#ocd coping skills

[dersandmannkommt]

!! tw: ocd !!

new contamination trigger!!!!! woohoo! guess what it is?!?!

showering. yes. showering. y'know, the thing that makes you clean?...had a panic attack in the shower not even 20 minutes ago because if the water if touching me, then it's also touching potential germs and viruses and rashes, and the water will spread to non-contaminated parts of me, and spread it there, and so on. ive convinced myself that i somehow have mrsa??? i know that in less than a week, i'll be okay again, but ocd is ocd. writing these out actually help a lot; reminds me that even though my fears are valid and justified, obsessing the way i do is a bit silly.

if you have ocd, and youre still reading, heres a coping tip (this works for all ocd's btw) (currently the only thing keeping me from running to urgent care "just to be sure"). let's say theres a spot on your arm, dont tell yourself that "its not (fill in the blank), its not ____, its not ____, its nothing contagious!!" because youre only feeding into the fear. instead, imagine the worst case scenario head on. you have to. otherwise you'll just be running from the fears you obsess over for the rest of your life.

you have to imagine the worst case scenario, and then walk yourself through it all working out. like, i also have a fear of cars. ever since i was a kid, i would imagine them flipping over, me getting impaled by whatever i was holding, flying out the window, getting crushed, ect, the only reason i can even get into a car is because i imagine the worst case, and then picture everything working out. the car flipped over? im okay, a trip to the hospital and im home within a few days. or what about something like pink eye? worst case, i get it in both eyes. does that suck? yeah. is it scary? yeah. BUT people get pink eye, and then they. get. better. they wash their hands after touching their eyes, wash their pillow case, put some eye drops in, and move on with their life. i have to be able to do that. i have to be able to continue living.

so yeah, i was afraid to shower. but i did. i dont think i have mrsa. but even if i do, the sun stays warm, the earth spins, and it will heal and go away. if i have it, i will live as i did last week, but be a bit more careful, and change the bandaid out. i will have to contintue to live. just as everyone else.

if you're still reading this, and you have ocd, you'll be okay. stop getting stuck in your head, you know your brain is a little off, thats not good, but it is okay. you're okay. the earth still spins, the moon still rises. if all is not well, dont panic, because all will be well.

[abandonedshops]

i feel as if i embarrassed myself while drunk last night but other people broke a char and starting fighting (lovingly) so im just hoping nobody remembers me putting my foot in my mouth

[smaeemo]

Consuming an ungodly amount of media so the possiblilty of a single thought occurring is so minute I finally feel an ounce of relief through this overstimulating hellfire.

[blueish-bird]

becoming a more frequent occurrence to see a post about living with OCD, relating, then pushing it out of my mind because if I think too much about whether or not I have OCD I might begin to ruminate on it and stress myself out ... (obsess, one might say) ... but i digress

[thehavenmh]

[kellandavidchristopher]

My therapist: you have coping skills. I don’t really think you need therapeutic support anymore.

Ma’am. Weed nicotine and caffeine are not coping skills.

[therapythoughtstogether]

Why can't I seem to change my disordered eating behaviours even if I've changed other very harmful behaviours and ways to cope?

TW ED behaviours and other harmful behaviours general discussion

I have proved to myself that I CAN change my behaviours:

I have stopped drinking ridiculously dangerous amount of alcohol to soothe my intense pain and emotions, escape reality and harm myself.

I have stopped all the kind of SH behaviours that visibly show on my skin.

I have stopped slamming doors and yelling when I'm angry and overwhelmed.

I have challenged my OCD fears may times, specially my fear of contamination, that's the most prevalent at the moment.

I have stopped crossing people's personal spaces when they inform me about it.

I have become responsible taking my meds.

I have pushed myself to leave the apartment at least once a day during deep waves of depression, at least to take the trash out.

I have stopped repeatedly calling and texting people I care about when I'm worried and anxious that something bad has happened to them (including at night), as I was told it was seen as controlling and simply annoying.

Yet I'm still bouncing between the two extremes of my eating disorders.

It seems like I CAN'T not use food as a way of control, self soothing when I get triggered and self punishment at the same time...

Maybe because my eating disorders have been with me sadly since I was a child. They are the longest lasting of my unhealthy coping mechanisms. They feel like they are part of me at this point...

I have suffered different kinds of trauma and that always seemed an easy way to cope. It's so engrained in me now...

But I'm making this list of behaviours I have changed as a person with BPD, OCD, chronic depression and anxiety disorder as a reminder to myself that I can beat my eating disorders too. I'm way too tired of them affecting my life and my health (both mentally and physically).

