Long time OCD sufferer...but I have it 99% under control! Some tips.. - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Message Board

Juliel85 · 01-20-2009, 07:38 PM

Just wanted to tell my story..

I've had OCD since I was 12-13 (I'm 25 now). I had terrible, repetitive compulsions, obsessions, thoughts. I started out on Luvox and now use Paxil. Actually, I'm weaning off Paxil and changing to Cymbalta. But what really helped was finding a wonderful psychologist. What he did was use the "challenge" method

So let's say you feel the need to run up and down the stairs ten times (this was one of mine). He would say CHALLENGE that thought by saying to yourself "What will happen to me if I dont do this?" You may think something "bad" will happen, but what will REALLY happen? Then--resist the urge to do the compulsion. After awhile, you need to come back to your original belief that something bad would happen if you didn't perform the compulsion and tell yourself--hey, I didn't do it, and nothing happened. Then in the future you remind yourself of that time when nothing happened. It gets easier the more you do it. You suffer at first but then it gets easier.

I had SO many compulsions. I couldn't wear black or flowers (too funeraly) or anything not given to me by my mom (i'd be disloyal). I ended up with like two things that were "ok". I had to write my name a certain way on homework in school--I threw out so many pieces of paper because the f's in my name looked too pointy, like knives. I broke EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. of these compulsions with the method above (ok, and meds--but I have always been on a relatively low dose).

Nowadays, I don't deal with OCD on a daily basis. Things will come up (mainly with germs) but I am pretty much under control. And trust me, I was bad off.

Just wanted to share some advice....feel free to post back and ask any questions you have, I like to help on this topic because I really understand how horrible OCD can be.

ChronicallySick · 02-01-2009, 12:38 AM

I think I will try this. I have had severe OCD ever since I was in Elementry School. It started out as just counting a certain number a certain number of times, but as the years went on the number of OCD methods just doubled. I now live with over 50 different OCDs at age 19.

Most of them deal with my own body, such as touching or hitting a certain part, tightening my chest, eye movements, ect. I OCD so much that I literally give myself severe headaches. I can't go 2 minutes without going through some kind of OCD or ritual, and it really bothers me because I don't like being in front of people because of it.

I am really excited to try out the method that you say worked for you! I will try it and see how it works.

BostonGirl44 · 02-02-2009, 10:22 AM

I've been suffering with OCD since I was 11 or 12 years old, and I'm 29 now. I check, check, check til I can't check anymore. I am obsessed with order and perfection. It's so hard to let go but I have made a decision to finally fix things as best I can. I've tried on maybe 1 or 2 occasions to "quit" cold turkey (lasting anywhere from 1 to 6 months) and always revert back to my old ways. I'm exhausted. I honestly believe I haven't tried hard enough to ignore my intrusive feelings to check and I know that I have to. I don't want medication and I have no other idea how to go about this. I haven't checked anything since yesterday around 9am. I keep reminding myself what a freeing feeling it is to not check and get myself worked up. I'm hoping this time it will stick.