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Originally Posted by scaredandconfused
OCD can be a big beast to conquer. Although our struggles are vastly different (yours is more compulsions, mine was obsessions), the best way to defeat this illness is to expose yourself to that which makes you anxious.
From what I have seen of your posts, you are worried about contamination, correct? I'm not sure if you're working on this with your psychologist but maybe coming up with small goals to expose yourself to what you are afraid of can work wonders. Exposure therapy is how I overcame my OCD struggles and I have no doubt that if you forced yourself to face the monster, even slowly and over a long period of time, you would be able to overcome it as well.
I've noticed that you describe your OCD to be more severe than most, complicated, something you can't beat, etc...that mindset will only hinder you and keep you stuck. Have you considered trying exposure therapy (which for you would likely be cleaning the house in small amounts) with your psychologist's guidance?
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No, I can't do a little bit. This is why my OCD is different. I touch one piece of trash on the floor and I'm dirty all over. The shower has stuff in it so that the cats won't pee or poop on it. I am morbidly obese and don't have the energy to clean and shower every day. My bedsheets need to be changed once I get a shower because they are dirty. I can't explain my OCD. I have looked for therapists who do ERP and they don't take Medicare, although the one I just found might do ERP. We're only two sessions in. But again, it won't work in the situation I'm in. Once I'm in a clean situation again, I do much better with overcoming OCD. I understand why you think my OCD is like everyone else's, but I am one of the exceptions. I've spent days dirty, and didn't get better. I got worse. I didn't wash my hands, and it wouldn't go away. I'm going to ask my psychiatrist to increase my meds. Thank you for caring, but I've tried ERP in the past with little success.
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Maven
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