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OCD thoughts -please help

I asked this question before, but didn't really get any response, so I thought I'd give it another try.

I suffer from OCD -mostly the disturbing thoughts variety. I was wondering if anyone knows of any effective technique to cope with the thoughts the moment they arise. I have good days on which I barely get any such thoughts, and if I do, I don't really react to them with anxiety; but on bad days, I get very anxious and depressed by them. Any advice would be very useful. Thank you in advance to those who take the time to respond.
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Avatar universal
Thanks! I love self-help and psychology books. I'll look for that one.
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Avatar universal
Thanks, Angie. My heart goes to you! OCD is really, really hard to live with. I was on Celexa for a while, but I'm off now -it certainly helped though, but I wanted to learn how to cope without meds. But it's very hard and painful. I've heard about thought stopping techniques, they might be what I need.

Thanks for sharing your story!
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Avatar universal
You may want to try reading the book Feeling Good by David Burns.  I found it useful.
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Avatar universal
hi moonflower,
i totally understand.  i was diagnosed with ocd recently.  i went to the dr. initially because i had these truly disturbing thougths and feeling that i felt were completly out of my control.  the more i tried to stop thinking about them the worse they got. i honestly had no clue this was ocd and i was convinced that i was going insane and i was an unstable person.  i still struggle a lot with these thoughts.  are you on any meds?  i take lexapro and it seems to help some.  i am learning a little bit each day on how to control my own thoughts.  i try everyday, extra-super hard, to have a normal thought.  when an unwanted thought happens i say go to hell ocd and start a new task.  my dr. recommended i really try thought stopping.  this is difficult because it happens so fast.  
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Avatar universal
Thank you so much for sharing. God bless!
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365429 tn?1390253309
i carry something a friend gave me.             everyday i need you Lord, but this day specially. i need some extra strength to face whatever is to be...this day more than any day i need to feel you near- to fortify my courage and to overcome my fear. by myself i cannot meet the challenge of the day. there r times when human creatures need a higher power- to help them bear what must b borne. and so dear Lord, i pray- hold on to my trembling hand and b with me today.
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Avatar universal
i hope your ok i also suffer from ocd and anxiety and i know how terrible it is,my ocd is with safety and it drives me crazy. i also sometimes but only since my sister died have been experiancing disturbing thoughts like somebody will go and dig her up,sounds crazy i know but at some points i have even thought of going sitting at her grave all night"its really is taunting".
i have taken all medications and everything the doctor as proscibed and advice but the other thing that seemed to work was my own way.
i dont know if this will help you but i hope so.
with my safety i wrote a little card telling me everything i needed to check before i went out,now i check it once then leave instead of taking me a hour to get out of the house because i was not sure before what i had checked, so maybe if you wrote down a variety of good thoughts to take away your bad and look at them when you feel it coming on it might work.i truly believe ocd is all about sycoligy it continues to get worse because you make it get worse by thinking about it,laugh at yourself when you think bad things and look at your good thing,a bit of reverse sycoligy might do you some good.
i hope i have helped a little xx love carrie
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