How do YOU deal with your Obsessive Thoughts?
Question:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -RBaylin wrote: > I would like to know how other’s of us out there deal/cope with their own > obsessions and thoughts. > For me… my thoughts always revolve around my spouses past > ‘relationships’. It is a never ending battle, but I am trying to cope > without medication (have tried Paxil and Luvox – not for me!). These > thoughts are never really gone, even though I live my life as ‘normal’ as I > can. Stress and anxiety make it so much worse. There are triggers that stir > up the muddy water and I am back in that clouded pool of OCD and it can > take days to get the waters ‘clear’ again. > I sometimes feel like ‘ this is so silly! we’ve been together nearly 15 > years! get a grip, Ron’. Now that I have been diagnosed with OCD, I can > understand it’s not me that can’t let go, its the O in OCD. > I have the help of my wife, and a new behavioral therapist, and a will to > move onward! But it is extremely difficult. Some days are up some are down. > My best times or periods are when I am excercising regularly, my > relationship with my wife is good, I am less stressed, I am talking my > issues out (rather than ‘trying’ to ignore them), and I am trying to not > allow the thoughts to roll uncontrollably. I have seen a real increase in > my ability to hold the reigns back on the uncontrolled thinking since I > have been using self-hypnosis/meditation and am looking into NLP. I use > breathing excercises to relieve anxiety (good tool for everyone). And > keeping myself from indulging in harmful behaviors. I also tend to write > alot when I have to express myself and there are ideas I can’t share with > my spouse. But still some days are downright sh*tty! > I would like to hear from others. OCD ruins the quality of life, affects > those who love and try to help us, and keeps us from having a fulfilling > life we all deserve. I know my OCD may seem light compared to others, but I > feel those with OCD ’suffer’ with this disorder in some way or another. > Hang in there, it can get better!
I was wondering about a few things. I know I must have OCD or something simular. As a child I would have reaccuring thoughts/blasphemous thoughts and would do things like wash my hands until they bled, open doors with injured hands, watch where I stepped and other things to "protect" my family from harm. I got so stressed that I stopped playing and could not eat. But sence you brought up the problem your having with your wife……it makes me think that the problems with my husband might be related. But I’m not sure because it could also be due to feelings that I have not delt with yet. But I can not let go of things he has done in the passed, especially things with other females. I work out the situation a thousand times in my head trying to figure out all the underlying cercumstances. I spend my day trying to work out everything he says and does to form an understanding and to figure out where I stand with him. It causes a lot of stress and there has hardly ever been a moment when I’ve been completely at ease. It seems as though I jump from one hell after another. But it has been so bad that I have even dreamed of the situation over and over again. This is extremely stressfull. The dreams are as if they were real……all the emotions as strong as if it had happened in real life. Please excuse my spelling and let me know if I’m barking up the wrong tree……also give me some of your experiances if you are willing.. Mandy
Response:
>I was wondering about a few things. I know I must have OCD or something >simular. As a child I would have reaccuring thoughts/blasphemous >thoughts and would do things like wash my hands until they bled, open >doors with injured hands, watch where I stepped and other things to >"protect" my family from harm. I got so stressed that I stopped playing >and could not eat. >But sence you brought up the problem your having with your wife……it >makes me think that the problems with my husband might be related.
