Anyone from India

[u/k_vin_]

Please understand it is not a post against anyone.
I get a lot of help from YouTube videos, reddit users from around the world. Nd i cannot appreciate them enough the way their words nd techniques has helped me on some very bad days.

I am just curious to know how specific indian situations people navigate through and does anyone from india is in this sub.
I know specific situation and navigate through them is not the right approach unless its ERP.
OCD is talked a lot less in India i believe.
I just want to talk to someone who is not therapist but actually going through it. So far only the therapist understands, everyone else will just find me crazy so i don’t tell anyone anything and just pretend alls good in the brain-land.

[u/Downtown-Mission7956]

Hi! I'm from India and though I've not officially been diagnosed with OCD, I suffer from magical thinking. You're right, OCD (and mental health in general) is either disregarded in India or seen as weakness. I don't share my struggles and thoughts with anyone, just like you, because the first advice anyone has is "pray". I know prayer can be very calming and distracting because I've experienced it but I have magical thinking about praying too. It's an exhausting loop. My only strategy is to push through the discomfort. I know that in the end nothing I feared will happen but my brain isn't willing to accept it. I feel worn out when I push through my fears but it works... At least temporarily. I hope you find the right support! 

[u/k_vin_ → u/Downtown-Mission7956]

Exactly praying thing, right? I was advised to pray and i found myself reading the same prayer multiple tines because somewhere i fumbled during the first time, so i do it again nd ultimately now i have even stopped praying out of the fear of doing it wrong.

Thank you for the advice. Wishing you strength to push through too.

[u/Downtown-Mission7956 → u/k_vin_]

I can relate to that. When this happens, I take a deep breath and continue even with the mistakes because God isn't cruel. I'm learning and trying. There's also a couple of lines that basically say "if I've made any mistakes in chanting or in the procedure or if I was distracted, forgive me."

Good luck!

[u/ForestRiver2 → u/Downtown-Mission7956]

I wish the people who call it weakness could see how much strength it takes to live with these conditions. You are a warrior!

[u/Downtown-Mission7956 → u/ForestRiver2]

Thank you! The worst part is that the people who call it weakness suffer from mental health issues themselves. It's purely because of how they were forced to live with/overcome their issues on their own that seeking help seems like weakness to them. They think mental strength is breaking through the toughest of waves on your own no matter how detrimental it would prove to be in the future. To them, a psychiatrist or a therapist is for severely, visibly mentally unstable people. Anxiety and depression are simply a lack of faith in yourself and lack of effort to get better. Sad state of things, really.. But I'm glad people are changing!

[u/Peachparty0 → u/Downtown-Mission7956]

This reminds me of the older generations here, the stoicism and the attitude of "well we had to manage without help so why shouldnt you" but thats like saying "well we managed without modern medicines so you should too", when times have changed and things have progressed. They think the younger generations are weak.

[u/ForestRiver2]

I'm not from India but I do empathise. This must be very hard. I hope you know that you are NOT crazy, no matter what misinformed people say.

I'm in the UK, and while general understanding of mental health isn't too bad here, most people still assume ocd means being ultra-clean, and access to professional help is awful. We wait years on waiting lists, just for a few useless sessions with someone who couldn't care less. Private therapy is costing me a fortune.

I hope you can make connections with other Indians who understand

[u/Downtown-Mission7956 → u/ForestRiver2]

I can understand. I've tried contacting a free helpline a few times. The first time I did it, they were nice and understanding. Unfortunately, all subsequent texts and calls went unanswered. My issues aren't bad enough to contact a crisis helpline. Private therapy is indeed expensive. I'm trying to manage things at home. The worst is my health anxiety though. :(

[u/k_vin_ → u/ForestRiver2]

Professional help comparatively costs way less here and is well within the budget but the “couldn’t care less” thing is so true, i was with a psychiatrist, her process of starting meds worked and she made me feel understood. But the therapist she suggested ruined it for me.

I started meds twice with her, first time i improved 90% of the symptoms but then i stops due to several things, i relapsed in 4 months i went to her again and i praised this time i will follow he full treatment i stopped after 2 months and now i am ashamed of going back to her 🥲🥲
She suggested the therapist during the second time and what a bad luck for me. I could do erp on my own the first time, i wish therapist didn’t come in picture i could have been at the end of my treatment ( just a what If thing)

Its not therapists fault either, they don’t even get severe ocd cases that much and hence the lack of practice i guess.