I have OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), and i was wondering how other people deal with that.?

Question

What can i do to reduce my obsessive actions , like checking things a hundred times, or worrying about stupid little things. I just obsess over the smallest things, or things i can't control, and i'm so sick of it!!!!!!

Answer 1

A good therapist could help you figure out why you do these behaviors. Also stay busy, the less time you have to think about these stresses the less they'll take you away from living your life. I feel for you though, I wash my hands like it's going out of style, at least 20 times per day. I stay busy so I don't really do all of the checking so much, but ordering I do a lot too. Good luck to you.

Answer 2

I have OCD too. The way I deal with it is I pay close attention to what I'm doing and tell myself inside my head that I did it. For example, when I lock the door I watch carefully that I locked them while saying to myself in my head "I locked the door, it's locked well." Then I don't allow myself to check if I locked. Instead I remind myself that I saw very clearly that I locked the door so there's no need to go check it, I know it's locked.

At first it felt bad to not follow my compulsions, but after a while it got better, when I saw that it's working well like this. I'm dealing with it better since I started doing this and I feel better now when I don't "have to" constantly check everything carefully.

Answer 3

I was in the same position a couple years ago. I didn’t want to admit that I had a problem, but I finally came out to my parents and they put me into therapy. There I learned what I could do to change my thinking and how to reduce anxiety (OCD is an anxiety disorder) and, eventually, be cured. You should do what I did, and also check with a doctor or psychiatrist about medication-although personally it hasn't worked-and have him or her put you on it. Ultimately, what is best for you is to get help, because mental illnesses cannot be cured, or reduced in intensity, on your own.
Before anything, get a diagnosis.

Answer 4

My husband has mild OCD, and he is constantly cleaning the house for no real reason. I would recommend a really engrossing hobby that distracts you from the obsessive actions. Or get a friend to help by taking you to movies, going to the park, etc. Also, you could talk to a psychiatrist about other alternatives.

Answer 5

Are you on medication? Medication really helps, I have a minor form of OCD I count change, or things that I might need to check again to make sure it's right. But medication really helps reduce the compulsive feeling to keep counting.

Answer 6

Start doing other things. Pick up a book, take a walk, pick one day a week to worry about the stupid stuff. It's hard and I've been working on it for the past 6 years.

Answer 7

You know you're doing it... cut it out.

It worked for me.

Except that I lock the front door, turn out all the lights, get into bed, and then get up to check the front door.... but most of the time I can remember that I checked it just before turning out the lights, so I change my mind and stay in bed.

But then, sometimes I jump up out of bed at like three in the morning, and run out into the driveway in my underwear to check and see if I rolled the windows up on my car.... sometimes I wait until I hear a thunderstorm start at like four in the morning... then I run out in the rain and roll them up. But I remember to lock the front door when I come back to bed soaking wet and all out of breath.

Answer 8

Well as for me I just do what I have to do I cant stop its like if I don't do this I will be extremely Nerves and depressed

Answer 9

I don't know the answer but I wish you luck. You'll do it