Your childhood experiences sure sound like OCD to me, but I am not a doctor. I have OCD myself. I do not know if your problems with your husband are OCD or not. They might be OCD. I suggest you talk to a psychiatrist and see if he/she can tell you exactly what is going on. There are definitely ways to treat OCD such as medicine, behavior therapy, cognitive-behavior therapy, or other kinds of therapy. Good luck with everything. Joel
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -RBaylin wrote: > I would like to know how other’s of us out there deal/cope with their own > obsessions and thoughts. > For me… my thoughts always revolve around my spouses past > ‘relationships’. It is a never ending battle, but I am trying to cope > without medication (have tried Paxil and Luvox – not for me!). These > thoughts are never really gone, even though I live my life as ‘normal’ as I > can. Stress and anxiety make it so much worse. There are triggers that stir > up the muddy water and I am back in that clouded pool of OCD and it can > take days to get the waters ‘clear’ again. > I sometimes feel like ‘ this is so silly! we’ve been together nearly 15 > years! get a grip, Ron’. Now that I have been diagnosed with OCD, I can > understand it’s not me that can’t let go, its the O in OCD. > I have the help of my wife, and a new behavioral therapist, and a will to > move onward! But it is extremely difficult. Some days are up some are down. > My best times or periods are when I am excercising regularly, my > relationship with my wife is good, I am less stressed, I am talking my > issues out (rather than ‘trying’ to ignore them), and I am trying to not > allow the thoughts to roll uncontrollably. I have seen a real increase in > my ability to hold the reigns back on the uncontrolled thinking since I > have been using self-hypnosis/meditation and am looking into NLP. I use > breathing excercises to relieve anxiety (good tool for everyone). And > keeping myself from indulging in harmful behaviors. I also tend to write > alot when I have to express myself and there are ideas I can’t share with > my spouse. But still some days are downright sh*tty! > I would like to hear from others. OCD ruins the quality of life, affects > those who love and try to help us, and keeps us from having a fulfilling > life we all deserve. I know my OCD may seem light compared to others, but I > feel those with OCD ’suffer’ with this disorder in some way or another. > Hang in there, it can get better!
Your responses are all good: exercise, self-hypnosis/meditation, controlled thinking, talking, writing, breathing exercises, etc. I find they work well for me, too. I prefer natural healing to drugs. Unfortunately, I found that, when all else failed me, Prozac seemed to be a tolerable solution. I am not thrilled with it, but since I finally gave in to my doctor’s umpteen suggestions to try it, I have found that I don’t cause my own insomnia by dwelling on disturbing situations in my life. I don’t get the upset stomach, headaches, gastritis, anxiety attacks, crying jags, etc. that I used to get regularly. I am no longer as easily irritated by "small" things. I get along better with people. Others, particularly family and friends, tell me that I am more fun to be with because they can relax more with me. I am grateful for this. What I hate about Prozac is that my memory seems shot, particularly the aspect of retrieval of information. I have always had a great memory, but now I find myself unable to think of normal words during conversations. This situation is not constant, but it is frequently annoying. However, I am not ready to give up the Prozac yet. I am happy to be rid of all those other problems, for the time being. Good luck.
Response:
I would like to know how other’s of us out there deal/cope with their own obsessions and thoughts. For me… my thoughts always revolve around my spouses past ‘relationships’. It is a never ending battle, but I am trying to cope without medication (have tried Paxil and Luvox – not for me!). These thoughts are never really gone, even though I live my life as ‘normal’ as I can. Stress and anxiety make it so much worse. There are triggers that stir up the muddy water and I am back in that clouded pool of OCD and it can take days to get the waters ‘clear’ again. I sometimes feel like ‘ this is so silly! we’ve been together nearly 15 years! get a grip, Ron’. Now that I have been diagnosed with OCD, I can understand it’s not me that can’t let go, its the O in OCD. I have the help of my wife, and a new behavioral therapist, and a will to move onward! But it is extremely difficult. Some days are up some are down. My best times or periods are when I am excercising regularly, my relationship with my wife is good, I am less stressed, I am talking my issues out (rather than ‘trying’ to ignore them), and I am trying to not allow the thoughts to roll uncontrollably. I have seen a real increase in my ability to hold the reigns back on the uncontrolled thinking since I have been using self-hypnosis/meditation and am looking into NLP. I use breathing excercises to relieve anxiety (good tool for everyone). And keeping myself from indulging in harmful behaviors. I also tend to write alot when I have to express myself and there are ideas I can’t share with my spouse. But still some days are downright sh*tty! I would like to hear from others. OCD ruins the quality of life, affects those who love and try to help us, and keeps us from having a fulfilling life we all deserve. I know my OCD may seem light compared to others, but I feel those with OCD ’suffer’ with this disorder in some way or another. Hang in there, it can get better!
