Stress Center Peer Support

Hi everyone!

I am wondering if someone could share with me what the symptoms of OCD are. I believe that everyone has something that they obsess over in their life, but I also know it is truly an illness as well.

I know I have things I am very obsessive about. About 4 years ago, I was hospitalized for depression. During my stay in the hospital, I was speaking to the therapist on staff, and she asked me a few questions, one of which was if I had any obsessive thoughts. I told her I did. She asked if I counted things. I told her I did (such as my steps when I walk.) She dismissed it and went on to other things, and never asked me about it again.

After being in the program, I'm wondering if I'm more OCD than I thought. I began this program 1-week ago - sort of. I say this because I've only listened to Session 1, once.

It spoke of starting a journal, and recording my thoughts. I know I need to do this, but my thinking is, I can't start journaling in just any notebook, it needs to be brand new, with a new pen - so I can start fresh. I can't just rip pages out of a notebook and start with that, cause that would mean that I don't care enough to get a new one to start with, which in turn means I haven't found time to go to the store to buy a new one. Stupid, I know, but this is my thinking.

As I said, I've only listened to Session 1, one time. My reason for this is because I think everything needs to be perfect for me to sit down and listen. My house needs to be in order, which it never seems to be. I'm not a neat or clean freak, but I do get overwhelmed with cleaning, thinking that everytime I clean I need to do deep cleaning or what's the point, so I don't clean like I should.

I also think my 4-year old needs to be down for a nap in order for me to truly focus on what I'm listening to. So, if he's up and about, I don't do it.

Then the whole guilt issue takes over. I start feeling guilty for taking time to sit and listen to the session because I should be doing something more with my time, such as, cleaning my house, playing with my 4-year old, making cookies or something for when my other 4 kids come home from school, calling a friend who's down, the list could go on and on. So rather than doing one of the many things I listed, I figure I can't (or shouldn't do this one), so I won't do any of them.

Is this thinking wierd? Or does it have something to do with having symptoms of OCD? Is it something I should see a doctor about? I'm not really sure? And if it is something I need to see a doctor about, do I see psychiatrist, or an m.d.

Anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks!

Hello charward,

Ok take some deep breaths, calm yourself and just let all the should do's go for now. We usually have so many shoulds that we cause a lot of stresses and feelings that begin to make us anxious and feel overwhelmed about everything and don't accomplish anything except more stress and anxiety.

Right now what matters the most is doing the program and learning the skills to stop all these issues so you can enjoy your life.

Make a list of what you feel you want to do in a day and number 1 I hope will be doing the program because you deserve this time. There is no perfect time, perfect book or pen, life is not perfect and we are not ever going to be perfect so try to set realistic goals for yourself and just do what you can each day.

As you work through each session you will become more aware of how hard you are on yourself and learn to stop expecting so much.

Journaling is so important as you will see how often you are filling your mind with negative thoughts, lies, perfectionism, shoulds, too many goals, it's a lot of pressure you are puting on yourself. It's so much easier to see how much when you can sit down at the end of a day and read all the thoughts you had in just a day. We really are so good at being bad to our minds but can learn to stop all these behaviours and that's a proven fact.

Please get to work on the program and work your butt off and enjoy the journey. There is a better life at the end.

Blessed wishes.

I hope you're doing A ok with your depression,
OCD is the consequence of being anxios, dont bother the ocd but bother youself on the anxiety you have, every human being has a level of ocd and when we are under pressure the compulsions are on a high level and its the brain work to distract your busy mind, it's simple yet hard, just consintrate on your anxiety and the reason of it, the ocd will just be out of fuel and you will manage back, what you have said isnt that much of OCD, all the people I know are like you, but depression made you very sceptic and you want assurance, trust me, the only one who can assure you is you, depression anxiety ocd are knowledge in our brains, we do not foget them but we move along with our life and they became history, but never forgotter, just make this experience your shield for future stressors and protect youself, having anxiety means our past behavious weren't right, and do like obama..it's time for a change
rock on

Hello charward. I raised a house full of kids. You might make a list of what you need to do, Should do and would like to do every day. At the top of the list, put "Do My Recovery Program and exercise" the reason is: Are you doing ok now? maybe! Will It get better? No! Will It get worse? yes. Can I do some thing about it? yes. Will that help me make it better? If you Do you daily program and make your own program top priority, Yes! You can let it keep getting worse or you can choose to make it better. It is hard, but if not for your self, can you do it for how you interact with those you love? With out trying to get better, I found that it only makes it's self worse, and by trying to get better, It will get better. I taught my kids to be just like ME! They need this too!