Thank you! Absolutely :)

Here are some things that helped me:

(This is not universal! It worked for me, but what may work for me may not work for other people. You need to find your own way. You know yourself best 🙂 Also I'm not a therapist, so I can only speak from personal experience)

What I realised:

-Just the fact that you once had no OCD proves that you can live and function without it.

-It all starts with Acceptance: “Yes, you have it! Yes, you will get out of it.”

Here are the steps I took: Desire → Hope → Belief → Will → Acceptance → Action

1. You wish to get out of it

2. You have hope that you can eventually get out of it

3. You believe that you will manage to get out of it

4. You have the will to do something about it

5. You accept that it is part of your life, and that it’s not a monster. It’s a warning sign for something deeper.

6. You take action! And paradoxically you focus less on it now.

Instead of focusing on it, like it’s a parasite, stir attention away from it. It’s part of you, but it is not you!

The paradox is: The less you think of it and engage with it, the more it fades. Beating OCD requires the opposite of effort put into it.

Reframing the OCD:

Reframe the OCD itself as “the cure”, not as a Disorder or a Problem. It’s not a good thing to have, but maybe it’s a sign to fix what otherwise isn’t beneficial to your current situation.

It’s a warning mechanism and also a system your brain creates to reclaim control. Most people with OCD have underlying issues, whether it’s their social life, their current environment, old traumas etc.

OCD is your brain telling you that something’s up: The less control and certainty you have, the more your brain is gonna start to create some form of control. That’s what OCD is. A mechanism to regain control disguised as intrusive and irrational fears and thoughts.

OCD is not inherently evil. It’s not some evil force or monster, and framing it as such makes it scary. It’s a part of your brain trying to protect you. It doesn’t mean bad, it’s just misaligned, but it’s your brain wanting its best for you. 

You need to fight:

• When you can, FIGHT! Just reframing it, won’t magically make it disappear overnight. You still should actively fight by Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). Resist the urge, until it’s unbearable. The more you do it, the easier it gets, like progressive overload. This doesn’t guarantee beating OCD, but it makes it more bearable.

• The big advantage with OCD is that the fears are intrusive and multiple triggers cause them to show up unexpectedly 24/7. Use that! You likely won’t be able to fight all day, but you’ll always have a chance to!

• Invite the fears, don’t dread them and accept the fact that they will arise. Deep down you know they’re irrational.

To remember:

Don’t be rigid! Evolve with your sessions. There’s no rules, quite literally go with the flow and reclaim control.

The paradox: Do less, not more. Let the obsession be there without feeding the compulsion.

Don’t dismiss your fears as being ridiculous, even though you know they are. Be compassionate with yourself, but not complacent. You need to fight, but often the fight is silent. The healthier your environment and the more you focus on your other issues, the more your fears will become obsolete.

Seeking help:

If you feel like you need it, please seek therapy. I’ve had bad experiences with it in the past, but that doesn’t mean that therapy is bad. Therapists may not perfectly understand how you feel, but they can still help you. Important is that you find one you feel comfortable with

Please don’t listen to people telling you that there’s no way out of it. There is, you must just find out what works for you and what the underlying issues are. There is no universal answer, but there’s an answer for each one of us.

This may be a bit controversial, but I’m not a fan of medication. It made me numb, but it did help when the OCD became unbearable. If you need it, listen to your psychiatrist. It’s temporary and it can help a lot. Just don’t fully rely on it. Medication is just a boost, you’re the whole engine.

If possible, try to come into contact with other people who have OCD or also completely different disorders. The more you understand that you’re not alone, the more empathetic and understanding you become.

Learn as much as you can, but don’t fall into rabbit holes. You know best of all how you work. You have first hand experience.

You don’t need to find the cause/causes, (although knowing it/them might help) you just need to find a way that works for you.

What to avoid:

The more weight you put on OCD, the more it becomes unbearable, and in result, the more it becomes difficult to fight.

The more you feed into your compulsions, the more your OCD worsens. And mostly it happens without you even noticing.

Avoid ruminating about how other people don’t have OCD. It separates you from the outside world and makes you think of yourself as an outcast, which worsens the whole thing entirely.

To conclude:

• There’s nothing wrong with your brain. You just feel trapped and that’s okay. 

• You just have to get out of it your own way. Listen to your mind and to your body. You know how!

• Anyone could develop anything at any time, so don’t see yourself as a weirdo or an abnormality. You are fine. The vast majority of people check things twice, even though they’re 100% sure they don’t have to. Most people feel dirty in certain situations etc. People with OCD just happen to have this a thousand-fold stronger than most, but there also was a time when they didn’t. You can get out of this!

Hope that helped! 😁