Mental Health, Depression, ADD Discussion Thread

[Andy Black]

Dropping this here:

MINDSET - Stuck or battling demons? This might help.

Thought I'd drop this incredible video here. What's your takeaways? What will you do different going forward? View: https://youtu.be/s_nc1IVoMxc

www.thefastlaneforum.com

 

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[Supa]

Great mention — this is one of the best therapists around imo, who is actively thinking how to improve therapy techniques. As someone who was diagnosed with OCD, I can attest to the effectiveness of many of his strategies.

Happy to see someone else being helped by his approach and what he does for people with OCD.

I, too, suffer from OCD since I was like 8 and his approach and way of defining OCD and rumination has helped me more than anything before. It was also the first time, since developing it, that I actually felt that I could eliminate this for good, which I am on a good way to actually do.

Imo, the biggest driver for OCD are the persistent belief that rumination may help you uncover a solution or prevent a tragedy. Hence you can’t let go of the compulsions (ruminations), because you see the as integral to your survival, which would be diminished if you didn’t adopt these attitudes.

This is a really great way of seeing OCD, couldn‘t agree more.

I think not just OCD, but all of anxiety is the product of rumination. OCD is just the most “severe” form, since it sustains itself.

Absolutely. I also see it as a big part of many other problems, like low self-esteem, worries, and more. For example, ruminating about why you are not good enough, or why you feel like you are not good enough, will keep you feeling exactly that: not good enough.

Eliminating rumination, to me, should be the first step in many endeavors of trying to change oneself for the better.

 

[Deleted8v369]

​

Let's summarize it, before we move on:
An OCD cycle usually starts with an intrusive thought. It may be one of harming oneself or others. One of doubt (about your feelings for your partner, your sexual orientation, your morals, etc.) One of uncertainty ("did I really put the stove off?"). Or pretty much anything.
This thought, image, urge or feeling will cause anxiety, discomfort and/or a feeling of dread within the sufferer.
Though he or she knows, that it's illogicial, the sufferer will feel the need to do a compulsion (phsysical like touching something with your left hand if you touched it with your right before, or mental like counting, analzying a thought, trying to neutralize it) to alleviate the pain the anxiety creates within this person.
The complusion will indeed relieve him or her for a while. But only until the next intrusive thought comes. Basically making it worse and worse with every compulsion.

Alright. With all this in mind, let's move on to the next question.


What help is available for OCD?

We now know, that doing the compulsions will not relieve the sufferer from his or her anxiety and pain inside for long. Actually, the more one engages in compulsions, in other words, the more importance one gives his or her thoughts, the more confirmation this will be for the brain, that it's working the right way, when clearly it does not.

Somewhere I read the metaphor, that when you suffer from OCD it's like your brain's danger detectors are not working correctly.

Pretty much everybody gets those intrusive thoughts.
People without OCD will just shrug them off as thoughts. Basically, what they are.

With OCD, though, the brain detects those thoughts as a thread. Like a submarine sonar detecting fish swimming by as enemy submarines.

So, how can we treat this disorder? Or, is there treatment available at all?

While there is no cure to this day, OCD can be treated. And that pretty good.

It would blow up this post to go into the details of the available treatment forms, so let's just list them with the proper links for more information on them.

There is medication available for treating OCD, they treat only symptoms though, not the disorder itself.

While there's no cure for OCD, one can learn to live with it and alleviate his or her anxiety and pain.

Two approaches that are proven to be of tremendous help for sufferers are Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in connection with Exposure and Response Therapy (ERP).

One comment on ERP...

To anyone with OCD reading this, there is a way out. Look up OCD exposure therapy. ... I was super sceptical because I've had OCD since I was a child and tried to get rid of it myself many times, but by God did it work. I haven't done any mental or physical rituals since January and I couldn't be happier. ​

​

​

In principal it sounds really simple. You know that feeling when the discomfort sets in and you have to complete a certain set of rituals? That's the alarm center in your brain telling you that something is off and the only way to get rid of the discomfort is to perform your ritual. The point of the therapy is to let the discomfort come to you and not perform your rituals until the alarm center calibrates and says to you, huh, nothing bad happened even though I didn't perform my ritual. ... (source)​

Further links on CBT and on ERP.

So, alright. I feel like this post is pretty long already, so we should probably wrap things up, even though it feels like there's a lot of things to say about OCD still.

