Are you suffering from OCD? You know how frustrating it can be to deal with those thoughts daily. If you know how disruptive and damaging it can be for you, you probably are trying your best to overcome it. You should realize that overcoming OCD is a long process, you cannot be free from it within a night. You will surely overcome this disorder with the right strategies and help from healthcare professionals! With new direction functional psychiatry, you can win this war!
How can I overcome OCD?
- Make sure you are well in touch with loved ones.
The first thing you will need throughout the process is love and support from your loved ones. You need to know you are not alone on this journey and that you have someone to share your thoughts and fears with. But keep in mind that it is just to support you. You cannot rely on them in any way while healing.
- Do not be surprised at when or where the thoughts occur.
You should be mentally prepared to accept that the intrusive thoughts might pop up anywhere, anytime. Ask yourself, “What did my therapist suggest me to do when I got these thoughts?” If there are some new ones, try writing them down or remembering them so you can tell them to your therapist later.
- Do not force yourself not to think about the thoughts.
Do you ever feel like denying these thoughts? As in, force them from not coming to your head? This is vital to your acceptance of this disorder. The more effort you put into avoiding thinking about them, the more you will actually think about them. So, acknowledge them, think about them if you feel like you should, and face them!
- Accept that it is chronic.
Just like other chronic diseases like asthma, OCD cannot be cured completely. You can bring your thoughts under control but do not think for a second that you are entirely free from it. When you finally accept all the facts associated with this, you will definitely feel more in control!
- Only you are responsible for dealing with your symptoms.
As harsh as it may sound, you should keep this in mind! You should not involve the people around you in your symptoms or ritual in any way unless your therapist asks you to. You must deal with your symptoms by yourself and not hesitate to ask others to do things for you. Because, in the end, who is the one person who is always going to be there with you all the time? Exactly!
