OCD Action

sarah81
Member

Hi
I have checked out the ocd association in my area. They have one regular OCD group monthly, and they also have a youth group which I could go to (from teens up to age 30).
I am wondering if others have found attending this sort of thing helpful or not.
I find my main obsession (the fear of HIV) especially embarassing since I am in medical school, like I should know better. I, even more than a layman, know how irrational it is but it still concerns me immensely.

Tue Sep 14 2010 9:08:27 #
Unregistered

I've never been to an OCD meeting but my mum went to one once. Apparently nothing much happened and nobody said much.

Tue Sep 14 2010 9:19:30 #
Ellie
Member

Hi Sarah...I´ve never been to an ocd support group but am guessing it can do no harm to give one a try. You don´t have to say anything if you don´t want to, just listen in, you never know there may be someone there with the same fears as you. I´m an ex pat living in a non english speaking country and so any kind of support group for me is out of the question, sometimes I wish I was back at home then maybe I´d be able to get the help I need.
Take care xxxxx

Tue Sep 14 2010 19:51:19 #
Tess
Member

Hi Sarah
I attend a fortnightly support group and I also started one up myself which alternated with it although mine is suspended at present as the need for weekly support has reduced. I suggest you give it a try, a new member is always a boost to a group and, as Ellie has said, you don't have to say anything, you can just listen. It's not uncommon for members to be shy and embarrassed and say nothing as it takes time to break down the barriers and to be honest and open with each other. But when this happens it can be a very rewarding experience and you can really get to know other OCD sufferers and to learn from each other. No-one in a support group will ever judge, criticise or ridicule you and anything you say will be confidential. So go with an open mind and do not judge on first appearances, once you get to know other members below that initial superficial level you will find that all OCD sufferers are intelligent and sensitive and you will learn a great deal, about them and about yourself. You will make friends and learn techniques for managing your own OCD, there's nothing to lose other than your time and transport costs and potentially a lot to gain - but, as with life in general, you will get out what you put in.

Wed Sep 15 2010 10:44:41 #
sarah81
Member

Thanks for your advice Tess, I think I will give it a try at least once. Like you said, there's not much to lose.

Wed Sep 15 2010 10:57:33 #
Minette
Member

Hi Sarah, before I get on to support groups, I was just wondering, having followed a few of your forums, is being at medical school what feeds into your fear of HIV? Obviously OCD is the root of the problem, but I wonder if it is part of it, as sometimes the more you know, the more you obsess?

anyway, support groups- I am going to one in a couple of weeks. I am pretty nervous as I have never been before. I was encouraged to go about 4-5 yrs ago but couldn't face it, as I was concerned that listening to other peoples obsessions may feed into my own, and at the time was in such a permanent high state of anxiety and had social phobia, that I didn't think it was going to help.

Now that I can discuss my OCD a bit better and I suppose I am looking for some understanding, I now think it may help. I don't know but am going to give it a try. No-one but a sufferer can understand the complexities of it all, so you never know, I may find it useful. I imagine it depends on the group you have.

Hope you are doing ok,

minette

Wed Sep 15 2010 11:26:30 #
keval
Member

Hi Folks,

I haven't posted for ages on this site but this thread caught my attention.

Can anyone tell me how I go about finding an OCD support group in my area?

Thanks in advance.

Wed Sep 15 2010 12:11:41 #
sarah81
Member

Hi Minette
Fortunately I cope pretty well in the medical school setting. Admittedly, dealing with patients I know have HIV makes me anxious, but I still feel like I am in control because I am in the dr. role. We don't have that much HIV in my country; I have probably only seen 3 or 4 patients with it. I have no problem doing bloodwork or suturing on people because I can take the necessary precautions which are normal in that setting. I enjoy assisting at operations, births, etc. I am very grateful that my OCD has not affected my studies too much. The only thing that makes me nervous in my dr. role is if I feel there is a risk of blood splatter and I am not able to obtain a mask/eye shield.
I have never been part of a mass trauma team and I think that would probably make me anxious, with the large amounts of blood and chaos, so I will probably avoid that for a while.
Psychiatry would be the safest bet for me in terms of not having to deal with blood at work but I found my psych clerkship really boring. (No offense to anyone here, OCD interests me a lot).

Most of my HIV anxiety relates to things more outside of my control. Like I am terrified that my kids will step on a needle from a drug user if I take them to the park. Or that my kids' day care took them on a walk one day and had them pick up GARBAGE from the road (this really grossed me out) and I really worried about them picking up needles or used condoms or something. This is really unwarranted as they go to a day care in a quiet residential area, not in some ghetto, but it still made me anxious.

Back to studying now...
Sarah

I am doing ok, thanks for asking.
Sarah

Wed Sep 15 2010 13:01:12 #
Joel
Key Master

Hello Keval
Support groups are listed on this site, just click on the "its time to meet" blue button on the left of this page. If you get stuck or cannot find a group near you - call the office and we can see if we can help you out.
Thank you
Joel

Wed Sep 15 2010 16:05:44 #
Tess
Member

Hi folks
Just picking up on something Minette has said. I'm really pleased to hear you are going to give your local support group a go. Of course, you are going to feel nervous at your first meeting, I have seen new members visibly shaking but everyone else will understand, everyone has had a first time and I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the welcome and friendship you receive. As for feeding into other people's obsessions this has not happened to me and I am not aware of anyone else who has experienced it. I find it is the things I discover just by reading a newspaper or watching the news on TV or perhaps a documentary that can make me aware of things which I didn't previously know and that can feed the obsession but other people's obsessions are just that - unique to them and I just feel an outpouring of compassion because I understand just what they are going through but it does not make my own OCD any worse.
All groups will be different with different "rules", ours is very informal, the only rules are that everything is confidential within the group and certain offensive words must not be used - but this requirement seems to be self policing. I think you need to give a group more than one session before you decide it's not going to help you because the very nature of OCD makes people reserved and the existing members will need to get to know you and trust you as well as the other way round before everyone can feel at ease.

Wed Sep 15 2010 17:09:26 #