Therefore, I'd like to point you into the direction of further resources, if you are interested in understanding this disorder.

More posts on what it feels like to suffer from OCD on Quora and on Reddit.

An AskReddit thread called: "I often sit by my window and think "I could get shot in the head right now by a sniper". Reddit, what odd thoughts do you have on a daily basis?"
Sounds kinda silly? Not for an OCD sufferer. It can be quiete eye opening to see what random and weird thoughts people not suffering from OCD are having, to get a better understanding of intrusive thoughts.

A forum dedicated to OCD and dealing with it: OCD Action.

This book here: The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD: A Guide to Overcoming Obsessions and Compulsions Using Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (New Harbinger Self-help Workbooks)


Alright. I think that's it for this post.

I hope it is helpful for you. Either in dealing with this disorder yourself, knowing someone who does and wanting to better understand it. Or just out of curiosity on the subject.

The next post will be on PTSD.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)​

How are we going to approach this post? As I said in the first post, we will look at the specific disorders from an inside-out perspective.

Therefore, we'll look at the following questions.
First what the specific disorder actually is. A definition in other words. A quick outside view of it.
Then we'll look at how that disorder actually feels like. What it is like, living with it. This will probably be the biggest part of every post, since it's what my goal with this thread is. To help you better understand it.
Then we'll go through the differen treatment options and to end the post, list further resources on that topic.

Let's jump right into it.


What is OCD?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder. It has two main parts: obsessions and compulsions.

• Obsessions are unwelcome thoughts, images, urges, worries or doubts that repeatedly appear in your mind. They can make you feel very anxious (although some people describe it as 'mental discomfort' rather than anxiety).
• Compulsions are repetitive activities that you do to reduce the anxiety caused by the obsession. It could be something like repeatedly checking a door is locked, repeating a specific phrase in your head or checking how your body feels. (source)

Maybe you have heard someone say the phrase "I'm so OCD" or "that's so OCD" reffering to them being a little bit too tidy (like sorting their wardrobe by colors).

OCD, though, is not determined by things you like to do, or things that make you slightly uncomfortable (like turning the car radio to an even number or one that contains a 5).

The D in OCD is for disorder, meaning it causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning (source).


What does it feel like, living with OCD?

Imagine yourself being, let's say, 12 years old.
You're driving with your mother to an electronic shop. You're nervous. And for a good reason. You're about to get your first mobile phone.

Excited you stand by your mom during the whole process. Looking for the phone you've picked beforehand. Waiting in line.

You're 12, so of course the contract has to be in your mom's name.
She signs and everything and then, finally, handles you the box that contains your new and very first phone.

You look up to your mom, smiling, thankful, excited.
When suddenly a thought strucks you.

"Whew, everything worked, I got the phone. Now you can die, mom."

Your smile evaporates. You're horrified. Was that... was that your thought? Did you just... did you think that?

The whole drive back home the phone lays in your lap, while you stare out the window. You think. You analyze. You try to neutralize the thought.

You'd never think such a horrific thing. You love your mom! You'd never want to see her suffer, not to mention die.

You feel like this guilt will never go away.

But soon you'll realize, that you are having more thoughts like that. Not just those, that make you feel guilty. You also start to feel responsible.

What if you don't turn that light switch on and off until it... just feels right? Mom and dad are away at friends. They could have a car accident. Better turn it on and off one more time, and one more time, and one more... until it feels right.

Why are you having those thoughts? Those feelings?

You have no idea.

All you know is, that they are not normal. So, you can't be normal, right?

You know that they make no sense. No amount of turning that F*cking switch on and off will cause or prevent an accident.
But that rest of a doubt, that what if, holds you in its tight anxiety soaked grasp.
If you'd just turn that switch again. If you'd just explain to yourself one more time, why you'd never wish harm on your mother. All the pain inside, the anxiety, the uncertainty will go away.

So you turn it again. You explain in your mind how much you love your mom. And the anxiety, the worry, the uncertainty eases its grasp and you feel relieved.

Until it starts all over again.

That's quite a long, but still a little insight into two of the first intrusive thoughts I experienced as a child/teenager.

OCD varies widely from person to person. Usually attacking what's most important to one. The parents. The partner. Ones self-worth. Ones child. Ones morals. And so on.

