Hello. Well, it's been a long road. I'm a 55 year old man who was "raised" in an extremely abusive family of origin. This set the tone for my life. At age 18 I became totally shut down as a result of a controlling thought that stayed with me 24/7. I dropped out of the University and wasn't able to return until 5 years had passed (by then I had a different controlling thought a trillion times more disturbing than the first). It was about 17 years later that I was diagnosed with OCD and put on a plethora of drugs (one of which gave me 3 grand mal seizures). Recently, a friend suggested that my difficulties (if a "name" was to be put to them) more closely resembled Complex PTSD than OCD. Unfortunately, daily life is still a struggle (after all these years) and quite painful. Though I feel like I continue to go round and round in circles, my friend insists that I'm making progress. It's good to have an encouraging friend. Knowing that I'm not the only one in the world to suffer (sometimes I feel, looking around, as if everyone is perfectly fine and on top-of-the-world) helps me. And thus, I was drawn to this website. I wish for each of us healing and happiness.

We all carry around some pretty heavy baggage. This place has been very supportive and helpful to me on my own long road. You are not all alone on your journey. Welcome.

That's one of the biggest lies perpetrated on human beings, that everybody else is perfect, or has a perfect life. Even though we know intellectually that it can't possibly be true, we all buy into it emotionally at some point.

Welcome to the community...you'll find lots of support here!

Hello, and welcome to NT! This is such a great place with many kind, caring, friendly, and helpful people.

We're so glad you found us!

Below is the OCD forum link to help get you started.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum50.html

Wanted to add my welcome...Anoyizes gave you a great link to the Forum for OCD. Do feel free to drop in anywhere. That's what make Neuro Talk so great..we can all benefit for every kind and caring member!

Hello and welcome to NeuroTalk. Happy to see you have come to be with us. Just let us know if we can be of any help.

There are great number of fellow members here to assist as possible. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around.

Darlene

Hi there my dear new person.

The fallacy of the human condition is that when you see a Leave it to Beaver kind of family (you do know what this refers to, right...i.e. THE PERFECT FAMILY),

well, THERE AIN'T NO SUCH THING!!! to put it mildly.

Everybody has anxieties, everybody worries, everybody has to face uphill climbs. Some have chronic pain conditions. Others have disorders. Some have anxieties, some of crippled with fear.

BUT EVERYBODY HAS SOMETHING.

Sometimes, meds help, sometimes they make stuff worse.

I found a hobby that worked for me. I sprout my food. I found a hobby that also fed my family. It's cheap, easy and takes my mind TO A DIFFERENT PLACE.

That's what we want to do when anxiety falls on our shoulders.

WE NEED TO GO TO A BETTER PLACE IN OUR HEADS.

And how odd is it that I happened to read your posting right after I watched a short film on Turner Classic Movies last night.

It was the true story of a woman who never left her home from 1901. She had had a silly fight with her fiance, who then walked out of her home, left for the war, and died in the war. The day she got the letter from the military, was the last day she left her home. FOR 38 YEARS. It was about fear.

Then a miracle happened. In 1938, (this was in England), there was the Blitzkreig and her home was destroyed and the British soldiers were going into people's homes and rescuing them and SHE DID NOT WANT TO BE RESCUED. She hadn't left her home for almost 38 years.

Well, she collapsed and she awoke in some bomb shelter and when she tried to get up all she could think of "I have to go back to the safety of my house".

As she got up, two little children ran to her begging her for her help. She threw her arms around the kids and that was that. She felt needed and she stayed and took care of the kids. And she never again thought "I must go back to my house".

The narrator said (at the end of this film), the "ONLY WAY TO GET OVER FEAR IS BY SERVICE TO OTHERS."

I immediately said "how true is this!!!"

So just know that you are not alone. We all have things going on, adversities, etc. and we all do the best that we can do to cope.

I wish you well

Melody

What a wonderful story, Melody...thanks for sharing it

Hello alongroad and welcome to NeuroTalk.

Welcome alongroadAs newbie like yourself I hope we can both find the support and new life skills to move forward

Thank you very much for your welcoming greeting!