neurogenicbeauty

It's been almost 5 years since I was diagnosed with severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It's been a long, difficult journey. Looking at my life now, compared to the places I have been in before, so much has changed.  There was a time when I couldn't leave my bedroom without using anti-bacterial wipes over every surface and door handle, every item I wanted to take out of my room with me, and showering. I spent hours and hours of my days carrying out rituals. Then, when I was too tired to carry out these rituals any more, I just curled up into my bed and refused to face the world. I cut myself off from my friends, and I worried my family. I remember telling my parents to put me in an institution so that I could start from scratch. I wanted to bin all of my belongings so that I had less to clean. Using the toilet was such an ordeal for me that I wouldn't drink for days, until my urine was 100% blood. My skin bled from how much I washed it. I would hold a pen and mo...

Worry is an important part of life. It can even be helpful as it can protect us from certain situations – such as stepping out into the road. However, excessive and irrational worries could be a sign that you are suffering with an anxiety disorder. There are a number of strategies that can be put in place to cope with anxiety. We have listed a few examples below, which should be helpful. Ø   Method 1 Ø    4-7-8 Breathing This technique is based on science. When we are anxious our breathing rate increases, and this causes our brain to respond via the parasympathetic nervous system. This means that the “fight or flight mode” is activated. We respond as if there is a threat that we must defend ourselves against. The basis of 4-7-8 breathing is to increase the levels of carbon dioxide and decrease the levels of oxygen in the brain. This can be equated to using a paper bag to breathe into. The higher the levels of carbon dioxide are, the calmer you become. This techni...

I'm a little apprehensive to blog about this topic - I'm not really shy about the fact that I have OCD, just a little wary of droning on about the same topic constantly. However people often have a lot of questions when I do tell them what I suffer with so I thought I'd try and give a little insight to anyone who's interested.  I'm not completely comfortable going into too much detail about my specific type of OCD, however I will try to provide as much general information as I can. To start with; the basics: There are multiple types of OCD. These can range from 'Pure O' to 'Contamination type'. I'll say a little about some of the more common types. Pure O Pure O gets its name from the fact that there are no physical compulsions associated with it. A compulsion is an action which a person carries out once they get an intrusive thought. These so called compulsions temporarily relieve the anxiety which said intrusive thought causes. A common exa...

I'm not an organised person. I'm not tidy. I'm definitely not neat. I don't "feel uncomfortable" when a picture is hanging at an angle. So.. I can't " be OCD " right? The truth is, even if all of those things were true, it doesn't equate to obsessive compulsive disorder. OCD has become a term that's thrown around so often these days, I thought I'd share the truth behind the disorder.  For starters, OCD is not an adjective. A person cannot "be a bit OCD" - a person can have obsessive compulsive disorder. OCD is not the same as perfectionism, or being organised and neat, and it is not restricted to a fear of contamination.  Quite simply - and pretty literally - OCD is the process of having obsessive, intrusive, upsetting thoughts which cause deep anxiety and carrying out 'compulsions' in order to relieve this anxiety and stress. Whilst a lot of people who have OCD hand wash excessively this is not the ...