Unstuck

This Online Resource is great for parents with children who are suffering from OCD. It is actually a movie yet their site also has some amazing links to other resources, including books, other websites, a Facebook page where you can talk to others in the same situation as you are in.

Even in Edmonton we have had viewings of this moving along with an OCD panel to ask question to after the viewing for the last two years.

https://www.ocdkidsmovie.com/ocdresources

Let's Build An Anxiety Hiearchy

This is one skill that can be very handy when doing Exposures. Start by writing one of your Obsessions on the top of the page or by the Hierarchy Items title where there is space. After that start to list all the compulsions - rules, physical rituals, mental rituals, or thoughts - anything that you do to stop the anxiety, worry, frustration, or discomfort from happening. Once you have completed that, beside where you named them put the anxiety level it cause you if you where to expose yourself to your Obsession and only do the one compulsions or none.

Once you see how the anxiety is rated, put the compulsions into the Hierarchy from least anxiety to most.

Here is an example of one that I have filled out and am working on. One thing I found that helps to keep you motivated to reach the end stage is to have a reason or goal as to why you want to reclaim this area from OCD!

Grounding - Mindful Practice

Let's Talk about Books!

I want to find more resources for us and as soon as I typed in OCD resources, I found a bunch of books that we could look into reading. Some won't be very helpful so I am going to weed through a few and post the ones I believe will help.

I am going to be using a kindle account to read most of these books so if once I report on a book being helpful and you wish to also read it - send me and email and I can lend the book to you through kindle (If you have a kindle). I also have a few soft cover books at the moment that I am reading as well. I will review them all on this blog - the Alberta OCD Community Support Resource. 

Once a book is reviewed, I am also going to set up a monthly poll to see which book we all would like to discuss. The skills, ideas, information, and theories each book is based on. We can all come together to find what we found was helpful and some things that might actually harm our recovery and treatment. No book is without flaws, so if you notice something that triggers you - it probably would have triggered someone else. So, instead of stewing on it and letting your OCD make it into a huge, unwarranted threat, do the one thing that is known to be the most effective method of overcoming this - speak up, discuss, tell yourself that it is just your OCD and that it OCD loves to lie.

If anyone has any books or articles that they have read already and want to share, email me. I will share it on our blog!

A Single Smile

List of Helpful Websites

If you are ever looking for more help or are in crisis, take a look at the site closest to you. They have a listing of all programs available, plus who to call for mental health support.

Help that can be found in throughout Alberta

CMHA - National - https://cmha.ca/

CMHA - Calgary - http://cmha.calgary.ab.ca/find-help/

CMHA - Edmonton - http://edmonton.cmha.ca/mental-health/find-help/

Balance

One of the skills I have recently learned and now use quite frequently is called Grounding. It basically requires you to find a way to reconnect with your surroundings when you feel so adrift because of your anxiety. Not only will it make you focus on being mindful, it will also allow you to calm yourself - even if it is just by a small amount.

We know not to block or avoid the things that make us anxious so you would think that by not drowning yourself in the exposure to the point of panic and letting it naturally subside is the way we have to suffer through it. Grounding is just a skill to help when you get triggered randomly or are facing quite a high rate of anxiety. Exposure Response and Prevention therapy works by starting us on the small exposures that are easier to accomplish thanks to the anxiety being a lower number. But we can't always have control over when our OCD strikes so understanding and practising Grounding can help us be apart of life just a little bit more!

Here's a little video showing you the steps...

To Balance or Ground one's self, start by listing -

5 things you see

4 things you hear

3 thing you feel

2 things you smell

1 thing you taste