How do i get rid of OCD

[gemini]

I would also like to say that i have had encounters with people i know with different types of OCD and they are all amazing and beautiful people who go out of their way to help an be kind . They are soo talented an creative we are different our brains work differently in away were almost elite lol. the thoughts r a reminder of something we know we would never do as we know in our hearts its wrong an we detest others that do it learnin 2 love urself helps u keep positive an noone sed it was easy much love x x x

Ikay213, a lot of my obsessions revolve around things I can't control. Like for instance, worrying about getting sick from germs/food/contamination. Or worrying about me being responsible for something random or not checking my belongings over and over again. Most of the thoughts revolve around harm coming to me. Any insight?

[tam79]

You sound just like me anything2feelbetter my OCD is horrible right now and I hate it I ma just not the bubbly person I use to be. Can it be possible that we feel like we are becoming our obsessions because we thought about it so much?

Tammy

[zbign]

Learn to overcome fear by whatever works for you. counselling has good results and so does therapy. Dont focus on any of the side issues such as brain chemistry, because this will only get you bogged down and even more confused. Fear is what feeds OCD, if you can target fear and bring it under control, Ocd has nothing to feed on and it dies.
All the other technical stuff about OCD can bring you to a place where you feel that there is nothing much that can be done for you and you can just resign yourself to it, and this can seriously damage your chances of a full recovery. Dont research alternative medication or any fancy suggestions although there are some things that can act as a placebo and you feel like your doing something to help yourself. Fear is what is causing it all and it shoud be your focus if you are looking for a full recovery.

And the best way to overcome fear is to confront the fear... Even though it feels like absolute hell and may take many times with OCD...

[Karl1]

Having the goal to manage your OCD properly will reap you great dividends. Having the goal to "get rid of your OCD" shows your brain your intolerance to it and that you don't accept it. This type of goal will only bring frustration and more time than necessary of pain and suffering.

But the problem I find with always trying to accept is that there is always a strong desire for ocd to "just go away." I mean when ocd starts in with me I always FEEL like "oh no not you again... now I'm going to feel like crap for a while... it never shuts up"

[Karl1]

Everyone wants their OCD to go away but having this as your goal will set you up for constant let downs. Since you were young your beliefs and value system was molded by many factors such as your parents attitudes toward things. Right or wrong once these beliefs are ingrained in the reactive part of your brain namely the amygdala which will respond by sending you anxiety or discomfort every time it thinks you might be in trouble or close to violating these beliefs. Its should be embraced as it is only acting as your best friend warning you of such danger. While you can't reason with this part of your brain you can retrain it to stop reacting to certain things like fearful thoughts by constantly exposing this part of the brain to the very things it fears such as thoughts without looking for relief. OCD will attack all of your strong beliefs and put you through hell if you retreat from it in any way. Think of each obsessive type of thought as a test. Is that Okay? is that Okay? is that Okay? you have two choices you can accept these thoughts as Okay to have and run towards them which is not a bad idea. Or you can say "Oh no not you again" and retreat from them which will prove to be a very bad idea and your OCD will kick your ***. Karl

Thanks, excellent post. One thing that deeply troubles me is when I can't tell the difference between OCD and a real concern... since my ocd themes are death, germs, getting sick, my general health, and over responsibility/paranoia. See how it can get mixed up?! Any thoughts?

[peanut3]

I am so very glad that I stumbled upon this site because now I know that I am not alone. I hate that we suffer through this everyday, people who don't have OCD can't possibly fathom the agonies we as sufferers have to face. I have had to deal with obsessions and compulsions since my early teens. Family and friends just don't understand what I'm going through and it makes me feel awful but I just can't help it. I wish I didn't have it! It's terrible no? lol. The thoughts and the anxiety just won't go away, I don't think it's ever been quite this bad before, I mean, I've pretty much always been able to deal with it. I hope this goes away..or atleast gets better soon.