2020- How will you tackle OCD this year? #WellnessWednesday

[BethIOCDF]

Hello everyone and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I hope the new year has been kind to you so far.

I just wanted to check in with everyone. How were the holidays? How are you taking in the new year? What are your plans for tackling OCD this year?

Here are some ways you could tackle OCD this year.

1. Commit (Re-commit) to your OCD treatment journey. Maybe this is the year we think differently about ERP/medication.

2. Face 1 of your fears each day/weekly.

3. Join a support group, or create one.

4. Reflect at the end of each day. How did OCD win today? How can I beat it tomorrow?

5. ENCOURAGE SOMEONE ELSE: If someone in this community is having a hard time, encourage them to push through! We are here for each other!

Share with us. How will you BEAT OCD THIS YEAR!

[Hidden]

I will beat OCD this year by using a different approach.

It is to allow the thoughts of any type be there, and not be involved with the content.

But just to observe from far away, that this is an OCD thought.

[BethIOCDF Partner IOCDF Staff in reply to Hidden]

That's awesome!!! Let us know of your progress.

[Hidden in reply to BethIOCDF]

I am having a rough week with OCD.

I am still struggling with trying not to interact with OCD thoughts.

I just automatically get trapped into the content of the thoughts.

I am working on trying to view the thought as OCD.

[BethIOCDF Partner IOCDF Staff in reply to Hidden]

Keep trying! Utilize your techniques. It's not always going to be perfect, the thing is to keep trying.

[Selesnya]

My main goal for OCD this year is to taper on my medication and keep my mental distance from my OCD thoughts. During this time I need to be mindful of nutrition, sleep and physical activity to give myself the best chance of success. Some areas I'm doing really well with, and some need some work.

I also want to reach out to my brother. I haven't been in communication with him for several years, and now I think that he has OCD as well, but I don't think that he has an actual diagnosis of it yet. I can offer him some hope that you can improve and fight back against OCD and not just continually shrink your world smaller and smaller in a futile search for safety and certainty. I don't think that he has done ERP, and it could be so useful for him.

Rather than focus on my specific fears, I am choosing to focus on what I want to accomplish and where OCD is holding me back. In thinking of goals, I can reach for desired positive outcomes and focus on what is important to me, not on the OCD-fueled (and largely irrational) fears. Focusing on the fears is giving them more power than they deserve and trying to play by OCD's rules. I am in charge. OCD is there along the way shouting out potential dangers and trying to be helpful, but I can choose to ignore it.

I have found my local OCD support group really useful. I hope that it continues to thrive even as the therapists that founded it are starting to take less of a role in running it, and handing the group over to those of us with OCD to be more of a peer support model.

[BethIOCDF Partner IOCDF Staff in reply to Selesnya]

Thank you so much for sharing. I love the plan on connecting with your brother and trying to be there for him as he struggles with OCD. I wish ayou all the success in your goals this year!