5 Tips That Help Me Manage OCD

1) Pay Attention to The Pattern 

Paying attention to the OCD cycle is imperative. Although OCD is full of immeasurable amounts of doubt and confusion, it tends to follow a pattern. This is only noticeable if you pay attention to the details. 

Next time you get an intrusive thought, try to practice mindfulness. For example, you suddenly felt an abnormal increase of intrusive thoughts when you entered the kitchen. Instead of racing to perform a compulsion, ask yourself why? What made me panic? What was so special about the kitchen that it triggered my OCD? What does sitting with my anxiety look like? Does it actually help to do compulsive behaviors?

Since you suffer from Harm OCD, you realize that the utensils located in the kitchen are the reason behind increased symptom severity. Thus, you have successfully identified a trigger. You might also notice that doing a compulsive behavior only makes things better temporarily, and then you just feel anxious again. 

By picking up on these details, you learn to observe your intrusive thoughts, and resist getting stuck in compulsive cycles.

2) Never React To OCD 

Having OCD is really annoying. It’s like that one baby that won't shut up during a long flight. This is why you can’t react to it — the more you fixate on the annoying baby, the more unbearable the flight becomes. The same concept applies to OCD. 

This is far easier said than done. Luckily, there are a couple of healthy ways to respond to your intrusive thoughts…

• “OK” 
• “Very creative” 
• “Whatever” 
• “Maybe, maybe not” 
• “That’s a new one” 
• “Clever” 

As you can see, these are all statements that mock and/or make fun of the obsessive thoughts! 

3) Act As If You Don’t Have OCD 

One of the most common side effects of OCD is avoidance. Whether that means avoiding certain places, people, songs, or foods, OCD will shrink down your world. If you don’t stand your ground, you will live a life full of limitations and obstacles. 

The main reason for avoidance is that people don’t want to feel extreme amounts of pain, anxiety and distress. Thus, they limit themselves to people and places that are less likely to trigger them. However, OCD feeds off of this, and becomes stronger and more aggressive. 

This is why it is important to make decisions based on your values, not your fears. The idea is to alter the way our brain processes false red flags. This can be accomplished by not reacting to what OCD is telling you and going on with your day.

4) Physical Activity Is Important

Physical activity is non negotiable for me when it comes to OCD. I remember learning in elementary school that energy is neither created nor destroyed — it transforms from one form to another. 

I am a firm believer in “recycling one’s pain”. People with OCD suffer day and night, so why not use that energy to enhance our lives? 

Feeling anxious, fearful and stressed? Go to the gym, and release all of those negative thoughts, feelings and emotions. Moreover, studies suggest that higher physical activity is associated with higher well-being and quality of life, as well as lower symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress.

5) Seek Treatment 

Seeking treatment is the most important part of the recovery process, as it allows you to tackle OCD straight on with the help of mental health professionals. 

Unfortunately, people with mental health disorders may delay treatment due to factors like stigma. I am an example of this, as I delayed the inevitable, which only made my OCD unbearable. 

The gold standard treatment for OCD is exposure with response prevention. In fact, about 50–60% of patients who complete ERP treatment show clinically significant improvement in OCD symptoms according to The Psychology Research and Behavior Management Journal. 

In conclusion, these five tips can greatly assist individuals struggling with OCD. By practicing mindfulness, resisting compulsions, following our values, implementing healthy routines, and seeking professional help, individuals can better manage their condition and improve their overall well-being. Remember, everyone's journey is unique, so it's important to find strategies that work best for you.

References:

Law C, Boisseau CL. Exposure and Response Prevention in the Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Current Perspectives. Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2019 Dec 24;12:1167-1174. doi: 10.2147/PRBM.S211117. PMID: 31920413; PMCID: PMC6935308. 

Marconcin, P., Werneck, A.O., Peralta, M. et al. The association between physical activity and mental health during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review. BMC Public Health 22, 209 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-12590-6

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ABOUT

The Struggling Warrior is a 26-year-old Electrical and Electronics engineer with OCD. Throughout his experience with this detrimental disease, he found his passion for raising awareness of OCD and helping people who suffer from it on a daily basis. He believes that through knowledge, education and understanding the sheer nature of the disease, people will jumpstart their recovery process and reclaim what OCD took away from them.

Website - www.thestrugglingwarrior.com

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