First appointment at psychotherapist (POCD)

That is excellent news!

Thank you very much!

kah80, best wishes for your assessment tomorrow. Would you mind updating on here about how it went?

Thank you, and yes of course! Right now I'm feeling very nervous about it. I don't have a 'major' symptom like you do, just a bunch of less serious things that could or could not be OCD. I'm worried I'll be told there's nothing wrong with me. I've been anxiously googling symptoms and reading back over some quotes I've saved from people suggesting I have it. I guess those are compulsions...

* Dear kah80:

Almost Wednesday, your apt. Fingers crossed for you, hoping the apt will be satisfactory to you, and let us know tomorrow how it goes! Try, if you can to relax until then.

And tanja: what is the next step for you? How are you?

atina

Thank you, Atina! I have work this morning which should take my mind off it (the appointment is lunchtime, in the UK) but I feel even more nervous this morning.

atina, I have to go to my GP. He has to fill out some papers which I have to send to my health insurance hoping that they'll pay therapy. My next appointment is on 2nd Feburary. She'll make a treatment regime with me then. I'm still worrying of course but I'm hopeful right now that I will get better.

And, kah80, I think there's no need for you to worry that they'll just tell you there's nothing wrong with you. Your questionnaire shows that you feel very bad right now so I don't think they'll brush it off as nothing.

It went well. She seems pretty sure I have OCD. So in happy about that, although I'm already starting to think she might be wrong.

But I'm now on a waiting list for therapy, a waiting list a year long!

Doubt is typical for OCD, I think, so the fact that you're starting to think the therapist might be wrong just shows that you have OCD.
Wow, why is the waiting list so long? Isn't there another therapist you can go to?

Dear tanja:

A "treatment regime" means a treatment plan, right? If so I like it. My psychotherapist gave me a printed out, detailed therapy plan starting with his diagnosis of me at the time, objectives and how he is going to go about meeting those objectives, professional I think. Then later, he re-evaluated his plan to fit the therapy later. A therapist should be there beyond just sitting there listening, way more. I am glad you are hopeful, and if it is okay with you, keep updating us with the process... only if it suits you or you find it helpful to you.

Dear kah80:

I am glad it went well for you and a shame you have to wait for so long... try to make the best out of the waiting, being as patient and gentle with yourself as you can be. Please post anytime!

atina

Thank you both!

I am in the UK and the NHS has a long waiting list for mental health treatment. In the meantime, she's given me a booklet and told me I should try and resist compulsions. I think some of them will be not too bad, like needing to touch things with both hands, as even now sometimes I don't. But others I can't see how I can do without help. I'm supposed to avoid asking my partner for sex because I think we'll break up otherwise. It's such a strong belief that I don't know how to avoid doing it. And I had a meeting with the woman at work I have a crush on right after my appointment. I felt anxious throughout the whole thing and then had to go and do some press ups and sit ups because I was agonising over the crush.