To explore even a little bit of a wider range of experiences, let's have a look at how others, suffering from OCD, describe the disorder in their words.

OCD is not quirky or goofy. Being a germaphobe is just a small aspect of having the disorder; it affects things you wouldn't even think of. Shit like "Monk" portrays the disorder disingenuously.​

​

What most don't realize is there is also an internal aspect of OCD that you can't see. It's terrifying sometimes.​

​

Ever have a horrible intrusive thought enter your mind randomly? It's pretty normal, and most people brush it off. When you have OCD you can't do that. The intrusive thought goes on a loop in your head because your mind perceives it as a real threat. These thoughts can lead you to believe you are a horrible person, when you know you are not. (source)​

This...

Pure-O OCD (officially Primarily cognitive obsessive-compulsive disorder). A lot of people don't even really know it exists. Very few observable compulsions, most of it just takes place in your head.​

​

​

I constantly have intrusive thoughts of severe self-harming. Doing dishes near a garbage disposal? Thoughts of jamming my hand into it and turning it on. Cutting vegetables? Slamming the knife down on my fingers. Mowing the lawn? Running the lawn mower purposefully over my feet.​

​

​

It's exhausting. And people don't believe I have OCD, because I'm not constantly flipping light switches on and off, checking my door over and over, etc. (source)​

And this...

Mine was so hidden as a child that my parents never knew about it. Routines can look like quirks or fear when they’re contained to specific things. My intrusive thoughts will sometimes play the same one line of a song or a phrase over and over and over till I feel like screaming. But no one can truly understand that feeling unless they’ve had it. (source)​

If you type "what does OCD feel like?" or "OCD experiences" into Google, Reddit, Quora, you'll get hundreds, probably thousands of personal experiences and descriptions of how it feels for the specific person writing about it.

Here is one, although fictional, quote from a Stephen King short story on OCD:

“I have seen many cases like N. during the five years I've been in practice. I sometimes picture these unfortunates as men and women being pecked to death by predatory birds. The birds are invisible - at least until a psychiatrist who is good, or lucky, or both, sprays them with his version of Luminol and shines the right light on them - but they are nevertheless very real. The wonder is that so many OCDs manage to live productive lives, just the same. They work, they eat (often not enough or too much, it's true), they go to movies, they make love to their girlfriends and boyfriends, their wives and husbands . . . and all the time those birds are there, clinging to them and pecking away little bits of flesh.” - Stephen King, N. a story from Just After Sunset (source)​

Okay, we looked at a basic understanding of what OCD actually is aswell as some personal perspectives on what it feels like to live with it.

I think this will give you quiete a good, even if still simple, understanding of this disorder.

Let's summarize it, before we move on:
An OCD cycle usually starts with an intrusive thought. It may be one of harming oneself or others. One of doubt (about your feelings for your partner, your sexual orientation, your morals, etc.) One of uncertainty ("did I really put the stove off?"). Or pretty much anything.
This thought, image, urge or feeling will cause anxiety, discomfort and/or a feeling of dread within the sufferer.
Though he or she knows, that it's illogicial, the sufferer will feel the need to do a compulsion (phsysical like touching something with your left hand if you touched it with your right before, or mental like counting, analzying a thought, trying to neutralize it) to alleviate the pain the anxiety creates within this person.
The complusion will indeed relieve him or her for a while. But only until the next intrusive thought comes. Basically making it worse and worse with every compulsion.

Alright. With all this in mind, let's move on to the next question.


What help is available for OCD?

We now know, that doing the compulsions will not relieve the sufferer from his or her anxiety and pain inside for long. Actually, the more one engages in compulsions, in other words, the more importance one gives his or her thoughts, the more confirmation this will be for the brain, that it's working the right way, when clearly it does not.

Somewhere I read the metaphor, that when you suffer from OCD it's like your brain's danger detectors are not working correctly.

Pretty much everybody gets those intrusive thoughts.
People without OCD will just shrug them off as thoughts. Basically, what they are.

With OCD, though, the brain detects those thoughts as a thread. Like a submarine sonar detecting fish swimming by as enemy submarines.

So, how can we treat this disorder? Or, is there treatment available at all?

While there is no cure to this day, OCD can be treated. And that pretty good.

It would blow up this post to go into the details of the available treatment forms, so let's just list them with the proper links for more information on them.

