sorry sorry if this is hugely annoying or anything, but do you know where i can find any resources for ocd?? particularly the non-”’typical”’ super neat and tidy type? like ive been trying but none are very comprehensive and im having difficulty. thank you

anemoneanomaly:

omg hi!!!!! sorry I’m very excited bc like… I never get to talk to people about ocd stuff so this is by no means even remotely annoying!

so uh… resources are indubitably pretty hard to find. I would highly recommend checking out Freedom From Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (link here although I’m sure you could find a free pdf  http://www.amazon.com/…/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_awdm_-Vfbwb198AEX6) which is a book focused on getting you to distinguish between what’s an obsession and what’s not, curtailing compulsions in the early stages, and trying to like… sit through negative feelings until they pass in order to give the thoughts and feelings less power over time. it has been an invaluable resource for me and a number of other ocd sufferers. I would also recommend that you look at any kind of diagnostic checklist as a small and not nesc 100% reliable way to confirm in your own mind what is a compulsion, what is an obsession, and what isn’t. like I have a pdf of the UK adolescent checklist on my computer so if I’m ever like ‘Shit How Can I Be Thinking This I’m A Terrible Person’ I can check it and be like… oh yeah… yup that’s just a super common intrusive thought… 

also like maybe check out the #actuallyocd tumblr tag if you haven’t already? I advise this w caution bc sometimes reading about other people’s experiences with for instance intrusive thoughts can be very triggering – it is for me – but it also often feels quite affirming to recognize your experiences in others and be able to think ‘this behaviour isn’t some Terrible Thing that Only I Do, it is a not uncommon product of a not uncommon disorder.’ this is particularly true, I think, if you do not have the ‘as seen on tv’ tidiness/cleanliness compulsions which are typically associated with ocd, and might feel invalid in your experience of the disorder bc you don’t conform to that stereotype.

finally, please feel free to talk to me whenever! it helps me as much as it helps you to feel like I’m not alone in this brainweird stuff, so. 

thank you for your ask! I sincerely hope that your day is as wonderful as I am certain you yourself are. I know OCD sucks and can feel like it’s totally monopolising your life, but the fact that you are dealing with this horrid disorder doesn’t make you any less lovely and kind and special, regardless of what your intrusive thoughts are telling you. it’s ok to not be ok just yet.

I hope this has been even vaguely helpful! please let me know if you need anything more!

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