Feeling paralysed by depression

Hi @nervouswreck

Some really great ideas there. I LOVE this as I'm so guilty of feeling I'm not achieving fast enough: "The trees are not expecting to be fully grown by tomorrow, the birds are not expecting to raise their babies by this afternoon, etc. Likewise, we can work on ourselves over a longer timescale and our patience will be rewarded."

Thank you!

Hanami

Hi @nervouswreck , thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful response! I often feel like I have to force myself to push on but like you said, I find it usually just makes the hole deeper and even harder to pull myself out of. I love your concept of upward spirals and I'm definitely going to start using that from now on

Hi @NatureLover ,

thanks for your support and for sharing a bit about your OCD experience. It sounds like yours takes on a similar form to mine- mostly around germs and contamination but I also get intrusive thoughts and am a compulsive skin picker. I feel like there's still a lot of stigma/stereotyping around OCD so it causes a lot of tension when people tell me I'm being ridiculous.

I totally relate to what you said about it tending to rule your life- it really does take over everything! Are there any strategies you've tried that have helped you cope? I haven't done a lot of work on my OCD because ironically, I'm terrified. But I've done some acceptance & commitment therapy (ACT), specifically the cognitive defusion technique, which has helped take some of the sting out of the intrusive thoughts.

Thanks again for your response, I really appreciate being able to connect with other people who get it!

Thanks for your reply, @bluesandyellows 🙂 I also do compulsive skin picking which I've done since a baby (abusive family) and which has been diagnosed as Excoriation Disorder. (I'm 52 now)

I'm so sorry that people tell you you're being ridiculous 😢 😡

I am also terrified of doing ERP (Exposure Response Therapy) on my OCD as I feel the whole house will then be contaminated and not "safe" to live in! (Moderators: I'm using the word "safe" in terms of germs, not suicidal ideation. I don't have SI.)

One strategy that helped me was strangely enough accepting that I had germophobia for life. For instance, I put my 130 washcloths out in the open on a shelf instead of in a drawer - I use them to ritually wipe library books and other things. I also allow enough time now after a GP or hospital appt to shower, wash my hair, wash my clothes and disinfect my car. These sort of things have made my life easier. But the main thing that I'm so incredibly lucky in is that I live by myself so can keep things "clean". Do you live by yourself?

I was intrigued by the ACT Cognitive Defusion Technique that you mentioned...can you describe it?

I also like connecting with people who "get it", so thank you for sharing 🙂