Anxiety Support Group

Anxiety is a physical condition marked by intense and persistent feelings of distress, fear, angst or dread. General anxiety caused by routine day-to-day stresses usually passes quickly and is experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. However, such feelings that linger over time and are very difficult to cope with, and which lack a clear cause, may indicate...

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Anxiety Disorders
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Spouse of a husband with OCD

Ellyce2
Ellyce2

Hello


I hope to make some new freinds and get encouragement, as well as give encouragement. I'm married to a wonderful man who I love so much. He suffers with OCD. He has times when it is not as bad, but the last few months have been so hard for him. He does not take medication. I try to have the right balance of love and understanding, but I also have to use boundaries sometimes to take care of myself. I'm thinking of seeing a counselor for support for myself. I've read all the books about it. He's just drowning and it's hard to watch.


Thanks for listening.


Sharon

arfie
arfie
Hello Sharon. Welcome to DS.

I've been on both sides of the mental health help desk as both patient and therapy supporter. I don't feel too safe comparing the two sets of challenges, but when I can't resist the temptation, I believe the patient side of the help desk is the easier chair to fill. Going through psychotic break myself was hard enough, but watching somebody else struggle feels even harder to my senses. Can't we just stick a screwdriver in their ear and tighten those loose screws? Maybe a little WD-40 to loosen the over-torqued nuts? Well just it all. . .

Getting support for myself helps keep me from paving roads to hell with my good intentions. Hope it works for you, as well.

Welcome aboard.
malibumark
malibumark
Welcome to DS Sharon!
Tired
Tired
Would your husband to go a place or therapist that specializes in
Anxiety disorders? It really helped me.
Deckard
Deckard
I have a tad OCD...I know where your husband is coming from. My dad has the OCD too...however he directs his energy to constructive things.
qaunde1
qaunde1
I have OCD too. it started when I was a little girl. when I felt like I couldn't control things in my life, I started counting a certain amount of times hoping I could control the outcome of certain situations.
Ellyce2
Ellyce2
Thank you all so much for reading my concern and responding! That means a lot to me. My husband tried talking to someone years ago along with meds and said it did not help. He always does better on Sunday, as we attend church together. Thank you friends. I hope today will be good for all of us. So many suffer with OCD and don't even know it. I'm trying to have the right balance in all of this. I can't thank each of you enough.
Deckard
Deckard
I used to do this thing with my watch. When I was worried about something.....I would think about it. Then look on my watch. If the second hand was a odd number, then the answer was "no". If the second hand was on a even number then the answer was "yes".

The end result was I was repeatedly looking at my watch every few seconds. If the second hand was in between a odd and even number, then I would do it over again.

I eventually stopped doing that. Ill most likely find something OCD to do later.
Community LeaderMid
Mid
Three things. First, stay hydrated. This allows the brain and body to think calm in the moment.

Second, keep writing in a journal. It allows you to release feelings in a private and safe way. Delete the journal entries afterward if you feel like it.

Third, pause before you do or say anything. Keep your well-being first in making choices.

Best wishes.
Ann93
Ann93
A counselor could teach you some coping methods. It is difficult to watch a loved one suffer from an illness. I hope you find the support that you need
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