This is something I will discuss with my therapist. All of the wins mentioned above are greatly thanks to my work in therapy. But there's so much going on in my life (and mostly negatively, sadly) that I hardly touch on this topic. Maybe also because I'm clinging to it as my last and longest way to cope, even if it harms me...

[robertseanleonardthinker]

trying to fight the stereotype that ocd is just hand washing and house cleaning as i clean my house to cope with my contamination ocd (the stereotype is beating my ass)

[sovaharbor]

i actually fully unironically just thought to myself "how was i doing better mentally at the beginning of covid than i am now"

gee bestie idk... maybe bc at the beginning of covid u'd just moved back in with family and weren't working, weren't leaving ur house, and even when u DID start ""working"" again u were babysitting for like 3 hours a day 3 days a week and u werent paying any bills at all. maybe that has smthn to do with it.

[businesspilled]

been having some episodes on and off back to back since february and i think the chemicals in my brain have finally begun to normalize

[ebb4ndfl0w]

🌲Corner to shamelessly post mental health TikToks and occasionally post about spirituality. I'd like to note that we are not professionals and won't give professional advice and are just posting about our experiences to create awareness and hopefully help others in similar spots

Mostly going to be talking about:

-BPD

-CPTSD

-DID

-Autism & ADHD

-Religious Trauma

-Anxiety

-ED Recovery

-Bipolar 2

-OCD

-Depression

-Inner child work

-Spirituality and coping

-etc.

(All will be tagged)

[my-adhd-obsessions]

Learn what is better for your mental health: therapy or workout

Discover how exercise impacts mood through the release of dopamine and serotonin, and explore the complexities of using physical activity as a tool for mental health. Gain insights into the holistic approach to well-being, recognizing exercise as just one component of a multifaceted approach. Explore the role of therapy in navigating mental health challenges and learn how to use exercise effectively alongside other tools for optimal mental well-being.

Beyond the Gym Selfies: Understanding the Intersection of Exercise, Mental Health, and Therapy

Elevate Your Understanding of the Mind with Ariza Inspire Co

[pebblegalaxy]

Understanding Behavioral Vulnerabilities: Types, Risks, and Ways to Improve

Introduction: Human behavior is a complex and dynamic phenomenon that is influenced by a variety of factors. While many people exhibit behaviors that are functional and adaptive, others may demonstrate behavioral vulnerabilities that put them at risk for a range of negative outcomes. In this article, we will explore the different types of behavioral vulnerabilities, provide examples of each,…

[thehavenmh]

[acesw]

Reverse: 1999 : Disabled Characters

The game doesn't stray too far on the neurodivergent allegory for the arcanists themselves. But at the same time, there are also inclusions of other characters who are very much known to be disabled. So for this post I'll delve into that, just a bit.

Now, there are 10 characters that I want to put in the spotlight. These mostly lean towards being canon, but a part of these are also researched upon and shortened so the post doesn’t become way too long.

Cristallo, Rabies, Erick : Chronic Illness

It's quite self explanatory that Cristallo herself has a chronic illness. She was born prematurely, with an added condition that makes her physically fragile. As seen in the game, she needs a life-support system to maintain her health when she's outside. It's also implied that her condition may be a recurrent cancer, as her arcane abilities are tied to a machine that provides cobalt therapy, a known advancement in radiotherapy in the post-WWII era.

Rabies is an odd case. In his stories, it's noted that Adam cured Alicia through unknown means at the cost of contracting rabies himself. However, instead of the virus being acute and guaranteed to be fatal, it becomes a chronic illness to Rabies due to the abundance and use of arcanum. And since the rabies virus attacks the brain, his cognitive capabilities and ability to recall things before the present had been impaired, making him rather docile and animal-like in nature as a result.

Erick, as revealed in her anecdote, has a hereditary blood condition that came with her arcane skill. With her arcane skill making her physically powerful, overusing it will accelerate the effects of her blood condition to the point that it can become fatal. To prevent this, she also inherited an armband from her grandfather, Harald. The armband suppresses one's ability to use arcane skills, but by extension it also prevents Erick's condition getting worse.

Shamane : Amputee

Shamane's circumstances are also self-explanatory. He lost his arm for unknown reasons, but after having lived without it for 20 years, it doesn't bother him anymore. However as we know, he crafted his prosthetic arm as a means to avoid scaring kids. (which I think is quite cool in itself)

Ms. Radio, Bessmert : Blindness

Ms. Radio and our new friend, Bessmert, are both canonically blind. Ms. Radio has stated that she cannot see, and asks Vertin to left in places where she can feel temperatures to make her feel at peace.

