OCD: General Discussion Thread

You’re basically manufacturing problems out of thin air, spinning these dark, twisted scenarios in your head that don't even exist yet—even if they *could* happen.
So every single one of these little mental movies ends in a total meltdown or pure panic, all because of something that hasn't actually happened. Like, seriously?
It’s just a constant loop of new nightmares, or you’re just obsessing over the same damn thing over and over with tiny little tweaks.
It even starts bleeding into your dreams... which means you can't even catch a break or relax without feeling totally on edge.
Or maybe you're stuck replaying some old drama from the past, adding all these "what if" layers and wondering how everyone else saw it... and you just can't shut it off.

Eventually, you end up being pathologically worried about every little thing in the world 🙂 and everything looks bleak. It’s honestly exhausting! 😲

Amanda Walker said:You’re basically manufacturing problems out of thin air, spinning these dark, twisted scenarios in your head that don't even exist yet—even if they *could* happen.
So every single one of these little mental movies ends in a total meltdown or pure panic, all because of something that hasn't actually happened. Like, seriously?
It’s just a constant loop of new nightmares, or you’re just obsessing over the same damn thing over and over with tiny little tweaks.
It even starts bleeding into your dreams... which means you can't even catch a break or relax without feeling totally on edge.
Or maybe you're stuck replaying some old drama from the past, adding all these "what if" layers and wondering how everyone else saw it... and you just can't shut it off.

Eventually, you end up being pathologically worried about every little thing in the world 🙂 and everything looks bleak. It’s honestly exhausting! 😲

🙈 Damn, I didn't realize that fell under the FBI's jurisdiction... I went through that 5 or 6 years ago, had a horrific job, constant stress...

Not trying to derail the thread, but really aikido helped me... seeing things from a different angle (your ego is your worst enemy...) helped me let go of the bitterness and negativity. I don't even care about the political shouting matches or scandals anymore... there's a certain quiet, Eastern wisdom to it. On top of that, I quit my old job, started lifting weights, and so on. Eventually, I realized my biggest enemy was just stress, and you have to guard against that. Just minding my own business now... feels better. Of course, I know I'll need professional help to fully "recover," but I'm doing alright for now. When the time comes, I'll go

brightsailor9 said:🙈 Damn, I didn't realize that fell under the FBI's jurisdiction... I went through that 5 or 6 years ago, had a horrific job, constant stress...

🙂 Honestly, my job has been completely wrecking me for years now. The demands are insane, deadlines are always impossible... before I even touch a single contract, I already know I'm going to be late on it. It’s cost me so much sleep, I've basically lost track of day and night because of it...

But look, I can't just walk away from this job, and at this rate, it doesn't look like I can keep doing it for much longer either. 🤷

Amanda Walker said:🙂 Honestly, my job has been completely wrecking me for years now. The demands are insane, deadlines are always impossible... before I even touch a single contract, I already know I'm going to be late on it. It’s cost me so much sleep, I've basically lost track of day and night because of it...

But look, I can't just walk away from this job, and at this rate, it doesn't look like I can keep doing it for much longer either. 🤷

Look, Amanda Walker, check out what they said to you above:
get yourself a dog and take up some aikido. 🙂

And hey, you'll probably find a new job eventually, don't sweat it too much!

I'd love to get a pup of my own too, if only I lived in a house instead of an apartment...
When I was a kid, we lived in a house and we always had dogs running around.

ironbadger5 said:Look, Amanda Walker, check out what they said to you above:
get yourself a dog and take up some aikido. 🙂

And hey, you'll probably find a new job eventually, don't sweat it too much!

I'd love to get a pup of my own too, if only I lived in a house instead of an apartment...
When I was a kid, we lived in a house and we always had dogs running around.

Something’s gotta give soon, some kind of change has to happen. For now, I'm just getting by on Paxil and Orbitrex. I'm not being a total pessimist, though—I've got this gut feeling that things are gonna look up and life will feel a lot easier pretty soon.

