Hello,

I’m sorry to hear of your diagnosis. I also have OCD so I have some idea of what you are going through. I also understand how difficult work can be, such a trigger to OCD issues!

I don’t know what sort of help you have been offered. You don’t mention what sort of therapy you are having. Is it Cognitive Behavioural Therapy? I had that and I found I had to have a lot of sessions before I got to a point that helped me.

Are you taking any medication? I do and I find it helps me with my OCD very much. It doesn’t take it away but it helps to ease it. Of course this isn’t for everyone and you would need to talk to your doctors about that option.

I’ve found that I need a really high level of self care. I need to make sure I’m eating enough, getting enough sleep and rest, probably more so then other people. Is this something that you could do for yourself or that might help you?

In terms of work, when I was going through a really bad OCD phase, I quit my job and started doing temp work through an agency. The pay was lower and there was no job security at all, but for the most part there was much less pressure and this helped my anxiety.

I don’t really have any other advice then that. I really hope that you find some peace soon.

Hi.

I have a partner who is battling with depression at this point. It is not an easy job, I mean being with him in the struggle, just like what Peter has mentioned. Sometimes I do wonder, is this a waste of time, still hanging onto this relationship? But, something…something just made me hold onto this. I chose to think positively in order to cope with the struggle. For example, I try to see the good side of this illness which comes in between our relationship. I have learnt to be more understanding, sensitive, and appreciate simple things in life (that is little response from him at his point of depression).

I know I can never get into a depressed person’s mind and feel what they are feeling. But I do get it at some point of our lives, we do feel depressed over certain things but for a person suffering from depression, the depressed feeling just won’t go away. He can be so hopeless and helpless that he dread waking up in the morning.
I am trying to understand that he is not in a well state, suffering from an illness which will get better soon. Depression is just like any other illness which can be cured.

If you really do not know what to do, get your boyfriend or your closed family member to accompany you to a Psychiatrist. Talk to him/her about your condition, and they might prescribe you some medications, trust me, the meds will help you a lot. Don’t be afraid to go for meds because when you are feeling so helpless, sometimes, you just need the meds to do the job.

It is ok if you do not know what to do, that’s because you are experiencing the symptoms of Depression. I don’t know if OCD has similar symptoms though. If you don’t feel like doing anything, or need to take a break from work, just do it. But you definitely need to seek treatment. You may want to put your dreams on hold at the moment, and consider quitting your job which you think is dissatisfying to you. You don’t want the stress from your “shitty” job to worsen your condition. Your mental health is more important than your job, once you get better, you can look for another simpler job, and then go ahead to pursue your dreams.

Please know that, you are not alone in this.

All the best!

Hi J, I know how you’re feeling. I have OCD as well and have issues with anxiety.

My first recommendation is to get into meditation. This is not an overnight miracle, but it is a miracle. My lifesaver was the short and sweet “guided meditations for busy people” by Bodhipaksa, you can Google and download them. I honestly did them for about a year, roughly three times a week before they started their magic, but they did. Mediation has helped me gain control of my thoughts and to stop the negative spiral.

I am feeling the job hate, I have been stuck in a job I hate for a while. I read a quote recently which said “if its not good, let it go. If it can’t go, make it good”. If you are stuck in your shitty job, consciously try to acknowledge this for what it is but don’t let it consume you. In life there will often be an area lacking that we cannot control, if we can try to accept or even embrace these imperfections it can minimise the impact they have on the other good parts (like your supportive boyfriend).

The past two years I have also tried to introduce more good, so my good to bad ratio gets better! Is there something you enjoy that you haven’t done lately? Can you seek out a new hobby, or activity or anything that can bring you joy? For me its a bit of yoga (and I tried heaps of yoga studios and teachers until I found my yoga soulmate). Yoga days, Wednesdays, are now a good day, even at my shitty job, because I have something to look forward to. I also try to play guitar at home and walk my dog, but I find the yoga (because its a scheduled thing I do each week in a social setting) provides great benefit. I also go alone and have forced myself to meet new people there. This is a chance to not be the ‘sad’ me my friends and family see, but to just try and be normal and upbeat and kind of fake it until I make it. No one there knows my past or my struggles, and that can be a very powerful environment to be in when going through a hard time.

I hope this helps.