DLA with OCD?

zippy1969

caela wrote: »

This idea that having OCD means you always stay tidy is completely untrue and a very misunderstood stereotype that can be quite damaging. For instance, I wash my hands a lot but my car is an absolute rubbish tip...

This is true...OCD isn't just about tidiness. Some OCD sufferers are 'hoarders' and to anyone else, their home can look an absolute tip. However, to the person involved, there is order and logic to their 'system'. Throughout this thread there is a frequent lack of awareness relating to the condition and some very generic and vague statements being made.

'caela'...if I were to suggest one thing, it would be that you leave this thread alone now. You are in danger of getting yourself wound-up over this and it isn't worth it. The problem here is that posts get misinterpreted. People can look at your other posts and along with your posts here, can make 2 + 2 = 5. I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong, just that you can keep writing long posts to 'defend' yourself but with thousands if not millions of users here, someone will always have a counter argument...be it based on fact, personal opinion or as I've said...making 5 out of two 2's.

You have your views, others have theirs...let it go.

You are putting alot of time and energy into this...maybe it would be more productive to put those same efforts into your current predicament. You sound like a tenacious person...and I mean that as a compliment.

I have no reason to think that you are making any of this up or bending the truth. You are just trying to explain your point of view but have now gone into so much detail that you have tied yourself up in knots...and given lots of information that allows others to tie you up in even more knots.

Anyhow, take care of yourself and whatever you decide to do...good luck:):):)

Muttleythefrog

caela wrote: »

You are just trying to pick holes for the sake of it I doubt I'd even need to explain that to people.

Unfortunately when people ask for help here it seems people want to actually add to your problems. Some people appear to fail to notice that when someone is having a problem getting medical treatment and disability benefits the last thing they need is to have to prove to people who can provide neither of these things that they have medical conditions and a case for treatment or benefits.

Focus your energies as best you can and rest assured people like me do appreciate the truths of what you say regarding 'the system' and your suffering.

dmg24

caela wrote: »

Probably suicidal in that straight after the appointment I spent about two hours parked up and building up the courage to drive into a tree, testing speeds to see how fast I'd need to go and then lining my car up and waiting for enough people to pass so they wouldn't have to watch. It's difficult to tell if you're suicidal because at the end of the day, I didn't crash my car I took a call from my friend who I hadn't planned on speaking to but thought why not in these circumstances and she stopped me from doing it because she just cheered me up enough and distracted me from it for a while.

I guess you're not ever suicidal until you actually kill yourself is my point so at what stage can you prove you're suicidal? When you're dead or when you're in hospital? Or when you know you're PROBABLY going to do something stupid and go to get help. Hence, I was probably suicidal because in all probability I was going to do something and wanted help before it was too late.

You're right about the help thing though which is the whole point of what I'm trying to do so hopefully I get something sorted out.

So you were suicidal, but your mate rang up and you thought 'it'll be nice to have a chat' and all was good with the world again. Surely the answer was to ring a friend when you were feeling 'suicidal', if it is so easy to make you happy again?

Out of interest, how were you testing speeds - do you have a few spare cars and a crash test dummy?

caela_2

zippy1969 wrote: »

I've been reading this thread with some interest...well, me and my friend.

My friend has very severe OCD, and I've been posting on her behalf on the forums here and getting alot of good advice. (I can't post a link as I'm new, but it's in this forum with a post title 'ESA question').

Hi sweetie so sorry to hear what your friend is going through but so glad she has your support as well. I know how trapped you can feel when your OCD is that bad and it really does take over your life. It's very hard to fight the symptoms when your anxiety is so high, but she will find what is right for her. I have a couple of mantras which I use. Firstly I say to myself if I don't do this compulsion (e.g. wash my hands) I'm afraid I'll get ill or something bad will happen but if I do, I can guarantee that I will get ill (because my OCD will get worse) and something bad will happen (I will make my OCD worse). If you reinforce the OCD you are preparing it for a long-term future home in your head, it's like smoking, every cigarette is a step further into addiction. You just have to see the compulsions as cigarettes and you're trying to stop smoking. Even if you can avoid two compulsions in a day, you have cut down by two cigarettes as it were and preserved your mental health that much as you'd be all the healthier for not smoking. This way of seeing it really helps me because if you try to stop doing all the compulsions it's virtually impossible and you feel like a failure but if you try to stop one or two and see the benefit of that you really feel like you're making progress. Another mantra I use is seeing a fork in the road and one side is labelled 'OCD' and the other is labelled 'Cure'. Every time I complete a compulsion I am choosing the OCD road, but if I can resist, I have chosen a cure. Another thing I do is I'm really sarcastic with myself, so if I want to wash my hands because I'm scared I'll get ill, I quickly say to myself 'oh sure you're really going to die of ebola cos you didn't wash your hands after stroking the cats' lol and that kinda helps to hear it like that. Also, the more you try to stop a compulsion, the more it can burrow into your mind to get away from the logic and the thoughts can become faster and more crazy until you finally cave to make it stop, but if you bring this all back up to the light and out in the open, you see how it's illogical. A lot of the time it's about catching that worm before it buries itself because that's when it's easiest so nipping it in the bud. For instance, if you think you may have contaminated your hand, very quickly before you can think just lick it as an impulsive action. Then you have caught it before it goes any deeper. The best thing is to always rationalise- those feelings of impending doom you get when you don't do a compulsion are OCD, they're not real, they're not superstition, they're not religion, they're not a sign, they are purely OCD and you have to remind yourself of this even if you know it.

