#ocdlife

From years of experience, here are the techniques that have helped me the most! TW: Skin Picking

1. Band-Aids! Creates a physical barrier between nails and the picking spot. Seals in the wound to help prevent infection, and is a great reminder to let yourself heal. 

2. Short Nails! I know that long nails can be beautiful, but for those of us who suffer from skin-picking compulsions, they make it easier to dig a deeper wound. Added bonus: Short nails help with typing!

3. Fidgets! I love a good fidget, find one that suits you! I really love fidgets that are disguised as jewelry, like spinner rings and bracelets, since they are both helpful and aesthetic!

4. Moisturizer! When skin is moisturized, it becomes soft and unsatisfying to pick at. This will also help heal old problem spots (do not put in open wounds).

5. Positive Self Affirmation! I cannot stress this one enough. Skin Picking can get better, do not lose hope! Even larger and deeper wounds will heal. There is nothing wrong with your scars, they are a sign you have let that spot heal. If you’re bothered by them there are plenty of options from creams to lasers. You are not alone! Celebrate those little victories!

Tw distressing content

What OCD really is: "I have to get dragged out of the bathroom kicking and screaming at 3AM because I can't stop scrubbing my hands even though they are red raw. I have terrifying thoughts on loop and feel like I will be responsible for terrible things happening. I beg to be free from it but it doesn't work. Hours of every day are taken up by exhausting rituals. There is no longer time for fun. I can't focus on anything anymore, even my own surroundings, because my mind is so chaotic. I have lost the ability to do daily tasks due to this debilitating condition. My body burns up with fear whilst I'm convinced that I'm going to die. This is a waking nightmare, but people treat it like it's a quirk..."

Its fine...

Everything is fine....

"No, don't put that there..."

"No, you do it like this."

"You can't sit that there because.....reasons!"

Okay, don't yell at her. Its you being a freak. Just let it roll..

😟😕😬😳

All these tips are from experience, I'm not a professional but as someone who has had OCD from a very young age, these are some helpful things that i use to fight intrusive thoughts. I will post a different helpful tips for intrusive memories, which are a separate but related issue. 

1. Distraction! My first step when experiencing intrusive thoughts is to distract myself. Focusing on the thought only makes it stronger, so redirecting my attention to something positive helps stop it in its tracks. Some distractions that work for me are reading, video games, or drawing. Find what works for you!

2. Remember the facts! The intrusive thought is not a part of you, it was generated by a random sequence in the brain that has nothing to do with your personality or identity. The thought you have AFTER the intrusive thought, the ‘Wtf was that thought?’, that is you. 

3. Don’t ruminate! The questions you ask yourself like ‘Why would i think that?’, ‘Is something wrong with me because of that thought?’ and ‘Is this thought part of my subconscious somehow?’ - are not helpful. Intrusive thoughts can be extremely distressing, remember tip #2 and don’t spend time feeling bad for having them. 

4. Remember that you are not alone! Most people will experience some form of intrusive thoughts at some point during their lifetime. People like me with OCD and a variety of other conditions experience them all the time. I promise that it can get better.

5. Find an anti-intrusive thought to repeat! For example, when i experience intrusive thoughts i purposefully think ‘Wow brain, that was a weird one’. Because the thought is not me, it is a randomly generated combination of stimulus, memories and general knowledge. I get plenty of random thoughts that are actually pleasant, but of course being random, some of them are disturbing and thus intrusive. “That thought is not me” is another great anti-intrusive thought. I’ll also add “Nope, don’t like this thought one bit” and the dramatic “I BANISH this thought from my brain castle!”