Hi All,
This is my first time posting on here, so a bit about myself before I get to my question:
I don’t think I’ve ever been officially diagnosed with OCD, but I have no doubt in my mind that I have it. I was in therapy for a few months last year and my therapist simply agreed that I display symptoms of OCD…is that a diagnosis? I obsess about the cleanliness and neatness of everything around me. I think back to where I put things like my phone, purse, laptop, etc. throughout the day and won't touch those things without washing my hands afterwards if they touched something that I have deemed "dirty." Nothing that goes outside of my room can be put on the bed, I wash my hands to the point of damaging them, and I can't function normally during the day if I haven't made the bed in a certain way and brushed my teeth, washed my face, etc. in a certain order in the morning (the list goes on, but I’ll stop here for now). I recently moved to a new city where I hardly know anyone and I don’t know where to start looking for help. Though, I do have to admit that part of my reluctance to seek help in this city is my shyness…I know it will take me a long time to become comfortable enough to tell a new therapist anything tangible about myself. I’ve been procrastinating.
That being said, I guess my question for you all is: have any of you lessened the severity of your symptoms on your own? Are there any tricks you have to keep yourself from thinking about cleanliness/the bed being made or to stop yourself from washing your hands so often (which seems to be my biggest issue)? I know I should seek professional help, and I plan to in the future when I’m more comfortable with this city. But I'm also sort of looking for a quick-fix because I just moved in with my boyfriend of over 2 years and my OCD is taking its toll on our relationship (we had a huge fight last night). He’s had the patience of a saint, but my compulsions are starting to get in the way of both of us living a normal life. Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated.
This is my first time posting on here, so a bit about myself before I get to my question:
I don’t think I’ve ever been officially diagnosed with OCD, but I have no doubt in my mind that I have it. I was in therapy for a few months last year and my therapist simply agreed that I display symptoms of OCD…is that a diagnosis? I obsess about the cleanliness and neatness of everything around me. I think back to where I put things like my phone, purse, laptop, etc. throughout the day and won't touch those things without washing my hands afterwards if they touched something that I have deemed "dirty." Nothing that goes outside of my room can be put on the bed, I wash my hands to the point of damaging them, and I can't function normally during the day if I haven't made the bed in a certain way and brushed my teeth, washed my face, etc. in a certain order in the morning (the list goes on, but I’ll stop here for now). I recently moved to a new city where I hardly know anyone and I don’t know where to start looking for help. Though, I do have to admit that part of my reluctance to seek help in this city is my shyness…I know it will take me a long time to become comfortable enough to tell a new therapist anything tangible about myself. I’ve been procrastinating.
That being said, I guess my question for you all is: have any of you lessened the severity of your symptoms on your own? Are there any tricks you have to keep yourself from thinking about cleanliness/the bed being made or to stop yourself from washing your hands so often (which seems to be my biggest issue)? I know I should seek professional help, and I plan to in the future when I’m more comfortable with this city. But I'm also sort of looking for a quick-fix because I just moved in with my boyfriend of over 2 years and my OCD is taking its toll on our relationship (we had a huge fight last night). He’s had the patience of a saint, but my compulsions are starting to get in the way of both of us living a normal life. Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated.