ocd, how to handle it

I suffer from anxiety and I get spouts of terrible OCD. Is there any non-presribed things to take to deal with OCD. Does anyone have knowledge on OCD and how to handle it. I have been trying to distract myself, calm myself down. I've used meditation a few times. I've tried everything I can. I know nothing about OCD. I ususally go to sleep and then my anxiety fades away. is there any other way to handle OCD and anxiety.

[Natureloverpeace]

iocdf.org is a great resource to learn about OCD. ERP is the gold standard treatment for it because it has the most evidence for its effectiveness. It should be done by a licensed mental health provider who specializes in OCD and is appropriately trained in ERP. Learn how the OCD cycle works and what feeds it. By the way, using distraction to reduce or get of your distress feeds the cycle. The Peace of Mind Virtual Community, part of the IOCDF, does educational livestreams every Tuesday and Wednesday which are recorded. I encourage you to check it out.

[Hidden in reply to Natureloverpeace]

How do I get on the livestreams. Do you have to be present, is it like skype? is it like telecommunication or can you just listen? Thank you for the reply.

[Hidden in reply to Natureloverpeace]

i think you have to pay. not quite sure how i get on it.

[Natureloverpeace]

You can check the schedule by going to iocdf.org and click on Resources and Support, then click on Peace of Mind Virtual Community. The livestreams are free on social media platforms Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and X (formerly known as Twitter). I’m not sure if they’re still on Instagram or not. I watch them on YouTube through the IOCDF channel. I subscribe to the channel but you can just type in IOCDF in the search bar to get it too. For Facebook, just type in IOCDF in the search bar and then click on videos. I don’t use LinkedIn or X but I would guess that you could type in IOCDF in the search bar and get the livestreams that way. You can just watch and listen but you also have the option of typing in a question in the chat feature. You can see the presenters but they can’t see you. The livestreams are recorded for later viewing on Facebook and YouTube. The livestreams are titled Ask the Experts, Lunch and Learn, Community Conversations, Town Hall, Research Roundtable, Diversity Roundtable, and Faith and OCD Roundtable.

[FirstResponder23]

Hi,

I’m so sorry to hear you are struggling as well. There are MANY things you can do to help ocd become quieter. Once of the major things that helped me was ERP Therapy with my psychologist. ERP is pretty straight forward, and seeing someone who is certified to deal with OCD makes completing the exercises so much easier. There are also medications out there that help with balancing out the levels in our bodies to help intrusive thoughts be quieter and less frequent. I know medication is a scary thing to look into, I was very scared at first (part of it being ocd around medicine) but I got a great psych who listened to me and started me off with the basic protocol and adjusted as needed. If medication is 100% a no for you, I do strongly suggest getting with a licensed mental health professional who deals with ocd. They can teach you all about what’s going on and give you insightful talks about how you’re feeling or what you experience. I know it can be tough at times, but don’t fight the ocd. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but sitting in the thought and not letting it make you scared, and almost bossing it back and poking fun at it helps. View it as something external and have a conversation with it. Make jokes at it.