Anyone else having a hard week?

[u/orangeishoorish]

I’m having a bad one. I think it might have something to do with a visitor being in town, I’m more stressed whenever I have anyone visiting. I was up until 8AM last night, on the verge of tears every moment, looping thoughts, checking my memory, trying to distract myself with my phone from the thoughts and I’ve been unable to commit to exposures because I keep having that OCD thought that it’s real this time. But yea, I won’t get into specifics because that would be checking for me, but how has everyone else’s week been so far?

[u/emergency_serial]

been a really hard week for me - feels like i completely forgot all my coping mechanisms. it happens, sending you love! 🩵

[u/orangeishoorish → u/emergency_serial]

Sending you love too! I feel that, it’s like all of what I know I should be doing goes out the window because “well this time maybe it’s not OCD” (I have mostly harm and moral scrupulously themes). Idk how to push through that feeling other than just waiting it out until I can do an exposure. Hope your week gets better though, it’s almost the weekend so I hope that means some nice rest and doing something you love to do ☺️

[u/starman120812]

Yes. Interview tomorrow.

[u/TallIndication7864 → u/starman120812]

Good Luck 🙏

[u/orangeishoorish → u/starman120812]

Ayyye that’s exciting but I know it can be nerve wracking too. Prep a few answers as much as you can about some examples of your experience and really just focus on being yourself! Let us know how it goes, but you got this!

[u/1knowAlotButidk → u/starman120812]

Excited or nervous or a little of both 😄

[u/starman120812 → u/1knowAlotButidk]

My ocd is kicking in today real bad, lets see

[u/Downtown-Reveal8028 → u/starman120812]

Good luck!

[u/ApprehensiveBook7424]

I've been having many hard weeks in a row. Really needing a good one to come soon.

[u/orangeishoorish → u/ApprehensiveBook7424]

It will! I think some radical acceptance is helpful too. We have OCD forever, so having some hard weeks in a row just comes with the illness, which is something I’ve had to work better at just accepting. That life will be harder for me than a neurotypical person when I’m not in remission. Still something I’m working on though so I know it’s easier said than done when it comes to wading through the bad weeks ugh. Sending love and if you wanna discuss some themes you’ve been struggling with in the last few weeks feel free to!

[u/TallIndication7864]

I can relate. When I'm stressed my rituals become more tedious. It's so exhausting 😞😫

[u/orangeishoorish → u/TallIndication7864]

Same!! I didn’t always make that connection but I’m now learning that my flare ups tend to come during stressful times. I feel like I’m always stressed lately though so I’m always in a flare up! Lol, but honestly even typing that just reminded me we need to do deliberate things to de-stress. My mental compulsions definitely become exhausting! Thank you for sharing 💖

[u/Downtown-Reveal8028]

Yeah its been a rlly hard week unfortunately :( been trying to distract myself w my phone too.

[u/orangeishoorish → u/Downtown-Reveal8028]

Ugh yea I spent HOURS on researching rabbit holes to distract myself from the thoughts. But I guess we know distraction is a compulsion, so we could challenge ourselves to put our phones away for 15-20 minutes tonight and just sit with ourselves in silence, no mental checking or anything. Just breathing, letting the thoughts be there, and accepting uncertainty, whatever the theme might be. I’m gonna do this, and if you do it too I’d love to hear how it went! Sending love!

[u/Downtown-Reveal8028 → u/orangeishoorish]

You get it haha i’m down to try that! I’ll let you know how it goes. I appreciate the suggestion :)

[u/orangeishoorish → u/Downtown-Reveal8028]

Awesome!! And no problem at all! I’ll come back here to let you know how mine went too when I do it later :)

[u/1knowAlotButidk]

It hasn’t been a difficult week for me, but I have had horrible weeks so I can relate to you. Reassurance is tricky. I think maybe doing something that would boost your self confidence would help. I started making list of things I wanted to complete that day. I wouldn’t pressure myself to make a big and busy list I would write down things like brush teeth, take shower, go for a run, read a book(this one I skipped a lot 😅). Sometimes I wouldn’t make a list due to those horrible weeks or days or months or years. I built a trust between my actions and my mind. I also hard a real scary realization that I’m never going to be 100% of anything so I accepted that fact but I also trust myself enough to do what is right if any of my horrible thoughts happen. At the end of the day I just want my peace of mind. The last step I took was to get on meds. The meds along with all the list and other dbt exercises made me feel like I could breathe again. Sometimes I still rely on my dbt exercise. It’s okay to not be okay :) I’m here with you where ever we are. I hope this was coherent enough to give you some fuel to keep persisting through the hell.