There is medication available for treating OCD, they treat only symptoms though, not the disorder itself.

While there's no cure for OCD, one can learn to live with it and alleviate his or her anxiety and pain.

Two approaches that are proven to be of tremendous help for sufferers are Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in connection with Exposure and Response Therapy (ERP).

One comment on ERP...

To anyone with OCD reading this, there is a way out. Look up OCD exposure therapy. ... I was super sceptical because I've had OCD since I was a child and tried to get rid of it myself many times, but by God did it work. I haven't done any mental or physical rituals since January and I couldn't be happier. ​

​

​

In principal it sounds really simple. You know that feeling when the discomfort sets in and you have to complete a certain set of rituals? That's the alarm center in your brain telling you that something is off and the only way to get rid of the discomfort is to perform your ritual. The point of the therapy is to let the discomfort come to you and not perform your rituals until the alarm center calibrates and says to you, huh, nothing bad happened even though I didn't perform my ritual. ... (source)​

Further links on CBT and on ERP.

So, alright. I feel like this post is pretty long already, so we should probably wrap things up, even though it feels like there's a lot of things to say about OCD still.

Therefore, I'd like to point you into the direction of further resources, if you are interested in understanding this disorder.

More posts on what it feels like to suffer from OCD on Quora and on Reddit.

An AskReddit thread called: "I often sit by my window and think "I could get shot in the head right now by a sniper". Reddit, what odd thoughts do you have on a daily basis?"
Sounds kinda silly? Not for an OCD sufferer. It can be quiete eye opening to see what random and weird thoughts people not suffering from OCD are having, to get a better understanding of intrusive thoughts.

A forum dedicated to OCD and dealing with it: OCD Action.

This book here: The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD: A Guide to Overcoming Obsessions and Compulsions Using Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (New Harbinger Self-help Workbooks)


Alright. I think that's it for this post.

I hope it is helpful for you. Either in dealing with this disorder yourself, knowing someone who does and wanting to better understand it. Or just out of curiosity on the subject.

The next post will be on PTSD.

My wife has mild OCD. I had no idea it was like that. She sometimes does silly things like stare at a lightbulb to make sure it's really off, and after getting out of the car she has to go around and test every door three times to make sure it's locked and the windows a properly closed. It seems to be quite stressful.

 

[Supa]

My wife has mild OCD. I had no idea it was like that. She sometimes does silly things like stare at a lightbulb to make sure it's really off, and after getting out of the car she has to go around and test every door three times to make sure it's locked and the windows a properly closed. It seems to be quite stressful.

Somewhere in here I posted Dr. Michael Greenberg's articles I think. He describes this disorder in extremely great ways, especially as someone who himself suffered from OCD.

I hope your wife will get better very soon. I know how debilitating OCD can be and how much of a fog of anxiety it can lay over your whole life and especially the present moment. My PMs are always open if you need someone who knows how that feels like, to listen.

 

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[Deleted8v369]

Somewhere in here I posted Dr. Michael Greenberg's articles I think. He describes this disorder in extremely great ways, especially as someone who himself suffered from OCD.

I hope your wife will get better very soon. I know how debilitating OCD can be and how much of a fog of anxiety it can lay over your whole life and especially the present moment. My PMs are always open if you need someone who knows how that feels like, to listen.

Thank you. I'll check out Dr. Michael Greenberg's articles.

 

[andyhaus44]

Heard from a credible source that Brain energy by Christopher Palmer is a great book. Has anyone read it?

 

[EngineerThis]

Delayed gratification and ADD..
If you have ADD, you know that if a task is rewarding and engaging you can work on it literally all day and forget to even eat...
If the task doesn't give you instant feedback, it's insanely hard to do it...
Here's a great video on it:

View: https://youtu.be/_tpB-B8BXk0

Obviously delayed gratification is a great thing to practice, it's just extra hard being ADD..
I will NEVER go on medication again for ADD..
Any ADD-inflicted Fastlaners figure this out?

 

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[Robdavis]

Edited

 

[xShepherdx]

Delayed gratification and ADD..
If you have ADD, you know that if a task is rewarding and engaging you can work on it literally all day and forget to even eat...
If the task doesn't give you instant feedback, it's insanely hard to do it...
Here's a great video on it:

View: https://youtu.be/_tpB-B8BXk0

Obviously delayed gratification is a great thing to practice, it's just extra hard being ADD..
I will NEVER go on medication again for ADD..
Any ADD-inflicted Fastlaners figure this out?

