I have had ocd since I was around 13, I am now 51. The doctor actually diagnosed me with severe ocd. Severe sounds so severe. But it doesn’t stop there, I also have horrible panic attacks and anxiety. Living with these mental illnesses is not easy.
My mind is never quiet. It is always thinking, worrying, and stressing. The ocd thoughts are constantly terrorizing my mind. All the “what if’s” that float threw my brain can make life difficult. If I am not physically exhausted then I am mentally.
When I was in my 40s, and tired of the many years of suffering with this horrible illness, I finally decided to get professional help. Along with getting help, I also decided to do my own research. I wanted to learn as much as I could about the illnesses that made my life difficult.
For years now I have been researching more and more about mental illnesses. I read, read, and read, hoping to learn whatever I can to educate myself, in hopes that I can apply what I have learned so I can lead a happier, healthier life.
When I sit and think about where I am now compared to a few years ago, I see how far I have come. I have actually come a long way. Sometimes its easy to forget how far I have come because I do still suffer and I do still have alot of bad days. Those bad days have a way of making me forget about my progress.
I forget about the obstacles I have overcome. I forget about the goals and the victories that I have successfully made. It’s easy to forget when you are still suffering. But…..
This month I am taking the time to remember. I am reminding myself how much I have accomplished. I am remembering the goals and victories I have reached and am continuing to reach. I am able to do things today that I wasn’t able to do a year ago. Wow, just saying that makes me smile and gives me hope.
I have hope. I have hope that my life will continue to improve. I have hope that I will continue to learn how to live a happier life, even while still suffering with mental illnesses. Hope that one day I will be able to get through my day without “giving in” to my ocd. I have hope that one day I will be able to say I have ocd, not severe ocd. I have hope that everything will be okay, and hope that I will be okay.
May is mental health awareness month. Let’s continue to bring awareness on mental health issues. Let’s continue to be there and help others that might be suffering alone. We need to not be embarrassed or scared to admit we have a mental illness. Together we can find hope, hope for a better tomorrow, and hope for a happier life.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental illness, please Reach Out,Speak Up, And Ask For Help. Nobody should go through it alone.
Our Mental Health Matters
Really great reminder to all of us to have hope! I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression as a teenager and it’s been a tough journey but I am so proud of myself for coming as far as I have. It really is a big deal to not let your mental illness consume you. Even the small victories are important because they lead us to the right path.
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I like that you said you are proud of yourself, it shows that you do acknowledge how far you have come. By the way, love your blog Pooja π
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It took a while to realise how far I’ve come because it was all small victories but when I thought about it I was amazed and proud. Thanks so much and love yours too! π
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Are you now on meds? You’ve probably written abou tit but with my dementia I don’t remember. i have OCD but not that bad. It’s the other mental illnesses that get me.
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Yes I am now taking meds.They do help but only a little.
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well said! I agree, no one should suffer alone! Xx
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I did when I was younger. Going through all that back in the 80βs alone was horrible.
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Praying the progress never ends. And thank you for your transparency and grace; your words encourage others to press on, I know.
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Aww thank you Mitch for such a beautiful comment π
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Well said, as usual, and good reminder to occasionally look at how far you’ve come.
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Thank you Herb π
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Take pride in the small victories, and try to live in the moment. Thanks for adding your blog to Click & Run.
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Thank you Stevie π
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Great attitude, and positive affirmations! Yes, let’s do our best in whatever we are facing. Nothing can beat us. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. πππ»
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Yes, nothing can beat us! ππ
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Thank you Billππ
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I appreciate your vulnerability and perspective and wish you continued hope and victories. Thanks for helping others understand.
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Thank you Crystal, have a wonderful weekend π
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I am so impressed with your resilience, Christina.
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Awww thank you Geoff
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This really tunes me in with all the little and big achievements I have overcome. Such a great reminder. ππ
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Awesome glad I was able to help. We need to remember those achievements even if they are little. ππ
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Wow, what a beautiful, vulnerable and truthful peace. May God be with you on your path to healing β€οΈβπ©Ή
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Thank you Simone π
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Baby steps in all we do, all levels and all people I tell my kids. just takes those baby steps and you will accomplish so much. No shame in being who we are. Your honesty will help so many and I think you are doing amazing, just having the strength to share something personal is something big and something to be very proud of. The more people that speak up about mental health the less it will be looked upon as something ugly to be hidden. Thank you for that.
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Awww thank you, your comment really means alot to me. ππ
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Wow what an amazing journey youβve been on! Having to deal with anxiety and panic attacks is just so hard let alone living with OCD. Youβre an inspiration to others, not only those also struggling, but just to people who may have lost some direction or hope. I didnβt even realise I suffered with anxiety or panic attacks until I got back from 6 and a half weeks in a psychiatric hospital. I was dealing with ptsd, that was tough enough, but then the anxiety started, just being back in day to day life was so scary!
Step by step it gets less and kind of easier I suppose. Keep going ππ»π
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Thank you Simon π I was over checking out your blog yesterday and I think its great that you are writing and spreading awareness on mental illness. I really enjoyed reading your posts and am excited to read more from you. π
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It’s uncommon to hear someone diagnosed with OCD. I don’t need to tell you how serious the disease is. I’ve lost track of how many times someone has said to me, “oh, I have OCD. That’s just my OCD.” Those people will never understand what its really like to have the disease. You’ve done a fantastic job of living with OCD. God Bless π
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Thank you π. I read your blog all time and don’t think you have mentioned it, but do you have OCD?
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I definitely have some symptoms, including counting π
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And thank you for reading β€οΈ
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Thank you so much for posting this. I also struggle with OCD, and itβs sometimes hard to remember how far Iβve come in the face of current struggles, but thatβs just what I have to doβ remember. Congratulations to you on how far you have come. I have more than hope for you. I have faith.
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Thank you so much, thank you for reading π
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Thank you for sharing and your honesty. My primary diagnosis is bipolar but I have developed a case of acute anxiety that looks a lot like OCD – the checking and so on. I believe you are very strong to be writing so candidly about OCD. For those of us who have a glimpse into the condition, it sounds as if you are doing great to remember all the progress you have made. We can all use that as a reminder no matter what the diagnosis is. I agree with the person who said baby steps make all the difference.
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I just love comments like yours. Makes any doubts that I have about opening up about ocd just dissappear. And yes we all need that reminder that even if we see just a little bit of progress, it’s still progress π
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Thanks!
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Here’s to hope π
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This world is an open invitation to anxiety and panic attacks and depression. I, too, do battle, but thank you for offering up some much-needed HOPE! And as my Meditation Leader reminds me: Breath in, 1-2-3; Breath out, 1-2-3
Good days vastly outnumber the bad days.
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I like that you used the word hope! We all need hope and I think that if we just hold on to it our lives will get better and better
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Yes very very true π
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That’s wonderful to hear that you’ve made so much progress on your mental health journey! I love your ambition to continue moving to the place you want to be π
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Aww thank you so much π
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