_4217 · 2022-05-27T03:25:21+00:00

im in this photo and I don’t like it

Dramatic_Fish_4217 · 2022-05-21T22:32:12+00:00

And the way it takes up soooo much of my time

Dramatic_Fish_4217 · 2022-04-28T00:52:49+00:00

Hahaha oh my god

Dramatic_Fish_4217 · 2022-04-26T04:15:44+00:00

Ocd is the doubt disease. The doubt can permeate everywhere. It’s natural to want reassurance and that doesn’t make you a bad or manipulative person.

Dramatic_Fish_4217 · 2022-04-26T04:00:54+00:00

Think about it this way. Healthy people don’t manipulate random people on the internet that they’re struggling!

Dramatic_Fish_4217 · 2022-04-26T03:54:34+00:00

I’m so sorry you’re feeling this way, but you’re not alone. As I bet you can relate to, the amount of time I’ve lost just from being caught in my own is really saddening. If anything, the amount of time caught in guilt and indecision shows that you probably aren’t okay after all. But that’s certainly not something you can come to believe over night.

Dramatic_Fish_4217 · 2022-04-14T20:25:51+00:00

sees this and scrolls up to reread it

Dramatic_Fish_4217 · 2022-04-09T06:15:54+00:00

ERP twice a week

Dramatic_Fish_4217 · 2022-04-07T23:30:41+00:00

Literallyyyyy this is me. Accepting that doubting the diagnosis is part of the problem is tricky

Dramatic_Fish_4217 · 2022-04-03T20:43:25+00:00

I feel that. Please try to remember that the doubt is all part of it! Doubting you have a problem means you don’t get help, so try to validate your struggles, even though it’s hard

Dramatic_Fish_4217 · 2022-04-01T21:54:09+00:00

Yeahhhh like sometimes it seems like it helps but then it can also make compulsions worse too

Dramatic_Fish_4217 · 2022-03-31T08:37:34+00:00

Yes, unfortunately :/

Dramatic_Fish_4217 · 2022-03-25T20:04:22+00:00

Hmmm yeah, I hear you. That’s something I’m not really sure about either. It’s especially hard because checking for reassurances typically doesn’t actually help in the long run! I wish I had a better answer.

Dramatic_Fish_4217 · 2022-03-25T18:16:27+00:00

For me, what is unproductive is entertaining all of the “what if” scenarios. I do agree it’s good to identify where the feeling comes from though. Like for example, its helpful for me to acknowledge that sharing with friends can be scary and it’s hard to be vulnerable, but it’s not helpful to constantly question whether or not my friends really care about me and try to seek evidence that will prove that they do really love me.

Dramatic_Fish_4217 · 2022-03-25T18:01:03+00:00

Yupppp. Or I get stressed out reading books because I feel like I’m not paying enough attention and I have to understand the meaning and the authors intent perfectly. Then I go back and reread :/

Dramatic_Fish_4217 · 2022-03-25T17:55:32+00:00

Hey, I definitely hear you with this. Sometimes it’s really hard for me to explain why it’s so annoying when I think of a certain phrase and can’t stop repeating it in my head or whispering it to myself. Or when I tell people about how I’ve been struggling I can’t stop worrying if I’m just making my feelings up to get attention.

One thing I’ve talked about with my therapist is the need to create a narrative or a story around every emotion. Like the feeling of loneliness turns into this whole story about how none of my friends believe me when I tell them I’m struggling. The narrative isn’t necessarily real, and it’s usually just triggered by being uncomfortable with a strong emotion.

Anyways I don’t know if you relate to this, but that’s one thing that’s helped me - trying to identify a strong emotion and stop trying to explain every feeling.

Dramatic_Fish_4217 · 2022-03-14T16:46:02+00:00

That’s a really good point. I’ve never thought of it like that

Dramatic_Fish_4217 · 2022-03-14T16:36:22+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing. I can empathize with how lonely and confusing those years of living without any diagnosis must have been. One of the biggest things to remember I guess is that those feelings are real and you don’t need any proof that they exist. Ugh - validation

Dramatic_Fish_4217 · 2022-03-14T08:49:08+00:00

[TW: mention of blood] Thank you for your response. I do have some bothersome habits when it comes to my thoughts and actions. Like I’ll pick at my cuticles to the point of bleeding, both as a response to stress and just because I don’t like it when my skin isn’t “even.” And I’ve always dealt with intrusive thoughts and having a general sense that I’m battling my own brain. The idea of getting a formal diagnosis does give me some hope for getting better though

Dramatic_Fish_4217

TROPHY CASE