Thursday, December 29, 2011

I am going to do it

I have decided to ask my psychiatrist to refer me to the doctor in the practice who does cognitive behavioral therapy. I want to try the exposure response prevention therapy.
I have written about my doubts over whether or not I needed such therapy, and I’ve gotten some really helpful comments on this blog.
I have also learned from those of you who write wonderful blogs about your own experiences with OCD. It seems that ERP therapy is helping many of you, and I want to experience some of that success.
I have been mulling over it, and it became clear to me this evening that I need the therapy.
I have been having periods of time lately when I have been a checking fiend.
For example, I stare at the lamps in my office at work to make sure they are “really” off until I think I must surely be going crazy.
And I know it’s the OCD! I have been doing things like this for most of my life. And I still feel like I’m going crazy.
Also, I have a nagging sense that OCD has negatively affected my life and is still affecting it in ways I don’t even realize.
I have reached a point in my life where I don’t want to be held back by OCD, anxiety or depression anymore. I want to better manage these conditions so that I accomplish what I am supposed to accomplish while I’m on this earth.
I may sound overly dramatic, but I am as serious as I’ve ever been about getting better and living life as fully as I can.
So, I see my doctor on Jan. 16, and I will get the ball rolling. In the meantime, I’ll get through the episodes as best I can.

7 comments:

  1. Congrats for having the courage to take such a bold step!!! ERP is not easy - believe me! But the results are worth it and at some point - after doing it for a bit you reach a threshold where you start to get perspective - and then it's not as bad. Hugs to you.

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  2. I can't tell you how happy I am to hear you will be trying ERP Therapy. I've said it many times, but I'll say it again. This therapy literally saved my son's life. I wish you the courage and strength to fight your OCD head on.......I am cheering for you!

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  3. Thank you both for your support. It helps!

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  4. Thank you both for your support. It helps!

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  5. How absolutely wonderful! You are not being overly dramatic. Living with and fighting OCD are life changing events. Looking forward to hearing about your experiences. God Bless!

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  6. Dear Tina,

    I am happy for you and I hope everything works out.

    When you said that OCD has: "negatively affected my life and is still affecting it in ways I don’t even realize." ....

    I hear ya. Until I started CBT (Cognitive Behavior Therapy) over a year ago, I really had no idea of the many ways OCD was keeping me down. I could see the obvious ways but there was so much more that was OCD that I would never have thought of as OCD. Therapy has helped me TONS.

    Happy New Year,
    Elizabeth

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