When coping skills fail because I'm having a bad day, (also have panic disorder so some days get REAL bad), I fall back on distraction. A book a TV show, this wonderful Internet. Going head to head with a compulsion doesn't always work for me, so I try to slip around it and make my brain focus on something else.

Hi Angie,

Sorry to hear you are having a rough week. I definitely agree with ariadnesthread...distraction is key! And I know that for me, I have to distract myself with something that uses my brain. So, for me, going for a walk usually isn't enough because my brain will just continue obsessing as I walk, but if I listen to my favorite music while I walk and can get my mind to focus on the lyrics, then it helps. Just keep trying different forms of distraction to see what works best for you.

I also always remind myself that as anxious as I feel about resisting the urge to perform a compulsion, that anxiety will fade. Sometimes the anxiety lasts a little longer than other times, but it always does fade away. And the more you resist your compulsions, the quicker the anxiety will go down. Just reminding yourself of that, and also that you are doing the right thing by not listening to your OCD, can be helpful.

Hang in there...things will get better.

I know ariadnest, that at night a old movie on tcm hepls sometimes. And wild flower, I have a phobia of walking alone.If I do go out, like I did today, I have to take my anxiety med. Then I can talk to people, and drive without having to pull over an call my husband. I go out a couple times a week, but sometimes my rituals get in the way. To stay focuses Like on driving I can do. But its still a healing process for me .

Oh, does anyone hear have a problem with spending money? I sometimes do.

There are times where I basically have a fight with my OCD to make it stop, I'll focus on a spot and we'll fight, other times I just have to shout stop, it's not real and it backs off.