She will definitely find what's right for her and it will work. Sometimes it just feels easier to do a compulsion because you feel you're not doing any more damage but you'd stop the anxiety and perhaps prevent bad things from happening. You need to know you actually are damaging yourself and each compulsion, no matter how small, is a terribly bad thing and should not be performed. It will only make you very mentally ill and perhaps suicidal and it's definitely not an easy way out. The same as a heroin addict might want another hit just to stop the hurting- but it's so dangerous cos you're just spiralling deeper into addiction. She will eventually begin to trim the OCD back some and once you can do that you really do become miles stronger. That's the great thing about mental health, make the smallest bit of progress and you really do feel a hundred times better and things will snowball into getting better and better, it's just the tiny first bit that's the hardest. Good luck to both of you x

caela_2

dmg24 wrote: »

So you were suicidal, but your mate rang up and you thought 'it'll be nice to have a chat' and all was good with the world again. Surely the answer was to ring a friend when you were feeling 'suicidal', if it is so easy to make you happy again?

Out of interest, how were you testing speeds - do you have a few spare cars and a crash test dummy?

Whatever you can keep your oblivious opinions to yourself I'm sure you have something to prove so keep your head in your *** and enjoy the view.

zippy1969

dmg24 wrote: »

So you were suicidal, but your mate rang up and you thought 'it'll be nice to have a chat' and all was good with the world again. Surely the answer was to ring a friend when you were feeling 'suicidal', if it is so easy to make you happy again?

Out of interest, how were you testing speeds - do you have a few spare cars and a crash test dummy?

Hey, steady on...that's really below the belt. You are judging this person in a world where everything is black and white...it isn't. It's 5% black, 5% white and 90% grey...i.e. 90% is uncertain and unpredictable. If you are feeling suicidal and your phone rings and you answer it, that doesn't mean you think "it'll be nice to have a chat." The 'answer' to ring a friend isn't an answer...there are no answers...you do what you do at the time and it can be unpredictable.

And the "crash test dummy comment"...a very mature, well-thought out and intelligent comment...congratulations on your insight and imagination.

I just think these comments are grossly unfair and pretty immature. Be constructive...or don't say anything at all.

zippy1969

caela wrote: »

Good luck to both of you x

Thanks for that.

Listen, I think you may be better off posting on a forum where you can get some positive help and some support from others who are struggling as you are. I'll PM you a link.

caela_2

zippy1969 wrote: »

This is true...OCD isn't just about tidiness. Some OCD sufferers are 'hoarders' and to anyone else, their home can look an absolute tip. However, to the person involved, there is order and logic to their 'system'. Throughout this thread there is a frequent lack of awareness relating to the condition and some very generic and vague statements being made.

'caela'...if I were to suggest one thing, it would be that you leave this thread alone now. You are in danger of getting yourself wound-up over this and it isn't worth it. The problem here is that posts get misinterpreted. People can look at your other posts and along with your posts here, can make 2 + 2 = 5. I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong, just that you can keep writing long posts to 'defend' yourself but with thousands if not millions of users here, someone will always have a counter argument...be it based on fact, personal opinion or as I've said...making 5 out of two 2's.

You have your views, others have theirs...let it go.

You are putting alot of time and energy into this...maybe it would be more productive to put those same efforts into your current predicament. You sound like a tenacious person...and I mean that as a compliment.

I have no reason to think that you are making any of this up or bending the truth. You are just trying to explain your point of view but have now gone into so much detail that you have tied yourself up in knots...and given lots of information that allows others to tie you up in even more knots.

Anyhow, take care of yourself and whatever you decide to do...good luck:):):)

Once again, you're completely right lol I have been thinking of abandoning this thread now but thank you for your support to everyone and we'll see how it goes.

zippy1969

caela wrote: »

Once again, you're completely right lol I have been thinking of abandoning this thread now but thank you for your support to everyone and we'll see how it goes.

Let me know that you got my PM;)

wottonby

CFC wrote: »

Caela, you are not the only person in the world with a sleep disorder, I know these are difficult things for most people to understand but you are not alone. There are sleep disorder clinics that you can ask your GP to refer you toQUOTE]

My grandfather and my father all swore by (a) not eating dairy produce before bed, (b) having a large tot of whisky in a hot steaming cup of tea and (c) read a boring book, and it will soon get you off to nodland and keep you there!!