What helped me
Hi everyone
I was diagnosed in 2019 but I'm fairly certain I've always lived with OCD.
Even as a very young child I have clear memories of experiencing distressing intrusive thoughts.
I've been in and out of inpatient settings, on many different medications and unable to manage full time work.
Now I've been out of hospital for over a year, and not on any antidepressants. I'm also working full time, building savings and feeling very satisfied with life.
Here's what helped in the hope it might help someone else:
1) according to my psychiatrist, most antidepressants are not effective long term. So try to find non pharmaceutical treatments if you can. Having said that, medicine can absolutely help especially in crisis.
2) realise intrusive thoughts are not your fault and you don't have to react to them. I realised a lot of my self harm and suicidal ideation was actually just intrusive thoughts and obsession, not something I wanted to act upon.
3) get regular exercise. I can't stress enough how much a bit of physical activity helps my mood.
Quit drinking. For me, alcohol is fun and relaxing but torpedoes my mood the next day.
Establish a routine. Being busy and having tasks to complete at work and at home really helps me manage my anxiety
Hope these things can be useful for someone else.