If you could go back in time, whether that's to last week, last year, or ten years ago, and impart some knowledge or advice on your old self - what would you say? I went 19 years with untreated OCD. It impaired my life in ways I'm still learning as I navigate recovery. If I could go back, I would tell myself to seek out ERP much sooner and remind myself that I'm stronger than I think.
I went 20 years with untreated OCD. Nobody diagnosed me because I’m not “stereotypically” OCD. If I could go back in time, I would tell my 15 year old self, who was in therapy for other things, to get evaluated for OCD. It would have been great to have treatment for it. I accidentally came across my OCD as a diagnosis in college - I was in a psychology class, and we did a class on OCD, and going over the symptoms, I was like, “… wait a minute here”, and talked to my therapist about it. But 20 years I lived not knowing what the hell was wrong with me.
Thank you so much for sharing this with me, thecannibalkitty! I am very sorry to hear that you went 20 years of living without the proper treatment for OCD. How incredibly frustrating! So glad that you took that psychology course and were able to advocate for yourself and your recovery!
I was fortunate enough to find NOCD within a couple years of my intense OCD period. I had mostly mental compulsions, reassurance seeking and minimal physical compulsions. If I had to tell myself something, I'd point out self-compassion. There were moments I struggled so much to love myself although I am a very compassionate and empathetic person towards others. Self-love is still tough at times, but trying my best everyday!! I was doing talk therapy which was my major form of reassurance seeking. I can't go back and change that or bash my OCD untrained therapist for providing reassurance but I do wish that I could have been screened for OCD before doing talk therapy because it definitely made things difficult for me.
Thank you so much for sharing! Self-compassion is so important and I love to hear that you are actively trying to implement it every day now. You are so worthy of loving yourself!
I would have told myself to seek ERP rather than work on resolving childhood traumas; I would have told myself how to distinguish between thoughts, emotions, opinions; and I would have encouraged myself to seek help, to communicate when things aren’t easy, to trust I have good people around me to support me!
Thank you so much for sharing, Martyna! I'm right there with you - this would have been great knowledge to know beforehand - but thankful we know it now!
I would tell myself to keep advocating for myself. If you are in therapy & you aren’t making progress, or something is always in the way, & you are not getting better, but you keep trying over & over again to explain what is happening in your mind all the time, & what it is like living with your thoughts, please seek out another opinion. Get checked to see if you have another mental health condition. I spent 10 years in talk therapy because I was diagnosed with depression, anxiety & ptsd. It never helped long for term. I never got better & my mind still continued to work the same way & cause problems so severely for me. A year ago I found NOCD & was officially diagnosed as having ocd & my journey here began. I see now that I have had ocd since I was a small child. I just never had the words to so accurately describe it so that someone would know that was what it was. I am 48 years old & been in the right kind of therapy now for a year. It makes me sad to think how different things could have been if someone had seen it a lot sooner. How many years of such intense struggle could have been avoided. No matter now though, because it is never too late to get the help one needs. Over the past year I have come a long way. I am doing better in some ways. I still have work to do & I am currently working on my hardest erp yet. Right now it feels pretty bad & I get pretty sad over & over again. But I’m doing the work & I am trusting that better is coming if I keep doing the hard work. Even though I have been in ocd therapy with NOCD for a year, feel like I am just now getting to what are some of my biggest fears & the things that I compulse about the most. So I would tell myself to keep trying & never give up. Keep advocating for myself until someone understands what I am telling them happens inside my head. Don’t just accept there talk therapy treatment if it is not helping still after 10 years. Dare to keep going on until you get the diagnosis & the treatment that you need. You are so worth it & you deserve to get better! That is what I would tell myself.
Thank you so so much for sharing, Trish! What an incredible reminder to all of us to never stop advocating for ourselves. I hope you are incredibly proud of yourself and your perseverance in recovery!
Hi everyone! I have been searching for community for OCD for a while, and I’m so happy I came across this. I was diagnosed when I was 8 years old. I would tell myself that the thoughts/fears I was having was my body’s natural reaction to what was going on in my head. I would tell myself that I’m not crazy, and that I just need to learn how to make myself better. This helps normalize the situation. This would have helped me not feel as tortured as a kid and feel less alone.
We are so grateful that you found us, rachhans125 and thank you so much for your openness in sharing! All such great advise for your younger self.