Very interesting video, thanks for sharing!

In short, I was diagnosed with ADHD as a kid and the meds always made me feel terrible so I went without. I never took the diagnosis seriously and forgot about it for most of my life until my GF started working under a psychologist (and now close family friend) a while back and it came up.

I realized I have many of the hallmark symptoms of ADD and they have caused me a lot of pain over the years. It’s definitely been something that’s held me back (or at least made my life 10x harder than it needed to be).

I’ve been trying to get a hold of my ADD for a while now and this video basically summed up what I’ve learned on my own.

Have you implemented anything from this video into your daily routine yet?

The timers thing was an easy no-brainer for me, and I think the shortened accountability/gratification loop would be huge if implemented properly.

I’d be curious to see how a lot of this looks IRL and what’s worked/not worked for others.

 

[EngineerThis]

Very interesting video, thanks for sharing!

In short, I was diagnosed with ADHD as a kid and the meds always made me feel terrible so I went without. I never took the diagnosis seriously and forgot about it for most of my life until my GF started working under a psychologist (and now close family friend) a while back and it came up.

I realized I have many of the hallmark symptoms of ADD and they have caused me a lot of pain over the years. It’s definitely been something that’s held me back (or at least made my life 10x harder than it needed to be).

I’ve been trying to get a hold of my ADD for a while now and this video basically summed up what I’ve learned on my own.

Have you implemented anything from this video into your daily routine yet?

The timers thing was an easy no-brainer for me, and I think the shortened accountability/gratification loop would be huge if implemented properly.

I’d be curious to see how a lot of this looks IRL and what’s worked/not worked for others.

I do the 30mins work, 10mins play and It’s been going well! For 10mins of play I try to do something physical even if it’s just pacing back and forth aha.

 

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[Oso]

F.

 

[socaldude]

On one hand, I think it's all bullshit: ADHD, "time blindness," the fact that EVERYONE SUDDENLY HAS IT, etc. On the other hand, I can't ignore the symptoms I've experienced for 34 years, and the symptoms of those with it around me.

Dr Eric Berg on Youtube has a great video on this topic.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJGayLwJHXI&t=196s

 

[Oso]

F.

 

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[EngineerThis]

While I appreciate the sentiment, I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say it's safe to assume he's going to rant about the same "change your diet" and "just fast, bruv!" nonsense that has been parroted to me for the better part of 20 years.

I greatly look forward to the day people don't view these two things as the end-all-be-all of health care.

Cheers.

They do go far in helping most “illnesses” and yeah I’m with you. I’m disgusted by everyone claiming they have ADD and blaming everything on it. It’s like how every kid is on the “spectrum” these days, and that’s the reason to blame for why they’re glued to an iPad. That being said, like you. I know deep down I have these struggles and it’s a daily hinderance. Glad to see you feel the same. I do remember when I first took Adderal. I felt like F’n Superman. Made me wonder if this is how normal people felt. Of course the side effects and long term effects were awful and not worth it. But! I do miss that superman feeling sometimes.

 

[RudyR]

I wish this were easier to answer, tbh, and it goes to show you how screwed everything is.

As a millennial, I am genuinely convinced I have c ADHD (I check the boxes and whatnot), especially considering millennials were the last of the whole "don't ask, don't tell" shit. We were hidden because it was still shameful. As were our parents, and their parents before them.

On one hand, I think it's all bullshit: ADHD, "time blindness," the fact that EVERYONE SUDDENLY HAS IT, etc. On the other hand, I can't ignore the symptoms I've experienced for 34 years, and the symptoms of those with it around me.

TL;DR: ADHD probably exists, and I have probably have it. It was a struggle to get to this point, indeed. That said, if it does exist, I put it in the same category as religion, as most people tend to just use it as a crutch/excuse more than anything these days.

Cheers.

I would say whenever you get the chance, go to your primary doctor and get it checked out. If you do get diagnosed with ADHD, then the question then becomes if it’s causing any issues? If so how severe? Could be from anywhere as, eh I’m good and found ways to cope with it, to the doctor prescribing some meds with various degrees of strength. From there you work with your doc with plans and see what works and what doesn’t. I bring this up because my wife was recently diagnosed with ADHD.

