I hate it here

[sailorguardian]

I am really frustrated. I want to participate in a treatment program and while I was in the hospital I was recommended to do a partial hospitalization program because they are SO good. I thought this was a great idea and I immediately called to ask for help but it's super expensive and I can't afford it. I currently have no therapist, medications, or any form of treatment and I feel like my OCD is so severe I really need to be watched or something. Idk what to do I am located in the Bay Area in CA, USA so let me know if y'all have any recs, I am super sad

[IStillHaveHope]

I'm sorry you're having a tough time right now. It does suck that some of the program you want costs so much money. When I was initially looking for help, the one psychiatrist who was awesome, was just way out of my price range. Don't give up though, there are so many other resources out there that can help.

First, if you haven't, talk to you doctor about what you're really feeling. For me, things started to turn around when I was just honest with my doctor. He prescribed some medicine and I asked him to recommend a therapist.

I don't know if you have any health insurance or anything, but I was able to find a great therapist who took my insurance and was only like a $10 co-pay.

There are also many workbooks you can buy that help teach you the tools you need to manage your OCD. I went through one years ago and it really helped me understand what I was feeling and to begin to tackle it. I don't know if this was the one, but it was something like it:

amazon.com/OCD-Workbook-Bre...

There are also a lot of apps too. I used the one called "Unwinding Anxiety" by Dr. Judson Brewer. The base app is free, but I paid for 6 months of additional access (I think it was like $150 or something). It was more geared towards just anxiety reduction, but I think there were some good tools in it. There is also the NOCD app, but I don't have any exposure to it.

There are also a ton of online resources as well. A lot of people here seem to like the International OCD Foundations website (iocdf.org/) but I haven't really poked around in it too much. Not to mention tons of great videos explaining OCD and it's treatments and techniques online as well.

There are also a lot of self help groups who meet weekly to talk about what they are facing. I don't have one for your area, but I was able to find one fairly easily online.

I feel for you, I really do. I (and probably a lot more people here) know what you're feeling and going through. There is help and, at least in my experience, it doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg.

I really hope you find some peace in all this friend. God bless you.

[makudo]

I hope you get better soon

[Sallyskins]

It really sucks, when you need treatment and can't afford it. Here in England we have the National Health Service, or NHS, which means that treatment is based on need and funded by public money. It's overstretched and understaffed, and there's a waiting list for many things, but once you get your treatment it's first class.

I had a four month stay on an OCD ward and the treatment was really good, and helped me a lot. And it didn't cost. If only patients in the US had a similar scheme!

But there is a lot you can do to learn about how to deal with OCD from books. My old favourites are Overcoming Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and The OCD Workbook - both explain different types of OCD and have exercises you can adapt to your own case. I really benefited a lot from these - they can really help you start climbing out of the pit OCD puts you in. I've heard of (and read extracts from) another book that sounds really helpful - Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts by Sally M Winston and Martin N Self.

There are many others and it's worth checking them out and trying out a few - there may be one that suits you really well.

Of course it's not the same as one-to-one treatment with a therapist, but self help books can put you on the road to recovery and in a better place. And they're helpful as an adjunct to proper treatment if you are able to access it.

[river_of_hope in reply to Sallyskins]

I'm sorry things reached the point where you needed hospitalisation but I'm glad it was helpful for you. I agree with your thoughts on the NHS, hopefully the lack of funding will be rectified in the not too distant future, even if it takes a new government to achieve this.

Thank-you for the books you mentioned, most were new to me and I'll check them out. I'm having the most difficult time ever with my ocd and feeling close to despair at times

I've seen several psychologists and tried different medications but it's been unrelenting for most of my life. I'm hoping increasing the self help, through some additional learning, will help ease things a little and I hope you're in a good place with your ocd at the moment.

[Sallyskins in reply to river_of_hope]

Thanks for your reply. I know just how difficult OCD can make things, but it is possible to bounce back from it, if not to normality, at least to being able to do much more.

I've managed to bounce back from a place where I could barely move from the sofa to being able to do quite a lot! I've had some good therapists, but self help books have also played a part.

There are online resources too - but be careful! Anyone offering a quick fix is a fraud, and if they refuse to tell you what the treatment consists of unless you pay them up front, then they're doubly a fraud!

The NHS is remarkably efficient, compared to private medicine, but the staff are so overstretched I often wonder how they manage!

Recovering from OCD is slow and can also be painful - I think it's important to push yourself as far as you can in doing the exercises, but not overdo it. Be gentle with yourself and don't demand too much of yourself or beat yourself up. The tiniest improvement can make a big difference!