You may contact me via email: myocddiary @ gmail .com
or by submitting the form below. I will do my best to respond within a couple days!
*DISCLAIMER: This blog is about what I have discovered to work (and not work) for me and is for informational purposes only. I advocate my personal opinions and experiences only, and am in no way responsible for your choices and/or actions. I am not responsible and will not be held liable for any comments on this blog from other posters. This disclaimer applies to any correspondence past, present and future. By submitting information on this form, you agree to these terms. I simply hope in sharing my story, I can help others in pain.
MyOCDdiary 
Hi
I watched ur videos on HOCD and I have the same issue. I’m 27 and have had HOCD for the past 10 years. I’ve been to CBT therapy twice and I still can’t seem to live normally or get past these obsessions. I don’t know what to do or what will help. I’ve also developed a drinking problem as a result of my obsessions. Sincerely,
Anthony
i understand. i too developed a problem with addiction. was it two sessions of CBT you tried or two times in your life? it took me a few weeks of therapy to feel substantially better, though the kind I tried was ACT. Just don’t quit. Stay strong.
I have been suffering from thought repetition OCD,which is really exhausting,it has almost been 14 years.I am now 24.I have self taught myself a lot ever since I came to know that I have OCD around 4 years back.up until then I never even knew,I was jus suffering without knowing which made me completely helpless. There are few things which I would like to advice,first which is very important is having faith that nothin wrong is going to happen no matter what, wen it comes to thoughts ‘ACCEPTANCE’ is very important,now what it means is let the thoughts flow,accept all the thoughts be it negative or positive.u must have noticed wen u have anxiety ur body gets restless,jus control ur physical restlessness and ur thoughts wud calm.
I have the same with none stop intrusive thoughts from current issues and mainly past memories constantly coming to my mind. I was treating myself without realising it with diphenhydramine. Antidepressants havent worked as i tried all for my migraines and the docs ignored my major insomnia so for years i bought diphenhydramine and it helps reduce the amount a fair bit and thats why i have only just been diagnosed with ocd at 27 years old. I hope this may help you and glad im not alone anymore with this
Peace, i checked your videos and i can say that i’ve had exactly everything you mention except the cutting. I saw you mentioned something about religion. I embraced islam (not traditional islam that has got a bad name) and the match between satanic whisperers and OCD are 100%. maybe it sounds weird for you, maybe not…but it definitely is the cure. Peace
Hey I just started progesterone cream and noticed a bug difference is it still working for you?
thats great! as with most of my treatment that works, there seems to be a big difference at the beginning, but then it settles a bit. nothing to be alarmed by, its all an adjustment. sometimes i dont think that things help so i go off them to make sure they still do and sometimes i feel sooooo much like before and i get validation that what im doing is working.
Hi i recently was only diagnosed with ocd and im 27. Without realising i was treating my ocd with diphenhydramine for years to help my sleep problems as doctors did nothing and i had suggest ocd as a diagnosis and going 6 days at a time without sleep is horrible. I just thought id mention this to you as i found your videos helpful an glad im not alone anymore. Thank you!
Btw im SSRI resistant but diphenhydramine does work as a constant as nothing else works for long or at all and i take painkillers for my migraines and dont get high when other ppl on same dosage do… so i guess its more backing for theory of abnormal serotonin pathways being my cause…. thought id just add that as i know stuff doesnt work for long on you and nothing else but these do for me. So thought id offer an alternative that i hope works for you!! 🙂
Thanks for the posts 🙂 I just read an article on the gut brain connection. I thought of your post, so wanted to link you to it.http://mobile.theverge.com/2013/8/21/4595712/gut-feelings-the-future-of-psychiatry-may-be-inside-your-stomach
And thanks for updating, I’m sure it helps others to know what might help 🙂 Stay strong!
Hey thanks for posting the link on the article on the gut and it having more neurones than other parts of the body other than the brain. It was an interesting read 🙂 would also help explain why different emotions lead to different feelings in the stomach and the speed unlike the stomach sending signal to brain that its full and that repsonce is much slower. Like anxiousness and feeling sick and butterflies when excited.