 

[socaldude]

Anyone else notice that 2/3 of the things you order online in the last month or so have been temporarily lost, fully lost or oddly delayed? What gives?

Funny you mentioned this.

I just had a conversation with a friend who said his shipments have been lost with UPS.

He said it's happening to a lot of other people that UPS now just pays out cargo claims more easily.

 

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[Oso]

F

 

[EngineerThis]

They definitely do, but people treat fasting like it's evidence God exists, and quite frankly, I'm so sick of hearing about it I'd choose dying to diabetes before fasting. But yes, 100%. If the person isn't on the "spectrum," then they're claiming they have ADD/ADHD. People will claim anything if it'll help them avoid accountability.

Admittedly, it is occasionally difficult to ignore the signs/symptoms, but even if I were to go to a doctor and be officially diagnosed, unless my life were a mess without medicine, I wouldn't take anything for it. I'm extremely anti-pill and anti-pharmacy. That said, I've taken Adderall once, and I didn't feel shit from it. Snorted it a few hours later and still didn't feel anything. I also hear ADHD meds have terrible side effects, and at that point, I'd rather just have the ADHD...

While I appreciate the sentiment, I'm not worried about it, and as outlined above, even if I were officially diagnosed, I wouldn't take any type of medication for it. Simply put: I don't care and it isn't something I actively put thought into. I just thought it was interesting to see it be brought up here. I wish you and your wife good things!

Cheers.

Absolutely echo the anti pharma sentiments. I have heard taking shrooms can help, as it orients you more in the third person so you can see yourself getting distracted.

 

[socaldude]

Of course the side effects and long term effects were awful and not worth it. But! I do miss that superman feeling sometimes.

Do you mind sharing what the side effects were?

One of the reasons I never went on Psycho-Pharma pills was fear of the side effects.

I chose the route of experimenting with natural supplements for my Depression and ADHD.

They definitely do, but people treat fasting like it's evidence God exists, and quite frankly, I'm so sick of hearing about it I'd choose dying to diabetes before fasting.

Yeah, everyone's body is different and we are not standardized. So, I definitely feel you.

This kind of stuff is extremely difficult to fix.

I know for me, fixing my depression was the hardest thing in my life.

 

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[EngineerThis]

Do you mind sharing what the side effects were?

One of the reasons I never went on Psycho-Pharma pills was fear of the side effects.

I chose the route of experimenting with natural supplements for my Depression and ADHD.



Yeah, everyone's body is different and we are not standardized. So, I definitely feel you.

This kind of stuff is extremely difficult to fix.

I know for me, fixing my depression was the hardest thing in my life.

After awhile I felt like a robot, unable to feel emotions, whether excitement, fear, love, lust etc… really weird. I also couldn’t relax, having a beach day or playing video games meant nothing. I was always focused on doing work.

Quitting… I had a month of withdraws, I felt sick, I felt like my IQ dropped 72 points, I was depressed, I was tired…

It took me OVER A YEAR. To start having energy, having fun, and getting my brain power back to where I thought I was before I ever took the drugs…

Insane.

 

[socaldude]

It took me OVER A YEAR. To start having energy, having fun, and getting my brain power back to where I thought I was before I ever took the drugs…

Dang, that's what I've heard with anti-depressants, Benzos etc.

It's not to say it doesn't help a lot of people function.

It seems that our body is very sensitive to bio-chemical disequilibriums. Constantly pushing one mechanism one way or the other too high or low and too often or too little.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

@Ian Thompson @socaldude @Oso -- your discussion on mental health has been moved to the topic thread. Carry on...

 

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[Oso]

Random, but okay.

 

[Supa]

How would you describe depression to someone who's never had it?

A lot of answers in there for anyone interested.

 

[Black_Dragon43]

How would you describe depression to someone who's never had it?

A lot of answers in there for anyone interested.

Why is it that almost everyone on Reddit suffers from some mental health ailment?

 

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[Simon Angel]

I've had OCD my whole life. In some pretty severe forms.

When I was a kid, it was intrusive thoughts about murdering people.

Usually people who were very close to me, like my mom. I'd cry because I felt like a psycho.

Then, it was about washing my hands essentially 100 times a day.

Then, it was about checking the stove. Checking the boiler. The door lock.