I’ve been wondering lately—is anyone else here dealing with intrusive thoughts? Specifically things like sudden, unwanted profanity popping up at certain moments? I’ve noticed most of the discussion here seems to lean toward compulsive actions rather than the mental side of things... and one more thing, has anyone actually managed to beat OCD for good? Like, truly move past it so it never resurfaces, regardless of the method used? thanks

Amanda Walker said:Something’s gotta give soon, some kind of change has to happen. For now, I'm just getting by on Paxil and Orbitrex. I'm not being a total pessimist, though—I've got this gut feeling that things are gonna look up and life will feel a lot easier pretty soon.

Hey, things are definitely going to look up—better than you think! That's just how life works: the sun always comes out after the storm.
There’s this old saying that goes something like: when the troubles come rushing in, open up every single door and window (so they can all blow through and clear out as fast as possible)....

Once they pass, you finally get that sense of relief. 😉

Amanda Walker said:🙂 Honestly, my job has been completely wrecking me for years now. The demands are insane, deadlines are always impossible... before I even touch a single contract, I already know I'm going to be late on it. It’s cost me so much sleep, I've basically lost track of day and night because of it...

But look, I can't just walk away from this job, and at this rate, it doesn't look like I can keep doing it for much longer either. 🤷

Look, don't go romanticizing things. I switched careers, but you know the drill—less stress usually means a smaller paycheck. Fortunately, I can afford it right now since I don't have kids yet... As for dogs, I highly recommend them. If you're living in an apartment, try a Shih Tzu😍—they're small, they don't bark, and trust me, the emotional payoff is worth a thousand times more than the hassle of walks and cleaning. I mean it...
And aikido... one of my biggest regrets from last year was quitting. I thought the price wasn't worth it, figured there wasn't much "real world" application, but it's only just hitting me how much it actually helped... It isn't about fighting. Aikido is half ethics and morality, half self-defense. You aren't learning to hit people; you're learning to cooperate... how to turn a potential conflict into a creative interaction that satisfies everyone involved. That’s exactly what I needed in life... (Check out 'The Inner Journey of a Stranger' by Kenjiro Yoshigasaki—I realized most of my life problems stem from poorly adopted concepts... such complicated yet soothing reading!) Anyway, there's no magic cure, but since I've never really been "normal" (if such a thing even exists?), I'll just focus on myself and try to relax and help where I can. Let everyone else break their heads over high politics and nonsense... 🙂

Roger Morgan4 said:I’ve been wondering lately—is anyone else here dealing with intrusive thoughts? Specifically things like sudden, unwanted profanity popping up at certain moments? I’ve noticed most of the discussion here seems to lean toward compulsive actions rather than the mental side of things... and one more thing, has anyone actually managed to beat OCD for good? Like, truly move past it so it never resurfaces, regardless of the method used? thanks

That used to haunt me every single time I stepped into a church. Honestly, I thought I was possessed by the devil himself. 😁
The breakthrough happened when I finally let go of those mental shackles and just allowed myself to swear in my daily life. 😁

From what I've learned about OCD, everything you try to suppress—whether it's sexual thoughts, profanity, or anger—comes right back at you like a boomerang in the form of intrusive thoughts (that’s the obsessive side). People then try to fight those thoughts through repetitive behaviors (the compulsive side). To really manage OCD, you have to break that cycle of over-controlling everything...

brightsailor9 said:Look, don't go romanticizing things. I switched careers, but you know the drill—less stress usually means a smaller paycheck. Fortunately, I can afford it right now since I don't have kids yet... As for dogs, I highly recommend them. If you're living in an apartment, try a Shih Tzu😍—they're small, they don't bark, and trust me, the emotional payoff is worth a thousand times more than the hassle of walks and cleaning. I mean it...
And aikido... one of my biggest regrets from last year was quitting. I thought the price wasn't worth it, figured there wasn't much "real world" application, but it's only just hitting me how much it actually helped... It isn't about fighting. Aikido is half ethics and morality, half self-defense. You aren't learning to hit people; you're learning to cooperate... how to turn a potential conflict into a creative interaction that satisfies everyone involved. That’s exactly what I needed in life... (Check out 'The Inner Journey of a Stranger' by Kenjiro Yoshigasaki—I realized most of my life problems stem from poorly adopted concepts... such complicated yet soothing reading!) Anyway, there's no magic cure, but since I've never really been "normal" (if such a thing even exists?), I'll just focus on myself and try to relax and help where I can. Let everyone else break their heads over high politics and nonsense... 🙂

