Friday, February 15, 2013

OCD, depression and the need for community

The other morning in the shower, I really, really wanted to open and close the shampoo cap just one more time. I was having anxiety about it, and I wanted to lessen it.
OCD checking in the shower has been a real problem for me lately.
Then I remembered Krystal Lynn. I remembered the way she was forging ahead with her OCD exposures. I remembered what she had written in her post “My ERP,” on her wonderful blog Sprinkle Some Sugar On Me: I Am More than OCD: “I know for the ERP to work, I need to do the opposite of what makes me less anxious and keep up the risk of doing what makes me feel uncomfortable.”
I thought, well, Krystal Lynn is doing it. I need to do it, too. So I didn’t open and close the cap a second time. I put down the bottle and went on with my shower in spite of the anxiety I felt. Pretty soon, the anxiety dissipated.

That is an example of the beauty of the community of bloggers and readers that I’ve been blessed to find.
I no longer feel alone.
I know I’m not the only one with OCD, with obsessions and compulsions that sometimes leave me at my wits end. I’m not the only one with depression or anxiety, or the only one that sometimes wonders how to get through the hard times of life.
I’m inspired daily by the blogs and comments that others write.
And I learn from what others’ are doing, from their experiences.

We all crave community, connections with others. Even those of us who are introverts need to be a part of communities.
They can be small communities and large ones. They can be in-person communities and online ones. They can be made up of people who are going through similar experiences, and they can be made up of people who are different from us but who bring their own light to the table.
I had a hard time in my “in-person” life admitting to many people that I had mental illnesses. And I didn’t find many others through the years who told me about their own mental health issues.
When I started reading blogs written by people with mental illnesses, and then when I started writing a blog, I made connections that have made a positive difference in my life, for the reasons above.
I also found blogs and made connections with people who don’t have mental illnesses but have a sensitivity about others and an understanding of how to be supportive of others. I’ve learned so much about the beautiful things in life from them.
This online community has been a true blessing in my life. I read what you write, I feel your support, and I think about you and hope for the best for you.

How do you define community? Why is it important to be a part of communities?

36 comments:

  1. Hi Tina,

    This is the reason I enjoy reading your blog along with some others. I can no longer be in the "in-person" community. I am suffering with panic attacks now. So the online community is very important to me so that I can keep in touch and read about other peoples experiences.
    My therapist told me about using the 5,4,3,2,1, method to relax and keep my thoughts in the now when I am doing ERP at home. I tried this last night to only check all my locks, doors, and windows one time. It took about 15 minutes for the anxiety to stop but I made it.

    Sincerely,
    Christine

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    1. Christine, congratulations on the ERP last night! That's wonderful that you checked just one time. And the anxiety went away! I know it's not easy. But we have to keep trying, don't we?

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  2. Morning Tina I have terrible anxiety and blogging has changed my world that is for sure. It gives me that reason to slow down and think.I have found a real community of caring people are on the other end. I would not change that for anything. B

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    1. Buttons, I'm glad blogging has been such a blessing to you, too. You make a good point--blogging helps you to slow down and think. I hadn't thought of it that way, but that's part of what blogging does for me, too. It helps me to take the time to think through some of those racing thoughts.

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  3. This is truly the wonderful thing about blogging isn't it? The sense of community that we find on here. To me, a community is a grouop of people which we feel we "belong".

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    1. Keith, I like your definition. I truly do have a sense of "belonging" to this online community.

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  4. I love reading your blog! You always offer incredible insight and strength for everyone into the world of mental illness. Clinical depression and anxiety (not OCD) are my allotment - and I agree that the online community is a wonderful resource!! Took me a very long time to make "public" my problems, afraid of the stigma that is still pervasive in society. But it really does help to write about it - and I'm no longer afraid.

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    1. Thank you! I love that statement: "I'm no longer afraid." That's fantastic! It took me a long time to be public in any sense of the word about my mental illnesses. I thought about blogging long before I actually started. I'm so glad I did, because it helped me to connect with people like you and other bloggers and readers.

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  5. Ahhh, that brought a tear to my eye Tina. I have found so much support through the online community and you have inspired me on many occasions. (I have actually thought the very same thing "if Tina can do it, so can I") It's such a blessing to know I am not alone in this fight plus I feel like I have learned so much about others who may not have OCD but another mental illness. Watching the news can be so depressing because of all the hate, suffering, violence and intolerance in the world so what a pleasure it is to come online and find this wonderful community of people who for the most part may not have ever met in person, but still support and care about each other.
    Congrat's on the ERP!

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    1. Thanks, Krystal Lynn, for your comment and for your inspiration in doing the ERP! I have learned a lot from being a part of this community, too, and it's wonderful to witness the support and care.