Checking behind the curtains in case somebody hid behind them. You know, to make sure.

I'd delay tying my shoelaces by 7 seconds before going out because I'd often get a "premonition" that I'd get run over by a car unless I do so.

I'd randomly duck while doing something on the computer because I'd get intrusive thoughts that a sniper was aiming at me in my apartment from a nearby rooftop.

Each and every time I thought: "This is silly as hell and there's no way that's real... But what if it is and I end up dying because I didn't duck for two seconds?" so I'd almost always do it.

Hypochondria as well and worrying about worst case scenarios.

My therapy? Rebelling against the thoughts and compulsions by doing nothing at all OR the exact opposite.

Brain: Rinse your glass three times before filling it with water or else you'll die or your girlfriend will die or a random kid in Africa will die OR the whole goddamn world will die!

Me (well, brain again): Whatever.

And that's pretty much it.

The first 24 hours were scary because I was wondering if I was, in fact, going to die in some ridiculous and unexpected way for rebelling against my "psychic" brain. Then it got easy.

I still struggle with hypochondria once or twice a year for a few days/weeks.

Haven't been depressed in a few years, however. And I haven't gotten panic attacks since I was 17 unless I smoke weed.

I used to get panic attacks every night from age 13 to 17, but that's a fun story for another time...

 

[Aidan04]

I've had OCD my whole life. In some pretty severe forms.

When I was a kid, it was intrusive thoughts about murdering people.

Usually people who were very close to me, like my mom. I'd cry because I felt like a psycho.

Then, it was about washing my hands essentially 100 times a day.

Then, it was about checking the stove. Checking the boiler. The door lock.

Checking behind the curtains in case somebody hid behind them. You know, to make sure.

I'd delay tying my shoelaces by 7 seconds before going out because I'd often get a "premonition" that I'd get run over by a car unless I do so.

I'd randomly duck while doing something on the computer because I'd get intrusive thoughts that a sniper was aiming at me in my apartment from a nearby rooftop.

Each and every time I thought: "This is silly as hell and there's no way that's real... But what if it is and I end up dying because I didn't duck for two seconds?" so I'd almost always do it.

Hypochondria as well and worrying about worst case scenarios.

My therapy? Rebelling against the thoughts and compulsions by doing nothing at all OR the exact opposite.

Brain: Rinse your glass three times before filling it with water or else you'll die or your girlfriend will die or a random kid in Africa will die OR the whole goddamn world will die!

Me (well, brain again): Whatever.

And that's pretty much it.

The first 24 hours were scary because I was wondering if I was, in fact, going to die in some ridiculous and unexpected way for rebelling against my "psychic" brain. Then it got easy.

I still struggle with hypochondria once or twice a year for a few days/weeks.

Haven't been depressed in a few years, however. And I haven't gotten panic attacks since I was 17 unless I smoke weed.

I used to get panic attacks every night from age 13 to 17, but that's a fun story for another time...

Same boat. I've had OCD since birth.

I remember being obsessively afraid of black holes in 3rd grade because I once watched a NOVA movie on them.

In 5th grade I was obsessed with the wind and it destroying everything I cared for.

This list can go on and on, but recently I've been doing what you do, and telling my brain to F*ck off. After you see the patterns it becomes easier.

Brain: You left the car door open!!
Me: F*ck off.

Brain: Wash your hands because you touched a doorknob!!!
Me: F*ck off.

Brain: You have chest pain!! What if you're dying?!?!
Me: F*ck off.

 

[Black_Dragon43]

I’ve also had OCD since birth, but I’ve conquered most of it by the time I was 24ish.

OCD therapy is almost mechanical in a way. You’re convinced that your rituals will prevent something bad from happening, so you do them. Because you do them, and nothing bad happens, your brain associates the “nothing bad” with doing the rituals. So your belief in them gets strengthened.

This can translate to other areas of your life and impact your work too… you’re worried that you may have sleepwalked and sent a bad email to a boss or client. So you check your email obsessively. You’re worried your girlfriend may be hiding something from you, so you call her excessively when she’s out on her own. You’re worried you may have mistakenly left the door unlocked so you come back to check it multiple times.

And on and on it goes.

So (1) you must become able to accept uncertainty and give up the fantasy that you can control everything. Yes, you can do everything right, and things can still go badly due to no fault of your own.

