MY OCD IS IN OVERDRIVE
Itouch the knob suffer from severe OCD and can barely
Now, with all the talk of on a door, even in my own house. everywhere, my constant handwashing and Coronavirus crisis is plunging me anxiety is through the roof. This whole about hurting into a nightmare. I now worry constantly terrified I could get this others through my actions and I’m else, that someone virus – or unwittingly infect someone fault. My brain is
I love could die and it would be my disinfecting and spinning out of control and my obsessive handwashing is taking over! Antonia, Manchester
MANDY SAYS:
19 plays into existing Of course the current situation with Covid- were together, I would mental health problems like OCD. If we into the present to support you to breathe, encouraging you a moment of relief. OCD is experience some inner calm, if only for where you try to control often a maladaptive safety-seeking pattern like cleanliness or order. your emotions by trying to control something happened to, or around, I imagine when you were young something you took up OCD patterns you, leaving you feeling vulnerable – so to avoid anything as something you could do, becoming compulsive obliges you to act out as negative at all. Your overt sense of control a massive difference, and so you believe what you do will make such
OCD and something negative it is cyclical. If you don’t act out in your act out and something happens then it’s your fault, and if you do it enough. negative happens then you’re not doing with here, and OCD Your fear of your fear is what we are dealing spiral is perspective and won’t let you win. The best way out of that override’, whereby you acceptance, applying what I call a ‘manual
– things will always remind yourself that negative – and positive your control. You simply play happen, and they are not entirely under and accepting what that part your part, and recovery is understanding reading The Serenity Prayer as is, so that you can fulfil it and letgo (try you do or don’t understand it). it can really help, using the word God as
DO? SO, WHAT CAN AND SHOULD YOU
to learn how to meditate, so Treat yourself kindly, and use this time 1.
(try Headspace online). you can pause between impulse and action fellowship meeting through
2. Try attending a free online anonymous intherooms.com. and follow NHS guidelines.
3. Get legitimate facts about Coronavirus a framework to stick to –
4. Make a weekly plan, to give yourself news, activities, meals etc. including exposure to social media, the
5. Stay connected by talking, not worrying.
Don’t forget to laugh, we will get through this.