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I wanna help my sister

User Profile: Mindfulcrissy
Mindfulcrissy July 14th, 2019

Hi there I don't have OCD but my sister does, and I'm here to ask if anyone can share tips on how I can help her. She's had OCD for 4yrs but only got diagnosed a year and a half ago. She was placed on medication which started helping her ,she fell off and got horrible withdrawal symptoms and ever since then she refuses to go back on medication. My family has tried encouraging her to seek therapy but it isn't the easiest thing to access in my country and she keeps putting it off.

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User Profile: observantMoon
observantMoon July 14th, 2019

Crissy, its awesome that you want to support your sister. I am diagnosed with OCD and kinda have a similar story. Sometimes, the best support someone can give is to listen. When your sister is feeling anxious, you can listen to her—offer your presence. OCD often produces powerful feelings of anxiety, and sometimes, we just need people to hear us talk or sit with us when we feel anxious. We need someone to hear our thoughts and concerns without judgement and without them trying to tell us that they are irrational because we often know that the thoughts/obsessions are irrational; we just cant help the anxiety that forms because of them. Another great way to help your sister is to be as educated as possible about OCD. Watch YouTube videos, read articles, and read first-hand accounts from people with the disorder. An educated family member is very supportive because they understand why the person acts the way that they do. You might not be able to get her to agree to therapy or medication, but you can be supportive through education and being a good non-judgmental listener. Youre doing great. @Mindfulcrissy

1 reply
User Profile: Mindfulcrissy
Mindfulcrissy OP July 15th, 2019

@observantMoon thank you very much for your advice I truly appreciate it.

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