If there is one idea I would like my Exposing OCD blog to convey, it is that of hope.
Hope that OCD can be treated.
Hope that you can get better.
Hope that you can have a life.
I wasn't diagnosed with OCD until I was 33, and I didn't find a therapist who used Exposure Therapy(ERP) until I was 39. I've suffered with anxiety for much of my life. I had vivid imaginings of what could go wrong from age 8 or 9. I was monitoring my body for any changes in elementary school. I was intelligent, and assumed if I couldn't fix myself with that intelligence, then there was no hope for me.
It can be hard to find a therapist who is experienced in ERP. It can be hard to find a therapist who has even heard of ERP. It can take years to discover that what you suffer with is OCD, not a "fear of commitment" or "relationship issues" or "lack of confidence." But if you are reading this blog, you are a step closer to finding a way to deal with your OCD. Check out the IOCDF, or read Jonathan Grayson's Freedom From OCD, or seek out a support group.
If you can't feel hope, then borrow some of mine to get you through the journey of finding help, of doing exposures, facing your fears, or dealing with the unknown.
[Revisiting OCD A to Z from 2011]
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LOVE IT! :o)
ReplyDeleteI love that you included hope in your list, because I think that's so important in overcoming your OCD. It's important to think positively and to believe that you can be happy and fulfilled, with or without OCD.
ReplyDeleteI recently started a blog about OCD which I'm hoping will help myself and others. If you want to check it out I would love to hear from you.
The address is:
http://justmeandmyocd-sam.blogspot.com/
Thanks for your post, and good luck!
Pure O--glad you love it! You are rocking the hope thing with finding a good ERP therapist and doing exposures!!
ReplyDeleteSam--Welcome! I will definitely check out your blog. I agree that hope is crucial for overcoming OCD.