I was just wandering if you have any websites or books that say personality traits. Im actually studying psychology and was before i was diagnosed and i have a bit of a theory that people with OCD would be more trustworthy as all we do is worry and dont want to hurt anyone as it would punish the ocd sufferer more with constantly being reminded what they have done. Only things i can find are that we have intense empathy and high IQ ranges. Otherwise only information i can find are just the main symptoms of OCD. I would like to look more into the kinds of person the average sufferer is.
many thanks
martin 🙂
Hey thanks for posting the link on the article on the gut and it having more neurones than other parts of the body other than the brain. It was an interesting read 🙂 would also help explain why different emotions lead to different feelings in the stomach and the speed unlike the stomach sending signal to brain that its full and that response is much slower. Like anxiousness and feeling sick and butterflies when excited.
I was just wandering if you have any websites or books that say personality traits. Im actually studying psychology and was before i was diagnosed and i have a bit of a theory that people with OCD would be more trustworthy as all we do is worry and dont want to hurt anyone as it would punish the ocd sufferer more with constantly being reminded what they have done. Only things i can find are that we have intense empathy and high IQ ranges. Otherwise only information i can find are just the main symptoms of OCD. I would like to look more into the kinds of person the average sufferer is.
many thanks
martin 🙂
Hi you might remember me from recent posts. I joined a pretty new local ocd support group and thought i would be polite and ask of your ok if i tell others in the group about your videos? I know you made them for public viewing but i would still like to be nice and ask. Because your videos have been the most helpful to me and i think they will help a lot of people and i cant thank you enough. Also if you ever need to talk to anyone or just let loose with something thats on your mind, dont hesitate to message me.
many thanks
mart
Thanks Marty, so kind of you to ask and that’d be great if you want to spread the word 🙂 Hope you are doing well. Stay strong!
Hey Julia when you started doing your journal how long did it take for you get use to writing in one? Im not much of a writer but figure its worth a try 🙂 and see if it helps me with the thoughts i dont want anyone know and do you keep it with you and note thoughts and observations when they happen or do you write it down when you get home? And also another thank you as i showed some of my family and friends the explaining it video as they were blaming themselves for not noticing it earlier and now they understand somewhat that they couldnt have noticed most stuff with me as i keep my private life to myself and dont tell anyone. Hope your doing well. Many thanks marty
Thanks Marty! I am glad that my videos helped some 🙂 Those are some great questions and, if it’s ok with you, I got inspired to do a video on journaling and will post a link and hopefully it will cover all your questions 🙂
Hey Julia thats great idea and sure it will help many other people like your other videos 🙂 im sure many people would be hesitant on making a journal. But i think it could be the one place we can be honest even with our shameful thoughts as just most people not knowing what ocd is i think we all have trust problems, beside talking to other sufferers and as you said on your post for shame, that it will help us get it out our mind and not be judged and also it can kind if keep track and reflect on the good days and bad days 🙂 and maybe find something that we dont remember but can help us. Many thanks again 🙂
Marty,
Thank you for the insight! journaling can definitely be a safe place to let our feelings out. Here is the link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOjWjx8plI0
Thanks Julia i didnt think of expanding on each emotion n would realise id also be feeling something else about a subject but my mind would be just set on the single emotion. Will try the 5-10 rule 🙂
Hi Julia. I have severe OCD – it was always managed, but I had a tumor removed from my pituitary and it’s awful. I have had non-stop anxiety – which I believe makes OCD worse. I’m now dealing with it being in overdrive – it’s responding to certain sounds, words, even images. I can’t stand movement or touch. I’m wondering if part of this is from decreasing a benzo – and possible hormone imbalance. It’s very complicated – and I’m so depressed. To the point I just can’t take it some days. Did your OCD ever manifest like this? Did you have nightmares and sleep problems from your severe GAD? Also – can you tell me if any hormone supplements helped, medications and what you are doing through your natural path caregivers? I would appreciate knowing as it may help me. It’s so severe. I can’t tolerate meds – they make me so agitated. There has been some research on neuro feedback as well helping with sound sensitivity, depression and anxiety. Thanks for responding. Linda
Hi Linda,
I am so sorry to hear of your struggle. It sounds to me like you are brave and that you are doing what you can to get better, and that is exactly what you need to do! I did have awful nightmares and body jerks in the night that would wake me up in a panic, gasping for air. Some days were so hard, it’s unimaginable to look back at and believe I got through it, but I truly believe it will be like that for all of us suffering from OCD. I couldn’t tolerate a lot of meds either. I can say that without a doubt I think that my diet change is the biggest thing to have helped me. If its the pituitary causing you some issue, then I would strongly suggest taking all sugar out of your diet. There are some great studies about how sugar and anxiety are best friends. I currently do not eat any sugar. No fruit (except apples and berries), no honey, no maple syrup, no cane, no beet sugar, no fake sugars (those still stimulate the pituitary). When I mention this to people, going off of sugar that is, people usually tell me “o, i don’t eat that much sugary at all” and all I think is “are you sure???” because people really don’t know how much they eat because it sneaks in the diet all the time…in bread, pasta sauce, soups…. I do not count lactose as sugar, so I still eat dairy. I try to stay lower than 11 grams a day which is tough, but doable. It took me about 3 months to notice a difference, but the difference was huge. Now, if I eat sugar, I get anxious and my OCD comes back. I will release a video soon on my diet in more detail. I also take a natural progesterone cream which helps too. P.S. sugar acts as a hormone in the body, so keep that in mind. The last thing we OCD’ers need are any stimulants. No caffeine, no sugar. Hope this helps!