I would tell myself that I do indeed live to reach 30+ and that it is absolutely worth pursuing education and improving at hobbies like art and Japanese
Love this! Thank you so much for sharing, zragon!
I would say be calm. You spend so much time worrying there was days I cried because I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t do simple task because it would take me so long to do. Walking around my house I took so many steps in each room because I was aware of the number of steps the that number wasn’t never okay. I would tell myself to be calm and that your thoughts DO NOT make you. Enjoy your time on this Earth and love everything.
Thank you for sharing, Kyleigh0227 and I'm so sorry to hear how you struggled with OCD. I'm so glad to hear that it sounds like you are on the road to recovery and I love this advice!
I wish I’d have gotten the right help sooner so it never got so bad every time it gets bad I went to end it all bc life doesn’t feel like it’s worth living with this fear.
Thank you for sharing this with me! I am sorry to hear that you have been struggling with OCD that sounds like it ebbs and flows and can get very bad. Please know that you are not alone and there is so much hope for recovery. Are you currently working with an ERP specialist? I do want to pass along some crisis resources to you as well, to have on hand: Emergency Phone Numbers United States - Dial 9-1-1 U.K. - Dial 9-9-9 Australia - Dial 0-0-0 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - Chat https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/ Dial 9-8-8 Suicide/Crisis Hotline National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Call 800-273-8255 https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ Need Someone To Talk To? Warm Line https://warmline.org/warmdir.html
@ I am currently on a waiting list to start therapy. I am trying to get out of this bad episode and talking to friends has helped although I still feel it in the back of my mind and fearing it coming back bad again now it’s hard to let go sometimes as it’s so scary when you’re in it bad
@em24# You’re not alone. Remember, this will not last forever. It never does. We just get in our head, and are convinced that “what if it doesn’t end”. IT WILL. praying for you!
@em24# - I can definitely understand! You are so far from alone and I'm glad you are here and part of the NOCD community for support. We are all in this together! May I ask, are you currently on NOCD's waitlist to start therapy?
Amen
i would tell myself to live more in the moment and stop being in constant fear of weight and not getting enough physical activity / not getting to my desired number sets i oddly count to , because like someone very integrated into my life says , i prioritize the wrong things the unimportant things , the stupid spasms i have over the fun and important events / people like i should be putting first . it’s all in my head and even if it’s not its not that big of a deal and if anyone judges you for anything they shouldn’t matter and you keep living your life with people who love the real you aside from the separate ocd that never defines you , do what your own true self wants in your heart and don’t listen to the mind of the ocd . all of what i do hurts so immensely the amount of pain is definitely top notch and i’m surprised i’m still standing here.
Thank you so much for sharing, noriiiii! This is such great advice not only for yourself, but for all of us at well! How often do we all struggle with doing what we actually want to do versus what the OCD tells us? You are such a strong and resilient person and I'm so grateful that you are part of the NOCD community and willing to share with us. Thank you!
I would tell myself not to Behörde what others think about me and to put myself dvd my mental health first
Such great advise! Putting our mental health first can be so tough to remember - but oh so important!
How can I accept uncertainty about a real event that my ocd is latching onto (past mistake)? How can I do erp for it and does anyone have any tips that could possibly help me out? It’s about a mistake I made a long time ago, I think a few years ago, that is haunting me and I feel like it’s so bad that no one could possibly understand and there’s no way I could get better. If anyone has overcome this, do you have any advice that I could use to possibly heal from this or maybe learn something from it? I would truly appreciate it
Looking back, if I could have told myself anything before I started therapy, it would be that I'm not the only one experiencing this. I was so set on the fact that no one could possibly understand, that I refused to try to open up to more than only a handful of people. It can be incredibly scary to take that leap of faith, but when you find that community of people who do understand, it's a wave of relief and hope I didn't know was out there. I wouldn't change a thing, but if I could have told myself anything, it would be to hang in there! I'm not alone, thanks to you all. For those that are in therapy, in recovery, etc. - looking back, what is something you would tell yourself if you could?
To the ones who have been working with their OCD for awhile now and feel somewhat experienced in handling symptoms, I have a question… If you could go back in time and tell your younger self (pre awareness of your condition) one thing, what would you tell yourself to help with your condition? I have no means to treat my OCD, and only have just joined this app and acknowledged my condition and my, now, desperate need for help. Anything will help and I honestly am needing some sense of community to feel less alone. Thank you for everything!
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