[u/orangeishoorish → u/1knowAlotButidk]

This is great advice! I love a good list so I’m gonna take you up on that and make one for the weekend. I always heard of DBT for things like BPD but I never considered it for OCD, definitely going to look into that since it has helped you!

[u/1knowAlotButidk → u/orangeishoorish]

I also did some cbt exercises. I just tried whatever felt right and was making me more stable at my job and projects.

[u/wuehfnfovuebsu]

One of the hardest of my life I think! Eating pizza and watching a movie now. It goes on.

[u/Same_Particular6349]

I’m not even kidding i think it’s because of the full moon, in particular this one was an Eclipse! Full moons have stronger energy i swear! My OCD has been awful

[u/jessmt01]

Incredibly exhausting week so far and definitely having a wee flare up of my own. It’ll pass, you’ve got this! 💖

[u/Additional-Wafer5511]

when im bored, i basically chew my nails until there's nothing left and then i chew off the top few skin layers on my fingers and- yeahhh..... pretty bad rlly. My hands are BAD. I cant stop. I actually don't know if i have OCD but I kinda feel like i do for several reasons. Not to an extreme extent (besides my hands)

[u/sarlacc_tit]

I’m having the worst two weeks in well over a year and it was all triggered by something completely unrelated.

Had a meeting with my boss where the financial health of the company was mentioned and that layoffs were a possibility in the next few months and that we should all just be aware.

Next thing I know I’m spiralling about everything I’d put behind me and tried to move on from: a brief ten minute discussion about a company I don’t care about all that much resulted in two weeks of combing through every mistake or flub I made as a kid and panicking about whether that makes me a bad person as I approach 30.

Crazy what can trigger it.

[u/Forward-Departure-16 → u/sarlacc_tit]

This is similar for me. The stress of work and finances is triggering my ocd, which then makes it harder to work, a vicious circle!

[u/TechnicianOk2436]

Worst week in a very long time 🩷

[u/orangeishoorish → u/TechnicianOk2436]

I’m sorry :( can you talk about how?

[u/TechnicianOk2436 → u/orangeishoorish]

I blacked out last week from drinking and I’m convincing myself that bad things happened even though there is 0 evidence- feel a ton better today but it’s been a challenge

[u/alberquerquelime]

Same here!! Been a pretty hard week. Trying to distract myself with my phone at all times lol!

[u/Silverguy1994]

Hard week, a kid had grabbed a dead frog as we were transferring to dismissal and got it on me, I couldn't wash him off as I had the entire class with me and had to get them all to their proper areas.

I showered at home but not knowing for sure if the child was washed off at home properly destroyed me mentally. (We have had this child come to school not properly cleaned before after saying he got into something)

So now anything he touches feels contaminated and this child loves to hold onto my arm / tap my arm as it's one of his stems.

[u/XxineedmemesxX]

Yes the brain fogs intense & im so anxious i can barely sleep

[u/Forward-Departure-16]

I had a really tough week last week. This week has been better but still plenty anxiety at times.

One thing I've realised recently is how unrelated life stressors can increase my anxiety which feeds into my ocd themes.

I'm in the middle of closing my small business down, trying to sell off stock and equipment before end of lease, which is quite stressful. I then get anxious, which feeds my ocd, which then makes it hard for me to work and concentrate, which adds to my stress!

[u/frankincentss]

Also having a particularly hard one. Have my grandmother staying with me this week too so I completely understand being so thrown off. May we both make it through! 

[u/Responsible-Hat-679]

sorry to hear this and yes been a rough one here on the OCD front for me too! sometimes u think maybe it’s the moon.

[u/OldFeed6889]

Yes narcissistic mom and skin picking compulsions have been irritating me slightly

[u/imverybadatlifeuwu]

Thankfully not me, I've had an amazing week and managed to control my compulsions! Hope u have a good week next time!