Making sense of this

[Mamatired]

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve been diagnosed with OCD. At first I was very doubtful about it but the more I read about it, the more I see myself in various stories. Does anyone else feel somewhat relieved after being diagnosed?? I am starting to feel a bit relieved because as I reflect back at my past actions and choices, I’m beginning to have some sense of clarity now. I am started to recognize moments when I was driven by obsessions and am not feeling so much shame and embarrassment over previous actions. I am accepting that I cannot change those actions and obsessions of my past and can actively work on my present and future.

Also - Does anyone with ocd know if this is a symptom? I’m not quite sure about it. When I get my mindset in a task, I don’t know when to stop. I keep going until I get fatigued and am forced to stop?? Not sure how to explain it. I’m wondering if anyone else with OCD gets this way sometimes.

[Joeyman]

Welcome to the club.

[Mamatired in reply to Joeyman]

Yippee

[EleanorRose]

Hi, nice to meet you here. I have been (sometimes still am) in denial about my OCD, although my therapist thinks that is actually because of the OCD. I've done some reading around that issue and it does make sense. I think the benefits of diagnosis and knowing for sure are definitely that you're able to understand yourself better and maybe forgive yourself for things in the past or look back on yourself with more kindness. I find it also helps to explain things to other people sometimes if you need to.

The second question, it's not something I've ever really experienced but it certainly sounds like it might be part of OCD. Is there a reason why you can't stop? Something bad you fear happening? Is it a desire to be 'perfect'?

If its negatively impacting your life, its definitely worth exploring and seeing if there are ways in which you can stop before the point of exhaustion.

Take care.

Eleanor

[Mamatired in reply to EleanorRose]

Good questions. I am not quite sure. Sometimes it is a mixture of wanting to be perfect and sometimes it’s due to an irrational fear. It varies. I’m still learning about OCD and I feel sad because I’m learning that some of the things I do and obsess over are things that my family and other people don’t have to think twice about. It’s frustrating because i feel like I’ve “wasted” so much of my life and have made it harder than it’s supposed to be. What resources helped you the most in gaining more clarity and insight about OCD eleanor