Published on 12, July, 2020
How many of you suffer with OCD? I know I've posted about this before, but I thought I'd do it again as I've been suffering greatly with it as of late. My symptoms are varied, you have the pretty standard ones, like washing your hands every fifteen minutes in case you didn't do so properly the previous time, but also, and I'd be interested to know if anyone else has this, ruminations on events that happened at least five years ago. You can't look at something without somehow being reminded of an event you regret.
Thankfully, CBT therapy has been arranged and I'll be having it in at least September, but until then, I have to suffer with those three letters that, if you've never heard of them, you're clearly living a better life - OCD. I know this isn't the happiest of posts, but you can't expect me or indeed anyone to be happy all the time. Everyone, including people like Mr. Jolly from Playdays (remember him?) has to feel any emotion other than happiness at least once in their life.
But please do tell me your interactions with it if you have it and/or know someone else who does. My dad and his surviving niece also have it, but my surviving niece took CBT which, as I've heard, is life changing. Looking forward to having it!
Good to hear it - I look forward to CBT.
Sorry to hear of your struggles. Just remember that you aren't alone. I will admit right here and now (and I don't normally do this) that my OCD has lead to me tearing my hair out in stress, which made my forehead look like one of David Beckham's *** hairstyle attempts.
I've never heard of that term, no. I'm not interested in the intricacies of OCD enough to know those details, mainly because I can't fucking stand OCD. Thankfully, they've arranged CBT, as it says in the post.
As for organising things, it's pretty normal to want to make things look presentable, particularly when someone else you enjoy will be seeing them, but checking again and again is one of the common symptoms of OCD.
I don’t have OCD, but I do love to organize things. My mother may have OCD because she cleans every day. My dad may have OCD because he loves to organize the trash which I find amusing. Have you ever heard of the term Knolling? It’s an organization technique people use. It was created by a Janitor in 1987. It’s pretty interesting. I think you might like the concept. I remember walking around at my local staples and organizing the duck tape that was not organized. It drove me up a wall and I had to fix it. Maybe it’s just living with parents that have OCD that makes me like this.
Glad to hear you're going to be having cbt I do and it works wonders for me. My OCD is basically obsessive thoughts about dying and my health. I'm constantly organising and rearranging things like the books on my shelf and I wash my hands, face and arms all the time and that's led to soreness unfortunately. Another part of my OCD is like yours where certain things take me back and then comes sadness and guilt of said event and day. That's a horrible one because it leads to flashbacks for me.
But I do have cbt and that does help make this more bearable so I can't complain about it too much.
I think I may have contamination based OCD and am awaiting an assessment (5 months time) to see if I can be referred for CBT.
I feel like any object that another human has touched is just alive and crawling with germs and I hate to touch something like this as then I feel as though I can feel all the germs crawling on my skin and it is unbearable until I have washed my hands. I don't like my clothes to touch something that other people's clothes have touched either. If, for example, the person who I live with comes in the house, then makes himself a cup of tea without first washing his hands, I have to disinfect everything he has touched before I can touch it. I also don't like breathing in the same air that other people have breathed out.
I am also terrified of the sun/daylight touching my skin in case I get skin cancer. (my skin reacts badly to UV light and I am covered in moles). So leaving the house involves a lot of covering up, but even then, after all the covering up, and inside the house I still feel as though I being blasted with radiation and can never quite relax until the sun has gone down.
It doesn't sound much but these two things together on top of my sensory issues, social issues, anxiety and wanting to avoid any change to my routine etc... all together make for a bit of a nightmare!
My OCD is based on having an ordered routine or not use to changes, making sure when I clean or tidy everything is in line and stand correctly or when wash my hands I do it constantly until my skin peels. At the same time when I see someone out of line or messy even though it’s not my responsibility I always clean it up or make it right that way it helps me. I do find it exhausting most times but I can’t stop.
I have OCD. I'm sorry you do as well, it's really horrible and I struggle with it every day. I'm not sure if it's the same for you but I find it exhausting as well and it almost burns me out.
I get the usual like hand washing and if I see a red or white car then something bad will happen. I also have to brush my hair over and over again because it feels like it's become untidy and messy which can be painful on my scalp. I get thoughts suddenly when I see or hold a knife and that's that I'll flip and suddenly hurt someone I love or if I suddenly hurt myself.
It's good you're going to be having CBT. I hear that's really useful and has good results for a lot of people so hopefully you will be the same. I haven't seen a Dr in ages but next time I do need to I might mention CBT as life with this can be unbearable at times.