OCD Action

Unregistered

Hi all

Because the benefit of ALL on-line forums (regardless of their policies) was one of the questions in our survey, I thought it was a good idea to start a new topic on this subject.

I have been on several different forums over the last 8 months and find they all have different benefits. Some are very fast moving and focus on CBT, others move at a slower pace and encourage a more holistic approach. Some have strict policies (e.g. only so many posts a day), others are more open on what can be posted. As a result, we can choose a forum which best suits our personal circumstances and needs.

My personal opinion is that all the forums I have visited are good in their own unique way and that all forums and their members should be supporting one another.

I personally love OCD Action. Had I not found this forum in November when I was feeling very negative and as low as an OCDer can get, I may well have ran away. But a few of my friends (you know who you all are) pulled me up by the bootstraps and ignored my negative outbursts. Being on this wonderful forum has helped me to get a huge amount of control back. It has also taught me to be considerate of others' problems. When I first got my control back I got incredibly fat headed. I thought that if I could do it everyone could. Writing the book and doing the survey has taught me otherwise. There is so much about OCD still to be discovered. We are all so very different.

What I do know is that forums are of enormous benefit for sufferers. We continue to need support long after our treatment has finished and fellow OCDers are a wonderful source of help.

What do you think?

Love
Anne

Tue Jul 20 2010 14:21:37 #
Tess
Member

Hi Anne
An interesting topic. I also am an OCD Action fan, I have tried out the competition but much prefer this forum. I think it is a superb tool both for understanding and learning about OCD and for supporting sufferers. However, I think users need to be slightly cautious, it can become addictive and it is much easier to vent negative thoughts on the internet than face to face. Many users are vulnerable and OCD by nature makes us all very introspective and quick to misinterpret what others post and we can then become emotionally hurt where no criticism was intended. Internet forums are also restricted to those that can use computers so they do not reach everyone.
But, on the positive side, I have gained some wonderful friends from this forum, friends I can confide in with total confidence that they will understand and not judge and the learning experience is immense.
I agree with Anne that we are all different, what works for one person may not work for another, but I do believe there is help for everyone whether it be CBT, meds, a combination or something else, and this forum is a good place to start the search.

Tue Jul 20 2010 17:57:20 #
aishah
Member

Hi,

I have found a huge amount of support from the OCDAction forum. I tried another forum but didn't find it as friendly as this one.
I can honestly say that without this forum I don't know how I would have coped 6 months ago, the support I received at the time was amazing.
I have also made some fantastic friends on this forum and hope that I will make many more!
This forum has the closeness of a family, I know sometimes we have our ups and downs but manage to sort out any problems that may occur.
Thankyou everyone for being such a support to many.

Take Care
Bridget

Wed Jul 21 2010 7:27:18 #
Unregistered

Hi again

As this post is about all online forums, I thought you might be interested to read what some of those who completed our survey said about their different online support groups/forums. There were similar replies from members of each group/forum. On the negative side those who did not enjoy using forums disliked the ‘bickering,’ and several feared that they might pick up others’ obsessions and compulsions.

What comes over most clearly from the 60% who found them useful is the ability to share our concerns with others who really understand.

These are a selection.

‘It's nice to talk to other sufferers who can offer advice, and it's nice being able to give advice, I feel like a much nicer person.’

‘I like reading others' writings about their experiences with OCD. This helps me to explore my own OCD.
Forums have helped me realise there are a lot more sufferers and I’m not alone!’

I have recently joined an online forum and it immediately lifted my spirits. Maybe as I was socially isolated it was very good to have someone responding to you. I would say anyone with OCD should join these online forums’

What the survey suggests is that, although forums can become ‘addictive,’ they are a useful coping tool.

Anne and friends.

Wed Jul 21 2010 13:31:16 #
Unregistered

Anne, I agree. I dread to think where most of us would be without the Internet and OCD forums. Tess has a very balanced view and she does point out the negative side. Sadly, as with all things, there can be a downside. I think the positive far outweighs the negative, however. A forum ( a non-OCD one!) has also saved my mother’s life.

I have got to know many of my dearest friends on OCD forums, the majority from this one. I have learned more from listening to others, than I ever have from therapists or by reading books. The real expert knowledge is to be found within any group of OCD sufferers! Many professionals have tunnel vision, declaring their own therapy to be the best. Most of us remain open-minded and appreciate that treating OCD is not an exact science. One size doesn’t fit all.

Anne, I really admire your honesty and unpretentious attitude. I have met people who are convinced a cure (or control) is achievable for all, if we want it badly enough (I’m not implying you have ever said that!). By speaking with you about some of the younger sufferers, who have that view, I can now appreciate that this attitude is usually driven by fear. A fear they may relapse, or, indeed, never gain full control of their OCD in the first place. I also realize that my own attitude may well have been very different, had I not experienced a relapse in my early twenties. It’s human nature to assume if we can respond to something, everyone can. Of course, this doesn’t just apply to a condition such as ours!

Tricia x

Wed Jul 21 2010 13:55:34 #
wodehouse
Member

I completely agree with everyone on this matter. I was fighting alone before but ever since I joined OCDAction I made some friends and have been speaking to them personally. To speak with someone who is going through what I am going through is so comforting to me. It inspires me and motivates me and I think OCDAction is a blessing for someone like me who is fighting alone and living alone.

Wed Jul 21 2010 19:11:21 #