ADAA Personal Story: Dreaming Beyond My OCD

[ADAATeamRachel]

"Because of my mental health disorders, I was barely surviving and to me, dreaming was a luxury. For the longest time, I could not envision my life in any sort of positive, productive, happy or healthy way, much less dream about a future," Maria says. "I found a new doctor and over the next year I breathed, ate, and practiced ERP like my life depended upon it. Actually, it did! It was one of the hardest but best things I have ever done to get better."

Read Maria's full story here: adaa.org/living-with-anxiet...

[Weatherwoman]

Thank you for sharing your story. I, too, suffered Years with OCD (most likely the same Horrible Intrusive thoughts as you, or similar). It wasn't till my late fifties that I rec. the proper help with a kind, Knowing therapist who Understand OCD, and this manifestation of OCD (there are SO many)! I, also, did EPR (a lifesaver). It took Years & many, many setbacks to finally realize that these were Thoughts that did NOT define who I was, that many others suffered with them (there was a time that I thought that I was the ONLY one in the world). I am much older now, and I still have the thoughts from time to time, but like you mentioned, don't go down that "rabbit hole!" Oh, they do "bother" me from time to time, and I have to use my "tools," etc., but there is Help out there. I do believe that the suffering in Utter Silence for SO many years wrecks us --however, when I first encountered these intrusive thots., there was NO help out there (this was in the "dark ages," of mental illness & the Stigma was horrendous)! I do wonder that even in today's "better" atmosphere of talking about mental health issues, I wonder if there are others who Sit in Utter Silence unable to live their lives bc they think They are the ONLY one's, and wonder "WHY," WHY would I have such thoughts. Anyway, thank you again for sharing.