Hi. Thanks for your suggestions. The body jerks. I had those all the time when trying to fall asleep and would have racing thoughts as well. It’s so awful. I understands what it feels like! How has progesterone helped and how did you determine you were low. Do you struggle with depression too?
Hi Linda, I determined I was low on progesterone by ordering a saliva panel to test my hormones. I think it was called John Lee hormone testing, I ordered online. I went to a naturopath and she said the same thing. I don’t eat soy, and i use a natural progesterone cream. I notice it really helps my pms and helps me sleep a little better and improves my daily sense of calm. I do still experience depression. It’s very difficult.
Thanks for getting back to me. Did you you notice if the progesterone lowered your moods? Does it help with sleep and the anxiety. What have you found works for the depression aspect. So frustrating isn’t it. Thanks 🙂
Hi Linda. The progesterone really helps my PMS and it helps my moods a little as well as my sleep bit too. The depression has been the last thing to go. I got my OCD really under control, but the depression really sticks around. I find that a lot of the time, i need to be patient and talk,even though i don’t want to. journaling helps a lot too. Take care!
Julia,
I ran across your site accidentally…or maybe it was meant to happen. I have a 25 year old son who was originally diagnosed with OCD seven years ago, and now over the last four years he has been diagnosed with hypochondria. Wow…what a terrible way to live. My son is such a strong, smart and handsome young man (I might be partial..but he really is) and he is crippled with this terrible condition. It steals his joy and his life. He worries about being sick or dying from something every day. Yes, he is medicated and seen several drs, and no it hasn’t helped. When I ran across your video, I was shocked to see someone else young and vibrant suffering just like my son. I was hoping I could talk to you personally and see if you have any tips. If this is possible, my email address is lberry64@frontier.com. I look forward to talking to you.
Lisa
Hi Lisa. I have been in touch with Julia about OCD – primarily from a hormonal aspect – as she had indicated that progesterone helped her.
I saw your post.
I have had OCD for over 20 years. It is a difficult illness to live with – I started suffering from it when I was around 22.
First of all – make sure to keep your son in therapy and do not let the OCD fester without treatment. This is key. OCD has a lot of shame and guilt associated with it. If you can stop that right away – it really helps. Medication does work for some (I am very sensitive to meds).Has your son also tried exposure and response? That is very good for compulsions. Obsessions are harder to treat – but exposure and response can help with that as well.
A couple of optional treatments you might want to check out are – TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) – this was featured on Dr. Phil. You can check out his website. Not sure if the TMS will cure OCD – but it may help.
Another modality is – Neurofeedback. This is something that calms the brain down from anxiety – and works on re-training the brain to think differently. It’s very non-invasive. I’m presently trying this. If it’s successful – it should bring the anxiety down – which should help with the OCD.
I wish we had a cure for this illness. I know it has prohibited me from living a full life, but if you start with therapy and treatment early on – I think it does help.
L
Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as
though you relied on the video to make your point. You clearly know what youre talking about,
why throw away your intelligence on just posting videos to your site when you could be giving us something informative to
read?
Hi! This post could not be written any better! Reading this post reminds me of my
good old room mate! He always kept talking about this.
I will forward this write-up to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read.
Many thanks for sharing!
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