And as we know, Yenisei (or in other words, Yenisei's VA) has stated in the 1.6 livestream that Bessmert is known to be blind, but even with that, she's a great researcher and guide to her.

Mesmer Jr. : OCD [Content Warning: Mentions of Self Harm and Suicide.]

Mesmer Jr.'s character has heavily implied throughout the main story and her own to have OCD as a result of the traumatic experiences she had gone through from her field of work and her family’s history in it. She identifies that she has "incurable" anxiety, which causes her to think differently about arcanists and act a little irrationally from our own perspective. This anxiety results in double checking everything and having a slightly intensive routine.

This routine is created as a means to maintain herself and her own sanity, but an imbalance or interruption can greatly upset her. As a result, she has conflicting ideals, experiences hallucinations and panic attacks, has suicidal thoughts, and actively inflicts self harm as a means to cope with her anxiety. However, she’s calmer and at peace with herself when she's left alone in a quieter and clean space, away from others, and where nature is heard more than constant buzzing. In short, Mesmer Jr.’s mental health is really complex and would be better if it's explored in a separate post.

Baby Blue : Alice in Wonderland syndrome

It's no secret that Baby Blue has Alice in Wonderland syndrome, or in other words dysmetropsia. This affects her perception of reality and her ability to recall, but this in turn makes her arcane abilities all the more powerful. As a result, she doesn't realize that she's growing up, yet it seems she doesn't mind that much. This doesn't seem to affect her physically either; In fact, it has a heavy influence on how she displays her arcane skills.

Poltergeist : Social Anxiety

Poltergeist has been known to be anxious in social settings which conflicts with her people-pleasing tendencies. She's also insecure about herself which adds up to her not wanting to be directly perceived. At the same time, she doesn't like being left alone as a result of having been ignored and forgotten post mortem. Poltergeist is also elaborate (i.e. not wanting to be looked at for too long) yet awkward at the same time when communicating them.

However, I'm not sure how to describe Poltergeist's case quite well, but the idea of her having social anxiety resonates greatly in my mind, so it can be treated as a partial headcanon.

Balloon Party : Autism and Speech Impairment

Balloon Party as a child had contracted an illness that caused her to have a persistent high fever. In the end, she awakened her arcane skill this way, with her being able to cough up balloons that can be harmful or a cure to anything.

However, it might have also affected her speech because of the physical strain that comes from coughing, it results to BP's speech being a bit slow and having abnormal pauses before she speaks again. Though, this also might be a sign of her possibly also having autism, where rigid and uneven language development is a common pattern in how autism affects one's ability in communication. Her speech also has a pattern of echolalia, having a flat tone, and lack of control of it.

However, speech impediment isn't everything about autism, and there's a lot more about BP's character that also connects with it such as her special interests. I can better explore this in a different post, which will be explained below.

Last Notes

These are the characters I’ve written down, most of these are less headcanon and more of observations I’ve found when looking into these characters. Some people from the lore chat have also added their own insights on some of them. (Thank you lupjo for beta-reading through it and helping me out) 

Of course, there are a few more characters I want to discuss because of the implications of them having autism / ADHD, but these will be written in another post in the future because I still need to research and gather other information. Additionally, it would be an opportunity to talk about the connections between an arcanist’s and neurodivergent person’s relationships with modern society.

Congrats for reaching the bottom of this post, and feel free to add your own ideas or headcanons about the characters here and/or any other ones.

[hauntedselves]

⚠️ emergency links

this is a list of resources for when you're in crisis, whether you're suicidal, triggered, having a panic attack, or any other mental health emergency.

this list will be updated with new resources as i find them.

emergency numbers for your country

helplines for your country

Australia: lifeline 13 11 14 & other helplines

managing flashbacks

quick helpful tips for suicidal feelings

you feel like shit interactive self care guide (alternative site)

reassurance masterpost

Get Self Help

psychosis coping strategies

grounding techniques

dealing with trauma triggers & OCD

DBT options for solving problems

self-soothing ideas

how to check the (emotional) facts

TIPP grounding skill (temperature, intense exercise, paced breathing, progressive muscle relaxation)

ideas for soothing impulses (urge surfing)

tips for when it feels too much

why am i feeling bad? flowchart

looking after yourself (particularly tolerating distress)

staying safe in a crisis

crisis support (particularly for dissociation & dissociative identity disorder)

safety tools & resources

dealing with PTSD triggers

grounding & containment strategies