Topic Tuesday // Managing compulsions // 25 July, 7pm AEST

[Former-Member]

@ReneeT, you must hear some heart rending stories about how OCD is impacting on people.  Do you also hear stories of recovery?  Is it possible for people to regain control over their compulsions?

[Former-Member]

Hello, my Mr Darcy has lots of little OCD things ie will wash his hands, more than normal but not all day, will line things up, likes to do things a particular way, all or nothing type things. His pdoc was thinking that once his BPii was stabilized that his OCD / anxieties might go but they haven't.

[Eden1919]

@Former-Member @ReneeT I also wonder as i have literally had OCD my whole life what it is like to not have to do those things all the time. and it frustrates me also because people think you can just stop doing something but sometimes you cant.

[Former-Member]

Hi @Former-Member, welcome to the conversation.  It sounds as if Mr Darcys compulsions are not too controlling at this point.  Is it something that worries him?

[Eden1919]

@Former-Member I have BP1 as well and my OCD is a lot worse when i am depressed or in a mild depression. but it never completely goes away. the closest it has come to going away is when i am really really "Up"

[ReneeT]

Yes we do certainly hear many heart rending stories from people who are in the thick of OCD. Many of the calls on our helpline are from people living with OCD who are at times housebound because of the intensity of their OCD symptoms.

We do however also hear uplifting stories of recovery from people who talk of feeling in control of OCD, rather than feeling controlled BY it. Many of our volunteers have lived experience of various anxiety disorders, including OCD. Whilst some may battle at times with compulsions, others would say that they have fully recovered and live a "normal life" - whatver that is!

[Former-Member]

At its heart I think that it's about safety @Eden1919.  So if you've felt unsafe all your life then it's possible that you've been creating ways that help you to feel safer going way back.  Ways that have probably evolved over time.

[Former-Member]

Yes @Former-Member it does worry him, he once did not say 'have a good day' to me after I had said it to him and as result an outing with family that he had been looking forward to was ruined as all he could think about was what he had not said.

[Eden1919]

@Former-Member@ReneeT I also self harm and i even have ocd rituals around that. alot of my rituals are done in my head though. is it more common to have "pure ocd" or ocd?

[Hopesmum]

Hi everyone. Thank you for the invite @-karma-

Whilst I do not suffer from ocd I do have anxiety issues, so although I can not begin to know the difficulties you face, l can relate to the anxiety you feel. It saddens me too that, like with many mental health illnesses, other's are so clueless to the impact it causes to even the simplest parts of life.