We Got This

[MyOCD123]

Hey everyone!

It’s been a rough couple of days for me and I thought we could probably all benefit from a little motivation going into this new week.

I just wanted to remind you of a few things.

1. You are truly amazing and fiercely strong. The battle we are fighting is not an easy one.

2. OCD lies. We can’t control what thoughts pop into our head and there is no meaning to intrusive thoughts.

3. Don’t negotiate with a terrorist. OCD isn’t worthy of arguing with. We can let OCD flow freely through our minds but we do not have to interact with it.

4. It’s ok to feel tired and worn down. Be kind to yourself and treat yourself as you would a best friend. Take some time to relax and do something you enjoy this week.

5. OCD will go after the things/people you care for the most. The thoughts and “urges” will feel real, but they’re not. Just another lie OCD likes to tell.

I’m so grateful for everything this group has done for me so far. The support means more than I can say. I don’t know your names or faces, but you are my people. Thank you all for lifting me up in times of need. I promise to do the same thing for you! Let’s make this week a good one!

[LuvSun]

Thanks!

[Darla638]

Thank you! That was very uplifting. I’ve struggled this past week. It’s so hard to have to fight this battle everyday. It’s comforting to know there are others like me. ❤️

[MyOCD123 in reply to Darla638]

I feel you! It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do but we CAN do this!

[Christina_G]

Thank you for this encouraging post. I feel very worn out from battling ocd, but I will keep on fighting for me and my family.

[MyOCD123 in reply to Christina_G]

I’ve been feeling super worn out too but just like you said we have to keep fighting.

[ISTY]

Let’s make it a good week!!! I am going to have my 10 year old son who is suffering through this right now read your reminders this afternoon. He goes for ERP once a week and is tired. It’s heartbreaking for me to not be able to free him of this. Love to you all.

[MyOCD123 in reply to ISTY]

ERP is super exhausting, I totally get it. I can’t imagine how much more tiring it is for a child. Praying for your son and your family! ❤️

[Blue274]

Thanks! Have a good week 2!

[Wheeloffortune]

Thanks for the reminders and encouragement!!

[Aleese]

Well written-Thank you😊 Blessings to you-

[reshon]

I have been doing the battle 40 years now, and my advice to all is take one day at a time

Sometimes lie down and meditate for 5 minutes close eyes visualize yourself where you want to be and try to will it ( not always going to work but give it a try)

[MyOCD123 in reply to reshon]

Thank you! I’m definitely taking it one day at a time right now after a bad flare up.

[Topix]

Hi, I just wanted to let you know how much this post helps me. Thank you.

[MyOCD123 in reply to Topix]

Thank you! That makes my heart happy! 💖

[disneyandme]

The "urges" are the part I struggle with the most. They feel so real, and I always still accidentally analyze them. I have a fear of self harm (cutting, hitting, etc.), started when I was a kid and saw someone with scars on their wrists and I was deathly afraid it was going to "happen to me". I googled why they do it, saw it was to get rid of emotional pain, so now a lot of the time when I'm experiencing high emotions like anger or deep sadness, I get these "urges". It's like the urge you get when you want to do a compulsion, but almost as if it's merged with my intrusive thought/fear of self harm. I try to remind myself a thought is just a thought and actions are what count, but every time it happens I'm convinced it's "real". Does this make sense to anyone? I still worry that this specific symptom isn't really OCD.

[MyOCD123 in reply to disneyandme]

You are not alone in how you feel and I absolutely understand how frightening these so called urges can feel, but the last thing you said tells me everything I need to know. “I still worry that this specific symptom isn’t really OCD”. That is EXACTLY what OCD wants - your doubt. I can not tell you how many times I have worried that a certain false memory, urge, compulsion, or intrusive thought was actually a sign of something much worse and that I was evil and bad to the core. This is OCD and it is perfectly normal to struggle with the feelings you have now. Of course you worry it is something else because it feels so real and OCD knows how badly the fear of having urges to self harm effects you. So it goes after it. The truth is that we will never know for sure if these urges are real or not real. The probability is unlikely but if we want to get better we have to accept uncertainty no matter how wrong or irresponsible it feels. There are only two options and we can either give further value to these thoughts and complete pointless compulsions or we can take a chance. We can be uncomfortable and scared but we can STILL live our lives at the same time. Having OCD is like having a big bully in your head who is always asking you to question yourself and others. I know this will be tough for you to overcome but I also know that you can win this battle and tell that doubting voice in your head to simply fuck off! (Pardon my language). Don’t forget how far you have come. This is a marathon not a race and you have my full support! Keeping you in my prayers. 💖

[disneyandme in reply to MyOCD123]

Wow, MyOCD123, you have no idea how much this post helped me. I have tears in my eyes reading it over again. You made something really click in my head when I read this the day you posted it (didn't have the chance to respond until now). "We can either give further value to these thoughts and complete pointless compulsions of we can take a chance"-- this is so great and so true. You're right, me analyzing what the "urge" is will never give me certainty or change anything other than further the issue. It tends to feel counterintuitive for us to ignore these things even though it's exactly what we need-- to take a chance. Since I read this I've been more on top of reminding myself of these words each time OCD tries to chime in. For the first time I've actually told myself "maybe the urge is real" and let go of it and tried moving on with my day after. In a way it's so much easier, but also stressful as I'm sure you know. But in this way I've gotten my time back to spend on things I value. Just wanted to thank you for taking the time to write this and I'm so happy I can have this message to read over as a reminder when I'm struggling. God bless you. You've always been so helpful in this community it's heartwarming.

And I also wanted to apologize quickly- reading it back I realized I barely acknowledged the fact you were struggling and only talked about myself. I was in an OCD panic and not thinking clearly but I shouldn't have hijacked your post, haha! I hope you listen to your own advice- I know how hard that can be. It's what we know deep down to be true but struggle to implement ourselves at times. It's only natural to have ups and downs. Just remember there will always be another up. I'm keeping you in my prayers as well ❤️

[MyOCD123 in reply to disneyandme]

I am so glad my reply was able to help you! I know how important and meaningful the support we can receive on this platform is and I am so happy and proud of you for doing better with the compulsions. I know that each and every one of is capable of resisting, even though it does not always feel that way. I also love to hear that you are getting time back that would have been otherwise spent on these compulsions. OCD has taken so much from me and others on this platform and we all deserve to take something back - and should take something back - as often as we can. The help I can provide for others makes the pain from OCD worth it, even on the bad days. You have always been a support to me and I am grateful for that and for this entire community. I could not be fighting this battle alone without the support I receive on here. Thank you for keeping me in your prayers, it truly means a lot to me. And no worries about discussing yourself on this post! I want to hear how all of you are doing and be free to express your concerns and worries whenever you need.