Fri, March 15, 2013
This article was written exclusively for BrainPhysics.com by Lianka van Schalkwyk. She discusses her struggle with severe OCD, how the disorder began and eventually consumed her life, and what she has found to be helpful.
Read the first part of this article here.
The impact OCD has on my life is severe. Whenever my stress levels rise, my OCD starts getting worse, and whenever I have to do something over, it increases the anxiety. When this happens, it worsens the OCD and the thoughts in my mind, making it an unbeatable cycle which has left me in tears a million times before.
Coping with my OCD has been made harder by the fact that most people don’t understand it and even family tells me to “just get over it” and “it is all in my mind.” Sure my mother helped me with things like getting dressed and opening and closing taps, but she does not give me any emotional support.
Romantic Relationships and Hobbies Affected
Personally, I've found connecting with others very difficult due to the thoughts I get. Romantic relationships prove to be extremely difficult. While in a relationship, I constantly have thoughts of leaving, fears of him cheating and explicit images of him having sex with other women.
Through the years I've also had trouble drawing, reading, typing on the keyboard and playing piano to the point where I gave it up.
What Helps
What helps me deal with OCD are things like napping. When the thoughts get too bad, a nap usually helps to get past it. Of course, napping is not always possible.
Things that relieve stress help me a lot. Finding things to make me laugh helps to get my mind off things, providing I try my best to not let the thought go any further. This is not always do-able. The only thing I can do is try to make my day as peaceful as possible.
Also, some foods can actually worsen the symptoms, so I check on that too. Massages also calm me down and help with the sore back from all of the stressing.
OCD is never easy, and hearing from people who should support me, like family, that it is nothing can be tough at times. But I found friends on SupportGroups.com, which helps.
The key for me was to always have something or someone to live for to keep me going. If I did not, it would make giving up a whole lot easier.