That’s solid advice, unless someone (like me) deals with OCD and gets hit by that sudden, overwhelming panic over dirt or bacteria... 😢

Rebecca Roberts2 said:That’s solid advice, unless someone (like me) deals with OCD and gets hit by that sudden, overwhelming panic over dirt or bacteria... 😢

I know one person who holds the answer to your problem... she's thought about it enough to have the solution ready... she just needs to take action... you know that management cliché, "once you tackle the big issues, the rest just evaporates..."

brightsailor9 said:I know one person who holds the answer to your problem... she's thought about it enough to have the solution ready... she just needs to take action... you know that management cliché, "once you tackle the big issues, the rest just evaporates..."

Man, if only I could run into that brilliant guy 😁
😉

I went through something similar—lasted about a year before it just... faded away on its own.
I’d find myself checking if the front door was locked or unlocked maybe 20 times in a single sitting.
Same with the lights—checking over and over if they were actually turned off.
It’s a terrible feeling... you just can't convince yourself otherwise, no matter what.
But it vanished eventually, just by itself.
It stopped once I hit my early teens.

I remember watching a documentary about it on cable—the whole therapy approach was basically telling you to keep your hands dirty (for those of us who wash them constantly) and essentially endure nervous breakdowns because your hands felt "unclean." You have to push through until you finally stop caring. It's intense... requires constant supervision, much like rehab for an addict.

Rebecca Roberts2 said:Man, if only I could run into that brilliant guy 😁
😉

🙂 (Man, just shut up. I’d go back to the club if I knew how, but I drifted away... * you know, Aikido teaches you how to deal 🙂 with life rather than 🙂 fighting against it...*)

Like someone else mentioned earlier, I think the FBI stuff is really about control and, at least in my experience, a total lack of self-confidence.
I’m not the type to check if the front door is locked five times over or obsess over specific numbers. It’s more this constant, nagging need to find symmetry in everything. If things aren't perfectly aligned, it can actually drive me insane, depending on whether I'm having a good day or a bad one.
The same goes for spotting flaws in literally everything I see—decor, clothes, you name it. There's always something out of place or asymmetrical. A stitch on my pants, a loose thread on my shoes, even the tiles in the bathroom.
As far as obsessions go, God forbid I don't wash my hands after eating. And I don't lounge on the sofa at home; I sit strictly in my own chair because everything else feels filthy.
I also have this compulsive need to read the news every single day, and I have to do it in a very specific order. Before this, I used to be obsessed with reading certain columns on CNN, and anything I didn't get through that day, I’d save to an archive. I finally managed to break that habit by just deleting the entire archive one day—it was such a massive relief, though it took me two years to get there.
Today is one of those rougher days for me. Honestly, I feel like I don't want to buy anything ever again because I just end up nitpicking everything; I can't seem to resist that "challenge."
Looking at this Advil and B-complex vitamin right now, I'm wondering if it might actually help.
I know I should probably see a psychiatrist, but I'm way too shy for that. So, honestly, posting here is my biggest achievement...

David Nelson74 thanks for the rundown! Honestly though, what kind of damage am I looking at if I go through a private clinic instead?

So, I’m heading to my psychiatrist for $100 the first session, and then it’s just going to be $67 follow-ups from there.

Yeah, I’m avoiding the public healthcare system... I have zero desire to be just another number in their files. Then again, I can't afford to keep paying out of pocket for private clinics indefinitely, which is the real catch..(2x a week at $67 + 4 weeks a month =$533) for a single month—fine, but who knows how long this could drag on..
I was wondering, has anyone here experimented with Omega-3? I've read it's proven to help with depression and other health benefits... I've been taking it for a while now at the recommended dose, and my memory has sharpened, I feel better, more stable, etc. To be honest, I wasn't even clinically depressed before, just constantly feeling "down" and anxious. I also cut back on red meat by maybe 90%—we all know how much that stuff messes with your body and, consequently, your spirit. Switched to whole foods instead.. who knows, maybe it helps someone else..🙂

So I’ve been messing around with Omega and Lecithin, but since I’m also on Paxil, who knows which one is actually doing the heavy lifting for my recovery?
I mean, I'm taking them because I heard they're great for your arteries and fixing brain chemistry imbalances... and hey, what's the harm in trying, right?