OCD Action

Nigel
Member

Hi all,

I have checking OCD where I check everything from every few footsteps incase I have dropped something to every chair or room I am in. I spend hours worrying about losing things.

I have recently done so well by reducing the checking by trusting my lists and also reducing the lists I make.

However I am now feeling back to square one, very anxious and I'm doubting whether its OCD and whether by not checking I will lose something.

The situation:

Yesterday I needed to take a letter to someone. I didn't eant to touch it incase I attached something to it and lost it. I went to the local store and my brother came with me for the drive. He picked up the letter to drop off on the way. In the car he placed it on the dashboard. This made me anxious incase he picked it up with something of mine.

I don't usually leave anything on the dashboard and if I do I remove it. My brother picked up the letter. I asked him to show me the back. I looked to see if anything was attached. Od course he had to hold it with his fingers so I couldn't see underneath his fingers.

I have been anxious ever since in case I left something and as time goes on I think of more reasons why I may have left something.

I don't leave things out in the car. What could have been small enough to fit behind his fingers and attach itself to the envelope?

I keep thinking I'm going to lose something by saying it's only OCD.

Please can you advise?

Thanks

Nigel

Thu Aug 5 2010 16:13:26 #
Hb
Member

Haya, did you get the post I sent you?

Thu Aug 5 2010 17:22:00 #
Hb
Member

I had this OCD issue a few years back and I know how hard it is. It's fantastic that you are trying to fight this don't let this get you down. My mum used to have to check my bag to make sure I didn't gave anything of mine in it. One tip that helped me was that if you did see something on the envelope you would have noticed. It much easier said than put into practice but don't let this set back belittle your achievements. Hope this helps. Keep smiling xxx

Thu Aug 5 2010 17:25:44 #
Nigel
Member

Hi HB, no I didn;t get the post you me!

Did you mean your mum used to check her back to makesure it didn'[t have anything of your in it? Did that help? I think people tend to generally say that that reinforces the OCD, however I give it and do things like this for short term gain.

I'm in a similar dilema just now as I type in pain having triped up on the stairs just now. I'm thinking it's because I didn't do my OCD ritual and I'm being punished however it could be that I was distracted by the comedown of not doing the rituals.

I kept asking my brother if he noticed anything on the envelope after the post yesterday. However now my OCD says I didn't ask 3 times. I had said to myself that if I ask a 2nd time there will be something else the OCD asks me to do and I was right; it's asking me to ask a 3rd time and telling me that I fell up the stairs cos I didn't ask.

Is OCD like going cold turkey as this feels horrible resisting urges. Does it get better? I think it does however it doesnt feel like it right now.

Fri Aug 6 2010 10:44:31 #
Hb
Member

Haya!! Are you ok? It didn't help in the long run at all it just made it worse although at the time i thought it did. However all it meant was that I had to depend on others and I became so restricted and down. Am sure you are not being punished although arguing with your mind is so hard I know. The only way I over came my checking OCD and am currently fighting my jnstrusive thoughts is exposure and not doing rituals. I will not lie to u, it's bloody hard work and an having a set back at the moment. It is unconfortable at the time but it is worth it. Are you seeing anyone for your OCD?? Hb

Fri Aug 6 2010 11:30:05 #
Nigel
Member

Hi HB,

Thank you.

No, not yet; I nearly went to the doctors yesterday but I changed my mind.

I woke up consumed by OCD thoughts and worry and I called a friend who also has OCD. We had a talk and decided that I would do three things. I intend to fast from tomorrow (religious reasons) and he said that this helped him in the past. The second step if things are still unbreable is the doctor and the third being telling family.

After talking I realised my worried. It is hard to tell family but you do feel better afterwards. However from past experience them not understanding it and actually not helping the situation is a big worry. I've had problems in the past and now I feel wrapped up in cotton wool or in a fish bowl as well as the odd comment that made me feel bad. I can't imagine them coping with knowing about OCD.

Nigel

Tue Aug 10 2010 12:35:58 #
Hb
Member

Hi! That sounds like good steps to take. I completly understand the worry about telling your family as I felt the same but they can really suprise you. My mum is my rock and really helps. Had your friend told their parents? Hb

Tue Aug 10 2010 14:00:51 #
Nigel
Member

Hi HB,

No he hasn't told them! I was gonna tell my family for the reasons you say but when I am thinking more clearly I think of the things that they can't handle so I don't know what to do! I think I'll try the three steps and see what happens!

I've just passed a envelope to my brother. It has been sat on the shelf for a few days because I didn't want to feel like I had left something stuck to it when I handed it over. Everyday I kept thinking about it so I gave it to him today but this is how I did it:

I picked it up with two fingers stood for about 5 minutes looking at it from all angles. I checked I didn't have anything on me prior to this. I turned the light on and put the envelope on the floor and looked around it. Then I shook it and put it on the table downstairs on its side. I walked around it examining both sides without touching it. My brother picked it up. I got him to turn it over a few times and I looked across to chek nothing was there. My sister in law then picked it up. I pretended to want the address off the envelope so I looked at it again whilst she was holding it. She then put it on the table with her other letter and handbag before taking it away with her.

I did all this and I want to check again. Why do I want to check again. I can't have left something on it still can I? Why do I think I may have? Why is it difficult to think about anything else?

Thanks

Nigel

Nigel

Tue Aug 10 2010 15:06:22 #
Hb
Member

Although you have checked all you can there is always a little pain in the arse voice that doubts things but what I had to do was learn to accept my gut feeling not that voice. I know how hard it is when a thought is just constantly swirling around in your mind you just struggle to cope with anything else. Have you read any self help books or anything? I find them amazingly helpful. Hb

Tue Aug 10 2010 15:15:18 #
Nigel
Member

Hi HB, I would really like to read them. What do you reccomend?

Thanks

Nigel

Tue Aug 10 2010 15:32:41 #
Hb
Member

Well I have two that are like my bible. One is called the imp of the mind and the second is quite a large orange book called overcoming OCD
I will go check the authors and let you know them

Tue Aug 10 2010 15:52:45 #

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