Keeping Up the Good Work
Like any skill you learn, managing OCD requires perseverance. And practice. Don't feel afraid to visit your cognitive behavioral therapist for a “tune up” now and then, or to go back into therapy for a time. Definitely continue to see your prescribing doctor to stay on top of any changes you might need to your medication. Cognitive techniques may change. Medicine almost certainly will. Staying informed by keeping in touch with your providers can only help.
And remember, of course, the following tried-and-true advice. You may want to think of it as “Nurse” (NERS):
good Nutrition
regular Exercise
adequate Rest
a strong Support system
Don't neglect “Views” (VEWS), either:
Volunteer, or do good for others in another way
Express your creativity
Work (preferably at something you feel good about or enjoy at least a little)
Surround yourself with happy stuff at least some of the time.
Resources
Also, remember to keep up with new developments by reading books, magazine and newspaper articles, and online information. (Just be certain, if you're not sure about whether to believe something that doesn't sound right to you, that you can confirm its accuracy by seeing whether the information appears anywhere other than that one site, book or journal. There's still some very uninformed “information” out there.)
Question
Did Watergate figure G. Gordon Liddy practice ERP?
Kind of. Liddy claimed that, in his youth, he cured himself of a fear of lightning by climbing a tree during an electrical storm, and a fear of rats by cooking and eating one. (No cognitive behavioral therapist will expect this from you. Gross!)
What Not to Believe
We hope you'll keep in mind that, while some inaccurate information may be fairly harmless, you may hear ideas about OCD that have long been discredited. These include the notion that OCD is an emotional disorder or neurosis. As we've said, it has now been established through the use of brain scans and other methods, that OCD is a neurobiological disorder.
Some experts believe that OCD may also have a psychological element (so, while your particular psyche may lean toward worry about whether you've locked the door, another person's might lead him to fear germs). That may well be true. But the “neurosis” theory isn't.
Fact
The fear of anything new is called “neophobia.” Fear of everything is “pan-,” “pano-,” or “pantophobia.” (However, it would be very hard to be afraid of everything, as some fears would conflict with others. Not to mention the fact that daily life would be challenging, to say the least.)
You may hear people tell you not to let your fear run your life. While this is good advice, it is usually much easier said than done, especially when it is said by people who do not themselves have OCD, or even very much anxiety. (It's a lot like telling a smoker that he should just quit. No kidding!) It is not a matter of simply pulling yourself together or standing up to your fear (at least, for most of us). Although, of course, if you can do it, then, by all means: Go for it.
Others may try to tell you that religion will “cure” your anxieties. It might, but we wouldn't count on it. OCD is not a moral failing, nor is it caused by a lack of willpower. It is also not caused by missteps in your upbringing. It is simply a hereditary brain disorder that makes people act strangely sometimes.
You may also hear about dietary remedies for OCD. While it is believed that a balanced diet, low in sugar and caffeine, can benefit your overall mood and health, there isn't yet a reliable nutritional “cure.”
Fighting Ignorance
The best way to combat ignorance, of course, is to stay informed yourself. As people get to know you, you may have opportunities to educate them subtly if you wish to. That might include politely challenging their negative perceptions or simply being a “good example”: a person who has OCD and handles it without making a big deal about it.
Essential
In his first inaugural address in 1933, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” (Quite a while earlier, Henry David Thoreau said, “Nothing is so much to be feared as fear.”) Roosevelt's speech, actually written by others, referred to the Depression, but is not bad advice in general.
The more information you have, the better equipped you will be to handle your own fears and OC behaviors, and the better able you'll be to help educate others, should the need arise. Don't be surprised if other people have lots of questions.