And (2) you must realise that your “rituals” aren’t how you want to live life. Nobody wants to live life worried he may have pissed off a client, left the gas on, is or will be betrayed by their girlfriend, will be robbed because they forgot the door unlocked, or will have their place burn down because they left the stove on. You really want a very different life, focus on getting the things that make you happy, rather than avoiding all obstacles. A life without obstacles and unforeseen situations isn’t what you actually want. And pursuing that is actually ruining the chances of getting the life you want.

Contrary to the false belief in your head that all the checking and rituals and compulsions will prevent a catastrophe from happening, the truth is that they won’t. And there’s little you can do to prevent the catastrophe from happening. And that’s not your job — your job is to be focused on living a life in accordance with your values.

I wrote a thread long ago about this: NOTABLE! - MINDSET - Are You Acting In Accordance With Your Values Or Your Fears?

 

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[Supa]

I've had OCD my whole life. In some pretty severe forms.

When I was a kid, it was intrusive thoughts about murdering people.

Usually people who were very close to me, like my mom. I'd cry because I felt like a psycho.

Then, it was about washing my hands essentially 100 times a day.

Then, it was about checking the stove. Checking the boiler. The door lock.

Checking behind the curtains in case somebody hid behind them. You know, to make sure.

I'd delay tying my shoelaces by 7 seconds before going out because I'd often get a "premonition" that I'd get run over by a car unless I do so.

I'd randomly duck while doing something on the computer because I'd get intrusive thoughts that a sniper was aiming at me in my apartment from a nearby rooftop.

Each and every time I thought: "This is silly as hell and there's no way that's real... But what if it is and I end up dying because I didn't duck for two seconds?" so I'd almost always do it.

Hypochondria as well and worrying about worst case scenarios.

My therapy? Rebelling against the thoughts and compulsions by doing nothing at all OR the exact opposite.

Brain: Rinse your glass three times before filling it with water or else you'll die or your girlfriend will die or a random kid in Africa will die OR the whole goddamn world will die!

Me (well, brain again): Whatever.

And that's pretty much it.

The first 24 hours were scary because I was wondering if I was, in fact, going to die in some ridiculous and unexpected way for rebelling against my "psychic" brain. Then it got easy.

I still struggle with hypochondria once or twice a year for a few days/weeks.

Haven't been depressed in a few years, however. And I haven't gotten panic attacks since I was 17 unless I smoke weed.

I used to get panic attacks every night from age 13 to 17, but that's a fun story for another time...

Man... I remember the many times I did something, like touching a light switch, and it not "feeling right". Then I did it again for a specific number of times.

There were always "good" numbers. What numbers were good changed over time but one I remember as a kid was the number 4.

Why 4? Because we were Mum, Dad, my brother and me. 4 people.

So I would touch the light switch again. 4 times. Once triggered, anything less would make me afraid of something happening to one of us.

Wait. Did that 3rd touch not feel "right enough"? Let's do it again. 4 more times.

But... that's not a 4 now. That's 8. Let's do it 4x4 times to be sure.

Wait. That 9th time didn't feel right... and on and on we go.

There were day where I stood for an hour at a light switch just touching it over and over until it would finally feel "right".

It usually never felt right. I usually stopped when it felt at least somewhat right or I was too exhausted to continue.

That's just one compulsion of many I did. Most of the physical ones like that I stopped doing when I got older.

Now it's mainly the mental ones. The Pure-O ones as they are called sometimes.

I love your approach of rebelling against your brain. I approach it in a similar way. By not doing the compulsions no matter how F*cking difficult that can be at times. By stopping to mentally engage with the intrusive thoughts in any way. And by trying to understand why these thoughts occur to me in the first place.

I'm not there completely yet, but I am tremendously better and now know, that I can live a life without OCD being a part of everyday.

 

[Jrjohnny]

I don’t know what this is, but I always have thoughts of what if my parents die?

What if my sister dies?

I always have to call them, they don’t pick up then I start spamming them.

I start breaking down and having bad thoughts.

When I was 6, I’d cry to my grandma to let me call my mom because she didnt respond to my iPad texts.

What I do now:

Dismiss it
Breath
Realize the chances of that happening

I haven’t been doing very well recently, I just had one at school.

Something else that helps:

Meditation: learn to clear the mind

Gym: gets rid of stress hormone