Finally, some progress. I couldn’t make any progress on my depression sadly. Which still makes my mental health worse. But my OCD is slowly getting less annoying. Most of my long-time obsessions are still here. But some important ones are going away, I mean like they just disappeared and no longer annoy me hehe. And I don’t know how that is happening. I didn’t do anything and they went poof. I mean Im a bit more happy since this happened. But I still wonder how it happened hehe.
The main reason of these getting worse is stress. And my exams are soon and while making progress this could ruin everything because any little stress ruins me. If you guys have any recommendations about this I would be really glad.
Thank you people in the Heartsupport for supporting me. I wouldn’t be here without you guys. I couldn’t have got better without you guys. Again, thank you everyone.
Hi E_Man
I am so glad that you are doing better. Even though your depression is not getting better your OCD is and thats something. Have you mentioned this to your doctor? Maybe they might have an explanation. It really makes me happy that you are doing better E man
Hey there BIG E, thats amazing about your progress! You may have not realized it, but you have made massive progress! It sucks that your depression is still down though :[ but, times heals those wounds, don’t you worry! It’s amazing that you’re a bit more happy that it stopped, i get the feeling of being annoyed at tiny different things. Also, best of luck on your exams, something that i do to study is I quiz myself after, that way I see if the info learned stuck to my brain. Anyways, your going ACE your exams!
Hey Friend, Thank you for letting us know about your progress, I am so pleased that everything is going so well for you and although you don’t seem to realise how it happened I am certain that you worked incredibly hard on yourself to make those changes and thankfully they have come to fruition, I for one am very proud of you indeed. All I can say about your prep for you exams is “planning” plan everything, every session, every break, every snack. really set yourself up in a routine so you don’t have to stress about how much time you are spending each day doing each subject and you also don’t forget to care for yourself either all you ever have to remember is to refer to your schedule. I wish you all the luck in the world with your exams and once again I am so happy for your progress and look for ward to hearing more in the future. Much Love Lisa xx
thank you for posting this progress update! while i totally feel you on how things feel worse when there’s no progress on depression slumps, the OCD progress is incredible. that is so awesome that some of those long-time obsessions are fading out and don’t bring you as much of a burden than before. i am so happy for and proud of you for the work you’ve put into the OCD progress. whether you realize it or not, there probably was some sort of work either subliminally or in your own arrangement of life that got you to this point. wishing you an uphill journey on this great progress, my friend!
with the stress part, i hope that once the exams pass, you are able to breathe easy again. when i was in college, this was always such a stressful and deteriorating time for me too but the whole experience taught me time-management techniques to decrease stress and pace things out in smaller portions. by focusing on one subject at a time, taking 15 minute breaks in between lessons/chapters/concepts helped make it all digestible and not as overwhelming when you’re balancing like 6 different classes and exam prep.
wishing you the best of luck on everything on your horizon. i hope you find power in the progress you’ve already made and use that to excel yourself to new heights by conquering this exam stress and depression. your HS fam is here for you every step of the way! you GOT this!
Hello, E-Man, you awesome person! This is such a wonderful post to read
I’m so glad some of your obsessions have calmed down and seem to have disappeared. That is amazing progress that you have worked towards. Sometimes when good things happen with mental health it can feel like magic but the effort you put in is definitely a big part of it happening. Even though things happen slowly when they stop altogether it can be so uplifting and like an amazing and magical thing. It’s just wonderful to hear about them going away especially them being some important ones for you.
Exams are ridiculously stressful. It’s a very unfair reality of school. The best cures for stress are to make sure you take small breaks throughout the day to relax and do nothing. If you look outside and see that the sun is shining then go for a short walk or lay on the grass for a bit. No school thoughts or running through your notes in your head. Just being in the moment and enjoying the world. You can also go outside and study when it is nice out. So many people at my uni would crowd onto the quad near exams and just lay around with their friends and their books and notes. That can also be so helpful to relieve stress while being productive. And most importantly is to remember to sleep. Sleep helps you lock in the memories you made that day so it is of vital importance when studying for exams.
It is so good to hear how much things have been improving for you lately. What a relief! And what a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge hope. This improvement shows that it does get better, even after times that felt essentially hopeless to you.
Stress and anxiety are very often tied to OCD, indeed. Intrusive thoughts or repetitive patterns are a way for our mind to cope and seek control when it gets overwhelmed. As for your stress, I would highly recommend you to manage it in two ways:
1/ developing a kind of “toolbox” for yourself during times of emergency - gathering techniques that help you find immediate relief (and are healthy). Whether it’s mindfulness, breathing/grounding techniques that are very easy to find online.
2/ creating routines in your daily life to relax and recharge for a bit. It will help your body and mind to cope better with stress in the long run. Regular exercise, meditation, creative activities, reading, having a walk in nature… whatever relaxes you and helps you to really take a break from everything else. The idea is to dedicate regular times to YOU and put away the stress of your commitments for half an hour or more.
All in all, even if your exams are getting closer, make sure to really take breaks to breathe and relax. It will never be wasted time. It’s always productive to invest in yourself and your health.
I’m grateful that you are here with us and in this community. There is hope. You have strength. Your OCD and depression do not have to condition your life. Never forget that things can look up for you and you are in control, even when it feels like you’re not.
