Time for a Fresh Start - Updated Page 3, Jan 2013

[Niall]

There's only one person that can help you at the moment and that's you!

I couldn't agree more, not some doctor or some f*cking useless counsellor - me. And i wish I'd realised this a long time ago instead of wanting someone to tell me a quick fix for my desperate situation. Which has just lengthened it!

It's not gonna change quickly, and the ONLY way it'll change is if I try and 'ignore' anxiety (which fuels everything else) and live life along side it...it will then slowly disappear. OCD can't be fixed, neither can IBS, however they can be reduced mainly by reducing stress or anxiety.

What I've been doing for so long is trying to fix my problems before carrying on with life, which I now know is the completely wrong way to look at it. There's no 'fix', it can't be fixed (which is what I struggle to get my head round...there's no problem in mechanics for example that can't physically be fixed) so why try to fix an unfixable thing? f*ck it, it'll go, albeit slowly and gradually but only if I keep pushing through it. Take this morning for example, lots of important times and meeting people and new places sorting out moving my nan into her flat - toilet issues were worse than they've been for a while, and usually at that point I'd stay at home panicking all day...difference was today I just said 'f*ck it'....and went anyway, not the best strategy as the consequences could be serious, however they weren't, yes I felt awful and wouldn't chance a fart, but I actually achieved several small goals for the day.

Well in which case, good man. You've just said there that youve achieved a goal today. Ok it may not of been a very big one or significant to most but if you can now do that every time you need to go out, thats one step forwards.

Im not saying dont take the counciling. If i was you, id take all the help you can get! It might seem like its pretty pointless and they wont help you but you would be surprised at how much counciling can help!