Hi All,

I used to visit the old Braintalk Communities forum on OCD years ago. It was a wonderful place to discuss any and all OCD issues! I was sad to see it was no longer available, but I am now happy to discover this new version

I've had OCD since I was about 11 or 12 (I had general anxiety issues since I was very small, though). I am 25 now. I also have trichotillomania, which is associated with OCD....I had this since I was about 8 years old.

Not until this year did I find a competent, compassionate psychologist who specializes in CBT. Let me tell you, she has been a god-send! I suffer from mainly pure-O (or pure obsessions) which means that I have no 'external' compulsions. However, I do analyze/ruminate for hours on end. I also feel the need to confess/ask for reassurance about things I am obsessing about. Does anyone else suffer from this kind of OCD?

In my experience thus far, CBT is the best treatment out there for OCD. I won't lie: it is not easy...it is meant to cause anxiety (through exposure-response prevention). But as my therapist says: "Short term pain for long term gain". I'm still on the journey to recovery, but I have made so much progress in the past 6 months I have been going to CBT. Before this, I would literally be debilitated from my obsessions...I couldn't focus on anything else. My quality of life just generally decreased. Currently, I still have bouts of OCD, but they are much more transient and I can more easily move on from them. Progress not perfection. Through therapy, I am learning to tolerate uncertainty (which is a big problem for people with OCD).

I guess I just want to say that there is hope. If you are suffering from OCD, please strongly consider seeking out a therapist who specializes in CBT. Therapy in conjunction with small doses of medication can work wonders (medication alone will not help the OCD...it just helps manage the anxiety that goes along with it). It just takes a little hard work on your part...but it is a small price to pay to escape the hellish kind of life that OCD creates!

I hope to see this forum build up to like it was on the old Braintalk Communities forum. I think these forums are a great way for people who are going through the same experiences to share their stories, give advice, etc. I look forward to reading other's posts.