OCD FAQ: How long does recovery take?

Recovery from poor mental fitness takes as long as recovery from poor physical fitness. Recovery is the opposite of making your health worse. Hopefully you'll be doing things for the rest of your life to make your health better.

[EmilyNicolexoxo]

You're my guiding light. Thank you SO so much for doing what you do. I could never express my gratitude or put into words how much you've helped me on my journey to recovery.

[waveycrockett]

Correct, often times people ask me "when will I recover" "how long did it take you to recover" "when will I stop having these thoughts and get my attraction to girls back(HOCD)" and I tell them Recovery is Being Consistent. I bring up the example of the gym how going to the gym once is not going to magically Give you muscle growth after 1 session but rather being consistent on how many times you work out will show Improvement and Growth over time, so when people ask me how long it took me to recover I'll tell em I'm not perfect I'll trip over a intrusive thought once or twice and I'll get anxious but it's about How Resilient you are and how you are able to Cope with the anxiety OCD brings, so yea recovery is all based on how you are able to Be the person you wanna be and not let things get to you that easily in terms of Mental Health.

[karumanchikrishna]

I loved hearing this! I have an anxiety that I am the only real person in the world and everything else around me is constructed and a dream. Sometimes I wish I can go back to times when I never had these thoughts and was certain that everything was real. But this made me realise that I can not know the answer to this and still move on with my life!

[johnm]

Mark, you are an amazing, inspirational human being. I have never come across another person that can articulate advice on this topic so clearly. Being in recovery myself I couldn't agree with everything you say more.

[lindsaypritchard]

Awesome video. This is something I have recently started to come to terms with. As you know, I was commenting on your videos just a few weeks ago, seeking reassurance... anything to feel better. Then one day I got TIRED of it. Tired of searching. Tired of arguing. Tired of needing reassurance to make it through the day. The truth is I don't have to find the answers to all my brain's questions to live my life. I can do whatever it is I want to do without answering them. With anxiety and doubt and fear. And actually, my fear and doubt has gone down a lot. Granted I am taking meds and going to therapy still, but that's okay! I am learning to accept it. It's not easy everyday, but I have committed to not giving in to compulsions. Occasionally I falter, but I'm proud to say that most of the time, I don't. I'm now doing my best to focus my time and energy on things I enjoy. My family, my friends, my boyfriend, work, school... not OCD. I have OCD, but OCD is not who I am. I may not always feel like it, but by not trying to feel a certain way, sometimes I actually do feel the way I want! Without a million compulsions! It's kind of amazing.

[laceincission]

One thing I have tried that helps, stop thinking about your OCD! Don't just stop ruminating on bad thoughts, also stop ruminating on the fact that u have this condition. And keep meditating for holistic effects. Distract. Travel.

[ggstylz]

Asking when you’ll recover feeds OCD. This signifies that you’re wishing it wasn’t there, which falls into the avoidance and compulsive behaviour territory. It’s best to try and just get on with whatever it is you’re doing, while experiencing symptoms that are part of this condition. Wishing they didn’t exist perpetuates them. It’s the nature of the beast.

[yousefshohayeb]

Wow! This is such an eye opener! I don't think I've ever really thought about it that way! Thanks as always Mark!!

[abdelrahman]

Spending your whole life to be a better version of yourself is the solution

[dovestone_]

Is it normal to feel worse about the OCD during a relapse even if the OCD it's self isn't any worse? I relapsed about 9 days ago after a much better two month period of feeling a lot less anxious about the obsession and feeling able to greatly reduce my compulsions. But since Tuesday, and feeling out of control of it again, I've felt extremely low and even when my OCD isn't effecting me, the feeling of being consumed by it is overbearing.

[asemanvanili]

hi Mark, plz dont quit on what you are doing and continue your job, maybe there is a lot of people out there, like me, that you can change their life with your advice and your knowledge ! god bless you and thank you .

[Ashleyiza]

Hey Mark,
I'm on my third week of exposure for intrusive thoughts but I'm finding that they're constantly stuck in my mind, seeing as I have not been doing compulsions. Is this "normal "? I mean, it seems as if I do nothing, they are never gonna go away . :/ sorry if this seems dumb. Just needing a little encouragement as leaving thoughts like this alone is very distressing . Thanks

[bettina_s]

Hi Mark,
So I am very confused now about recovery. Will I have the same intrusive thoughts even after recovery? Even after I learn how NOT to care about my intrusive thoughts, and do what I value and live the life I want to live? This is very confusing. I don't know anymore what recovery truly is.

Thank you for your answer! 🙂

[Zak-lnwo]

Hey Mark, great video and very helpful like always, but I've just got one question . About 4 days ago I had just focused on not reacting to thoughts. I get less anxiety, and whenever I spike ( recently I don't spike as much as I used to ) I'd use minfulness, not react and everything would be okay. I stopped compulsions during those 4days, but the thoughts are still thre, but the spiking has dropped, and whenver I spike it's not as big as it used to  and I would get over the spike by not reacting to the thoughts. Thats just what confuses me, Anxiety has dropped, and I have stopped compulsions but the thoughts and a little bit of doubt is still tehre ( although when I doubt,  I relabel, refocus, reframe  and revalue )

[alr.]

Do be fair, lobotomy would probably cure OCD for good XD

[gingerisevil]

I'm *mostly* recovered from my eating disorder- my recovery is contingent on me not weighing myself or not having my dr's tell me my weight. I also just eat regularly. And I try not to focus on the size of my clothes. I put good food into it and I bike daily. Most days I don't even think of my ed unless someone triggers it, in which case, I fight through restriction urges and stay with my healthy behaviors. Is this what you mean by OCD recovery? Cause honestly I could live with that I just worried I'll be having panic attacks all the time and losing sleep over this and continuing avoiding for the rest of my life :(

[mimmit]

Hi Mark, I am new to this channel. I found you through postpartum forum, and I find your videos very helpful.  I am pregnat and since last week my anxiety and panic attack had reemerged, after many years of being dormant.  I also have mild OCD, but that was never an issue untill now. My mind can't stay calm and racing all night and can't get any rest overwhelmed with intrusive thoughts. Do you have any advise on how to sleep with extreme anxiety ?  I have to get this under control without meds

[TheUsualSuspect]

I have to say I know Mark was not trying to be negative here, but to say that a person will never recover fully from OCD is not something I agree with, I have met people who had OCD bad and have fully recovered, yes I believe there are ways to fully recover from this insidious disorder.... I for one will not stop until I am OCD free... And I also do not think OCD is a mental illness....

[BilboTav]

Hi, thanks for the video! I made some progress with my OCD, but I have question - recently I have problem with obsessive indecision. When I need to make decision about something (even really trivial stuff like doing task at work in way or another, or if to read a book/article, or if to go outside running or not...) my OCD kicks in and I start obsess about what are my true values at the moment (as You often advise) and what do I really wanna do - and I became quickly lost in it. Should I do more relaxing activity, more challenging activity or do nothing, or just stop thinking about it... road goes endlessly and then there is classic spiral: OCD -> anxiety -> stress -> worse OCD -> more stress -> exhaustion. In that times I can not even distinguish what decision is compulsion and what is not. Can You please advise me a little bit on that? And again - thank You so much for everything You do!!!

[levelproductions]

I am suffering with a sexual obsession at the moment and one of the most disturbing things about it for me is the groinal response. It really does feel like it may be real and I feel disgusting in myself because of it. I feel like I could let go of the intrusive thoughts if I didn't experience this, it is like that area is WAY too hyper aware and I just feel so uncomfortable.