OCD self help –Three Tips to Help You Cope with OCD
OCD self help is a very important part of OCD therapy. The process of recovery from OCD is quicker if you actively take steps to combat your disorder, besides continuing with therapy sessions and medication. But what exactly can you do for OCD self help? Here are a few tips:
1. Tackle Obsessive Thoughts and Compulsive behavior
Learn to refocus your attention whenever you get an obsessive thought or the urge to perform a compulsive activity. Do something that you enjoy, and which will take up your whole attention. It could be anything like jogging, listening to music, doodling, or calling up friends. Do this for 10-15 minutes. Very often, obsessive thoughts will disappear or diminish after this period.
Write down your thoughts and urges, even if they are repetitive, for about 15 minutes. Reading this will help you see just how repetitive your thoughts are; it will also decrease the power of the obsessive thoughts and compulsive urges. Since writing is harder work than just thinking, your obsessions are likely to disappear much sooner.
2. Take Care of Your overall Health
OCD self help doesn't mean just doing mental exercises like the ones given above. It also means taking care of your overall health. Take up an exercise that you enjoy, preferably an aerobic one like walking, jogging, or cycling. 30 minutes or more of aerobic exercise daily relieves stress and tension, while boosting your energy. It also releases endorphins, which are feel-good chemicals.
Eat right and regularly. Have a lot of complex carbohydrates, like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. These boost serotonin, a neurotransmitter with calming effects, and also stabilize blood sugar levels. Having small and frequent meals also stabilizes sugar levels. This is important as low blood sugar can make you anxious.
Learn some relaxation techniques. Practice yoga, meditation or any other stress-relieving activity that you like for 30 minutes every day. Stress can aggravate your OCD so it is very important to relieve it.
3. Find a good OCD Support Group
While OCD self help suggests the idea of solo mental and physical exercises, it can, and should, involve OCD support groups. OCD Support Groups are important as you are often likely to have feelings of loneliness and isolation if you have OCD. Such groups will encourage you to continue fighting OCD when you feel like giving up. OCD support groups also show you that you are not the only person with OCD.
An OCD support group will also act as an OCD forum where you can discuss different issues related to OCD. An OCD Forum of this type is likely to give you more tips and advice for coping with OCD. There may be other issues not directly related to therapy or medication, that you could discuss in such an OCD forum, like how to handle discrimination and abuse targeted at you because of your OCD.
1. Tackle Obsessive Thoughts and Compulsive behavior
Learn to refocus your attention whenever you get an obsessive thought or the urge to perform a compulsive activity. Do something that you enjoy, and which will take up your whole attention. It could be anything like jogging, listening to music, doodling, or calling up friends. Do this for 10-15 minutes. Very often, obsessive thoughts will disappear or diminish after this period.
Write down your thoughts and urges, even if they are repetitive, for about 15 minutes. Reading this will help you see just how repetitive your thoughts are; it will also decrease the power of the obsessive thoughts and compulsive urges. Since writing is harder work than just thinking, your obsessions are likely to disappear much sooner.
2. Take Care of Your overall Health
OCD self help doesn't mean just doing mental exercises like the ones given above. It also means taking care of your overall health. Take up an exercise that you enjoy, preferably an aerobic one like walking, jogging, or cycling. 30 minutes or more of aerobic exercise daily relieves stress and tension, while boosting your energy. It also releases endorphins, which are feel-good chemicals.
Eat right and regularly. Have a lot of complex carbohydrates, like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. These boost serotonin, a neurotransmitter with calming effects, and also stabilize blood sugar levels. Having small and frequent meals also stabilizes sugar levels. This is important as low blood sugar can make you anxious.
Learn some relaxation techniques. Practice yoga, meditation or any other stress-relieving activity that you like for 30 minutes every day. Stress can aggravate your OCD so it is very important to relieve it.
3. Find a good OCD Support Group
While OCD self help suggests the idea of solo mental and physical exercises, it can, and should, involve OCD support groups. OCD Support Groups are important as you are often likely to have feelings of loneliness and isolation if you have OCD. Such groups will encourage you to continue fighting OCD when you feel like giving up. OCD support groups also show you that you are not the only person with OCD.
An OCD support group will also act as an OCD forum where you can discuss different issues related to OCD. An OCD Forum of this type is likely to give you more tips and advice for coping with OCD. There may be other issues not directly related to therapy or medication, that you could discuss in such an OCD forum, like how to handle discrimination and abuse targeted at you because of your OCD.
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