Hi. My name is Susan, and I am 29 years old. I suffer from OCD and was looking for someplace online that may offer some support or stories of other people with this frustrating disorder. People in my daily life who know about my OCD try to understand me and are typically very patient, but anyone who does not have this cannot possibly understand what it can do to a person. My OCD began very early on in life, but I received my actual diagnosis at the age of 16. I have some minor compulsive behavior, but I am mostly what they call a "Pure O." I worry all of the time…Mostly about things of no just cause. Anything can happen…I can hear something on the radio, see something on t.v., hear certain words people around me say, see certain colors or numbers…And it triggers something in my head that sets off into a long-term spell of some particular worry. Sometimes my worries focus on a particular disease or illness; sometimes I worry that I am getting signs that I am going to die at particular times; sometimes I worry that I am going to do something wrong to someone I love; sometimes I am just overwhelmed with guilt about anything I may have done wrong. The list goes on and on. I know all of this sounds ridiculous, but I was hoping that finding a site like this would enable me to meet people that may share some similarities. I know no case of OCD is exactly the same, but anyone who suffers from this disorder will understand some of what I feel. Please feel free to send me a message or chat at any time I may be online. I look forward to meeting any of you. As much as you may offer comfort or support to me, I hope to do the same for some of you. I have been through a lot with OCD, and there is a lot I may understand about what some of the rest of you are going through. Thanks for reading, and I wish you all well.
-Susan
Hi Susan and welcome!! I just found this site yesterday and I am new to this also. I have had ocd my whole life and was diagnosed with it 2 years ago. I lived in denial of my symtpoms, which made it harder for my family and friends. I have both obsessions and compulsions. I worry about everything and everyone!! Everything has to be "just right" for me or perfect. My compulsions can be bad…I scratch my face alot, and have tons of routines. Unfortunately, I don’t have much social support. Many people in my life are not so patient about my ocd nor understanding. I was in a master’s program and couldn’t complete it because my work was always late or I was always late. I needed my work to always be perfect and it would take up so much of my time… Not having that understanding, patience and support drew me here….I need support and hope to support others as well. I know that your journey through life is hard but I wanted you to know that there are people here willing to walk with you on that journey. Drop a line by me anytime
\..You’re right insomuch as no two cases of OCD are exactly alike..& furthermore individual cases are constanting "morphing" & evolving into ever changing variants..however the one common denominator we all share is that we "hurt"..perhaps are numbers in force spread that pain more evenly & makes it more bearable..welcome aboard & be strong..\
Dear Susan
I too, can get into a thought rut. I have tried self brain washng. What I mean by thisis when the thought begin intruding, I fix my self on a phrase which makes me feel better, then i begin saying it out loud or write down on paper. I keep repeating or writing it for as long as it take to surplant the other thought. I need to say also that I FOCUS exclusively on this repeated or written statement until the worry subsides. Then I do other things like make a gratitude list. That is I begin making a list of all that works in my life, from the very simpylist things to more complicated one. For example I am grateful I can breathe on my own. I am grateful that I can walk, talk, feed myself, ets until I get to more complex ones like I am grateful I can provide for myself, I am grateful for my animal companions, I am grateful I can enjoy a good book etc. It is most important to me to keep this up until the anxiety lifts and I feel less controlled by the intrusive thoghts. Since not a lot can be accomplished anyway, I stick to this process until I feel relief. Hope it works for you. The idea is that you can only hold one thought in your head at a time and you can control what that thoughjt will be. Mary