OCD Support Thread

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I like your avatar DataB4! It's cool ^^^^^^^

Yes, it's frustrating when people just tell you what to do, don't give a rationale, and expect you to be motivated to try it. It'd be laughable if it weren't so common.

Sometimes they think I don't trust them. Sometimes they just don't want to take time to explain, because they're so sure their advice will work. Experts tend to want people to respect their knowledge and experience by trusting their judgment without requiring rationale. At least, that's often been my experience. Do you agree?


I'm curious: if you've shared this frustration with your therapist, how did you tell her and what did she say, if you can remember?

I agree with everything you think. The experts just want you to do whatever they say because they are experts. What if one told me to go jump off a cliff? Would I be forced to do that, too? It annoys me sometimes because I want to do what they say, but it seems so dumb I just can't bring myself to do it. If they gave me a reason I might!

I have shared this frustration with him. At my last appointment, he asked me what techniques he has taught me to help curb my anxiety. I gave kind of a smart arse type of answer. I said, "I don't know, feel my toes (mindfulness) and breathe fresh air?" He laughed, and then replied, "I won't be able to help you if you keep thinking of it like that." Or something along those lines. How else am I supposed to think of it?! You told me to go out and breathe fresh air!

Oh! I don't think his response is very helpful either.

I wonder what he'd say if you told him about our conversation, especially the part about how you feel more motivated/enthusiastic/whatever words you want to use, when you understand how the technique works.

That's actually a really decent idea ! I will bring that up next time definitely.

Cool, thanks. I've always been blind.

I don't know how you managed to 'suffer in silence for decades.' I couldn't have done that. Reassurance sure beats that.

The problems with reassurance are:
It means that I'm reinforcing that part of me that doesn't trust my judgment.

People don't mind offering a little reassurance and they do it without comment. But if I ask too much, the response is, 'Trust yourself!' or worse, 'I've told you that, why don't you trust me?'

Anyway, I hope you are having a great night and not reading this forum while I'm posting this. It's either too late or way too early.

My rational side doesn't always win out with my anxiety but I try to separate facts & opinions in my mind to win the argument that happens.


With conversation I can't quite put my finger on what happens but yeah my brain cannot concentrate on a conversation while it wrestling with OCD / anxiety so my mind just picks on key words usually triggers that just feeds the anxiety.

I think with my guitar the volume does help ( drowns out the outside world ) but I tend to go into hyperfocus mode because I'm not that good so have to concentrate really hard on what I'm doing - it's like escapism and I would play till my fingers bled if my GF didn't say 'you've had 5 hours now I think it's time you came back'.

Don't worry about driving me crazy , it's far too late for that

It's 4:00 in the morning now , I'd better go to bed or I will be a grumpy git tomorrow with my guests , speak tomorrow

Night Ferris . Sweet dreams !

That often results in dueling perspectives for me: rational versus anxious. When I find realistic thoughts that resonate with me, it's a big deal. Otherwise, if I'm doing it all cognitively, then another person's voice adds weight to my own rational one.



How intense and overwhelming.



I tend to get really involved in things, and that helps me also.



Yes that's right, we're supposed to be saving you!

Well, we're not doing a good job of saving you from the wrath of your guests. Good night, or good morning.

I would like to be part of this thread too. I have ocd that's somewhat under control with antidepressants. I'm scared to go without pills as my obsessive thoughts come in a very vivid way.

Welcome to the thread! I apologize if you see anything here that offends you (some of my obsessions are very vivid as well). You can read my profile if you would like to see what type of OCD I have, and feel free to share anything you want. This thread doesn't always have to be about OCD either, sometimes this thread can just help as a distraction or a way to have fun if you don't like talking about your OCD. I hope you can find "support" here!

I don't think I have typical OCD and I think I don't have any compulsions except that I need to walk without stepping on the lines, I used to have more of them though especially when I was a kid but I wasn't diagnosed then since both my parents have ocd themselves and I didn't look too weird to them I guess. (Actually we find my sister quite weird as she is just so normal functioning ) But then my obsessions turned into hallucinations and there were times I wasn't able to know whether what I was going through was actually real. I got a double diagnosis then which were ocd and mild schizophrenia. Every professional that I visited after that told me that I have OCD while schizophrenia was never thought of again and I was also told those experiences were caused by severe OCD which kinda made sense.

I couldn't quite see on your profile any info about the type of your OCD. But I've seen you posting everywhere and you seem like a very lovely person!

Oh! I don't know why it won't show up.^^^^^^^^^

Basically, I have hypochondriasis, which make me terrified of certain mental (and sometimes physical) disorders (schizophrenia being one of them). OCD can do some weird things sometimes, as it seems you have also experienced, so I basically convince myself I have mild schizophrenia as well. I just didn't want you or anyone else to be offended that I fear it, but it seems like the diagnosis was incorrect for you as well. We have another ferret here who shares my fear as well, so please don't be offended by our fears! We don't have a whole lot of control over what we worry and obsess about .

Thank you, you seem like a very lovely person as well ! I don't know what this "typical" OCD is, though!

How was the visit today, Ferris?

It's all done & dusted now and wasn't that bad , no more visitors for a while