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  6. I LOVE this post, Tina because it is exactly how I feel as well! (Krystal Lynn has often been my hero too!) I have found a sense of community that I didn't even think was possible. I've gotten so much out of my online relationships with you and all of our fellow bloggers - it has really been priceless. I'll never forget - when my mom guest blogged for me and she read all of the beautiful comments in response. She said, "Do you personally know any of these people?" She couldn't believe that this kind of support was available from a strictly online forum. She was really touched by it.

    Oh, and I have very often said the same thing - If _________ blogger can do it, well I can too!!!

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    1. Thank you, Sunny. I remember your mom's guest post. That was really special. I love that the online community made such a good impression on her!

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  7. Wonderful post, Tina, and I have felt supported by you and learned a lot from you since Day 1. I know I don't have OCD, but I feel that so much of what we all write about speaks to the human condition, whether or not we suffer from a particular illness. I also feel blessed to be part of such a caring, supportive blogging community.

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    1. Thank you, Janet. I have learned so much from your writing and your perspective on OCD and life. You're right--we're writing about the human condition and things that we all experience in some way.

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  8. I have an online running community that I love. Glad you've found some support :-)

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    1. Thanks, Lisa. I'm glad that you get good support from your online running community.

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  9. Beautiful post! I think we all want to be part of a community and share. That is what life is about. I'm grateful that I met you through the blogging community and it is so wonderful that you continue to share here. Thanks for being here Tina!

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    1. Thank you, Katherine. It's so funny but wonderful that we wrote about the same topic on our blogs today! It's been great connecting with you.

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  10. That's good that Krystal Lynn's post helped you! You're right--we all need community. That's been on mind quite a bit for a while now.

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    1. Thanks, Kristina. I think in the past, I sometimes took community for granted. I really didn't appreciate what I had.

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  11. I so appreciate the blogging community I have become a part of over the past few years. It's amazing how many people I have kept in contact with through so many ups and downs. It really helps to have friends to talk to.

    Great post Tina. You must know that you are helping so many people with your courage.

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    1. Thank you, Nancy. I appreciate your comment. It truly is amazing how connections made through the blogging community can be so helpful and strong.

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  12. I don't really know much about OCD or what ERP is or means! I hope writing about this is therapeutic for you, I am happy that you have found other blogs to read and comfort you!

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    1. Thank you, Debbie. ERP stands for Exposure and Response Prevention, and it's a type of therapy that is tremendously helpful for people with OCD. With the therapy, people with OCD "expose" themselves to situations that they obsess about, and then try not to perform the compulsions that they normally would do to try to alleviate the anxiety. They learn to live with the anxiety until is wanes.

      Writing about my experiences has been very therapeutic and rewarding for me.

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    2. thanks tina, i appreciate your writing and explaination!! have a happy sunday!!

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  13. It's all so true what you write here Tina and I'm so grateful for you, Krystal Lynn and all the other bloggers for you all helped me not to feel so alone anymore. It's always uplifting to read the blogs!

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    1. Klaaske, thank you. It's uplifting for me, too, to read others' blogs. And comments from you and others are so helpful, too! It's been wonderful to connect with you and other readers.

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  14. Community is one of the most important elements in healing. We are social creature and we learn socailly. Also we are only a sefl in relationship. We need that relationship to get anywhere in life.

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    1. Thank you for your comment, Jodi. I love that you mention that community is an element in healing. I have learned that!

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  15. What a wonderful post! I love my online community and am so grateful for them. Although I feel very self conscious of my writing skills, I continue to blog because the fulfillment is greater than whether I write well or not. Also, like you it reminds me that I am not alone.

    Madison:-)

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    1. Madison, thank you. I'm so glad that you are being blessed by your online community. I always enjoy reading your posts and think you do a great job!

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  16. Hi Tina, I think it's wonderful that you are being open and honest about the OCD. I do not have OCD, but I can definitely relate to depression...and I have osteoarthritis. Although I have never per se had a panic attack, I know what it is to be fearful in new situations, especially if the environment is a hostile one. I was in a special class in elementary and high school for "slow learners". To look and talk to me you cannot tell that I have a slight learning disability, but let's just say that it takes me longer than the "average" person to pick things up, especially in a non-friendly and non-patient environment. Thanks again for sharing your story, I wish more people would talk about their struggles with issues and mental health.

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    1. Thank you, Linda, for your kind comment. I appreciate it. Depression and osteoarthritis are two big disorders to deal with. I can relate so much to being fearful in hostile environments. I'm sorry if you have had to deal with such environments. A friendly, patient environment is best for us all!

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    2. Thank you so much, Tina. I am 56 years of age and have dealt with quite a bit, but I am grateful for people like yourself who have been through difficult times in their lives and can share their sorrows and their happiness.

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  17. Our blogger support community has been a blessing in my life as well. I'm so glad to know you, Tina!

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    1. Elizabeth, thank you--I'm so glad to know you, too! :-)

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