I’m 38 years old. I was diagnosed several years ago, but can now see how OCD was showing up in my life as early as middle school.
Only this year did I finally seek therapy. I tried erp myself for a couple years. I researched and watched every video and read every article I could find. I quit my meds and tried all recommended supplements. Finally I threw in the towel and went back on meds and got therapy.
The cure:
Stop searching for a cure. Much like the person confined in a wheel chair must at some point accept their lot - so must we. And just like them, once we decide to go ahead and live, the reminders of our suffering will lessen. But, there is no short cut. There is no magic exposure, and no magic pill. It’s a combination of medicine, time, therapy and acceptance that eventually leads to peace. And peace isn’t the absence of anxiety. Peace is the state of being that says, “yeah I might be anxious today, and I might be more anxious tomorrow, but I’m gonna keep going anyway.” Eventually through this mentality, freedom is found.
If you’re reading this and you just felt a wave of relief and peace, then you’re only experiencing the temporary relief of the reassurance compulsion that led you here. Your anxiety will come back in 10 or 15 min. Decide now you don’t need to read this again. You don’t need to “do” anything. Go live . The fear is an illusion, and it will never totally go away…… but that’s ok, and deep down you know that.
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This is such a great post! And reading it has already helped me so much! As I feel a renewed strength within me to keep on doing my best to rise above the struggle. And move forward!
May God Bless you and bring you Peace in all that you do!!!
Well, if that helps you - great. But OCD is a neurometabolic disease with known abnormalities related to brain cell energy and damage of the neuronal membranes. Something that is possible to fix with OTC supplements.
Ability of the cells to make energy is the key for curing this disorder, but the obstacle is very high oxidative stress which can have one of many causes. Finding that cause is tricky. Boosting energy otherwise is rather simple.
Yes. In general there is no silver bullet, but this approach helped a lot to mitigate severe OCD:
- fixing oxidative stress by NAC (primarily) + Nrf2 activator (sulforaphane. Any activator will do)
- Figuring out what impairs energy production. Seems like iron deficiency primarily, but since oxidative stress has been there for years, other metabolic pathways became severely depleted as well: B12 metabolism is clearly damaged and small amounts of B12 daily are required, matching with small doses of folate.
Also B1, B2 and B3 are needed too, but not too much, otherwise will have opposite effect due to increased oxidative stress that exceeds capacity to fight it off.
NAC is usually packaged as 600mg per capsule, sometimes more (1g). That's pretty good to start with.
But in general I wouldn't recommend taking anything without studying basics of the metabolism first. Or at least check how other people are taking supplements. E.g. NAC should go with small doses of molybdenum to compensate for increased sulfite synthesis, but Moly will require good iron status, good enough SAMe status and so on.
B vitamins can be started with smaller dose than in a tablet/capsule - to check for tolerance of increased metabolism. OCD is quite tricky as I noticed - small increases improve symptoms, but going beyond body's ability to tolerate increased energy will made OCD worse. That was our experience. I figured multivitamins for kids are well dosed for this
Indeed. While I am more than a bit older I came to the same conclusion after meds and therapy proved ineffective. My challenge has been quite a struggle because in addition to OCD I have been diagnosed with Asperger's, BiPolar, and PTSD. The only practical solution to all this is acceptance. Doing so makes life smoother and less frustrating.
HERE HERE! This is how I found my glimmer of hope two years ago. I got to the “fuck it” point of my severe spiral and just said if it happens, it happens. My ocd will ride along with me but it no longer holds the steering wheel. Now I offer support to those all around the globe by helping them see this same revelation. Together we will face this monster and realize one by one that the monster isn’t really a monster at all. It was never there.
Why not guide me how to come out of these deadly diseases here caste colour county is not important as humanbeings advising or taking others problem like our problem is good humanity u know how much problem we ocd people are suffering
Truly an amazing post! While reading it, it reminded me of myself. I was misdiagnosed and for years I thought I suffered from anxiety and panic attacks. While I certainly experience both of these, they are a consequence of my intrusive thoughts. I try to read everything I was able to find in order to prove I don't have OCD. All I found was actual proof that I do have it. Then, just like you, I went on a search to find "reasons why" and a "cure". I couldn't find the answer to either of these questions. I tried to be off the meds (just because I listened to people convincing me I don't need them anymore) and that was catastrophic. I've done cleanses, and been on a vegan diet, doing yoga daily, but nothing cured me.
As you correctly said, there is no cure. Even with the meds and therapy, we will still experience occasionally intrusive thoughts, fear, anxiety, and panic attacks. While that might be disappointing and discouraging at times, we should learn to accept it. What other options do we have but to accept and love ourselves?
There are parts of this that may be true for worry. First let's start with the definition of ocd and anxiety. Ocd stands for obsessive compulsive disorder. It is a anxiety disorder not a made up disorder. It does have to fo with brain chemistry. I think anyone posting about this disorders should be clear on the definition. Yes myself and others as sufferers do have to keep moving through the anxiety there will be more challenging times then not. If this post says anything. It is that we should keep trying.
I understand you are trying to offer some comfort and support to those of us suffering with OCD. But the title was very much "click bait" to claim there was a cure.
"The cure is giving up hope that there will ever be a cure" is not helpful. OCD and anxiety are brain processes that run on the unconscious mind. Being aware of them, and being aware we will always be stuck with it, isn't going to end the suffering anymore than being aware that your arm is broken will stop the pain.
I disagree, but see where you’re coming from. A better analogy might be to compare it to grief. The loved one that passed isn’t coming back. Zero chance. Life must go on….. it doesn’t mean you’re stuck in grief forever, unless of course you get stuck by not accepting that life goes on.
It isn’t that there is no hope - it’s that only through acceptance will there be hope. Of course therapy, possibly medication etc are all part of acceptance.
As far as hoping for a cure…. Sure I hold out that hope, in the same way I hold out a hope of seeing my dad and grandparents in heaven. But I’m not going to pretend I’m gonna see them tomorrow. I’m not going to sit a wait till heaven to live. Just like I’m not going to wait for a cure to go ahead and live life anyway.
For me, I kept looking and looking. Hoping the right pill, strategy, or supplement would make it all stop…. I was looking for a hack. And there isn’t any hack. That being said, that definitely doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy life.
Grief is not a permanent mental state. It's a temporary emotion that follows a tragedy.
OCD is a permanent mental disability. As far as a "cure", Psilocybin may be the closest we will get, though it only "cures" you for several months at a time.
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