Hi everyone! No exciting progress photos from me I'm afraid because, well, that's progress for me. I have suffered with severe anxiety and terrible OCD since I was a teenager. In my late teens my OCD compulsions and the thoughts that drive them turned towards my body and my weight. I felt like I was an evil and horrible person inside due to horrendous bulllying in school and despite having always been very small, my OCD drove me to feel that the only way to stop the horrible treatment was to cleanse myself by making myself as thin as can be. Over the next few years I was constantly oscillating between being horrendously unhappy and starving myself (along with over-exercising) and being happy and eating decently. A lot of therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy helped with this, but I can honestly say at 22 that the first thing that has given me a consistently healthy attitude towards exercise, food and my body are you all, Maeve, and the other coaches here at QDQ. I moved abroad this year for the first time to get my master's degree and ended up feeling extremely isolated and lonely due to lockdown. I'm now in a much better space in terms of my support system but it was QDQ that really got me through. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
@Eavan O'Riada oh my goodness queen, I'm in tears!!! You had such a hard road but I'm so thankful ur feeling a bit better!! My best friend is very much in the same place you were at the minute and really feels daily shes this awful person, worthless! She is waiting for cognitive therapy but I'm so glad there is a light at the end of the tunnel for you and will be for her!
My god ur a brave girl and so strong to get through that and move country. I am so proud of you, you must be so proud too!
Exercise has become more to me then loosing weight fast and being fit..... QDQ has thought me that first we need to love ourselves and the happiness will follow. I'm so so glad ur with us here and always know we will be here tomorrow and the next day and the next.... to support and help!
Sending you the biggest hug queen xxx
@Carmel Mulvany Thank you so much for your kind words, so sorry I made you cry! I hope that things ease for your friend because I really do understand that daily struggle. CBT was a huge turning point for me and I'm sure it will be for her as well.
Do you know, I hadn't thought to feel proud of myself about moving but actually, I should be and I am. Thank you for pointing that out to me!
I completely agree, you have to love and invest in yourself and that's when you finally get to feel genuinely happy and content. I'm so glad that I'm here with you all to both support you and be supported.
Hugs xx
@Eavan O'Riada Queen Im squeezing u so much now. 🤗What a tough journey u've bn on. I am so so so happy that u found the fighter in u. U grabbed ur fighting spirit & used it to kick all the negativity out of ur life. I had a similar story Eavan where as I was only existing & not living. I am so happy at where I am at now. For me it was a long road but I'm here loving my body, loving me & living. Oh ya I still have OCD but i put it to use. It was part of my organisational skills in my working life & daily life. Because there's always something that needs doing right 😅. So so glad to have u on board with us Queen. U r an absolute fighter, U're defo my HERO. Most of the queen's on here know that this is my favourite QDQ song. 😍😍😍. Good luck with ur Masters Eavan & remember we r always here for u. U're never on ur own my queen. 👑👑👑❤️❤️❤️
@Audrey Browne Thank you so much for your kind increidbly kind words Audrey, they really mean so so much to me. I'm so glad that we were both able to find this wonderful community and, as you so wisely put, start truly living rather than just existing. It's so wonderful that you have been able to put your oCD to use in areas of your life, hopefully over tome I'll be able to start doing that more than letting it hinder me. Aaah thank you, I'm so honoured. Sending so so much love xxx
@Eavan O'Riada OMG Queeeeeen, virtual hugs. I couldnt be more happy for you that you have found a great community here in us (wave) and that we can support you and be there for you.. We are so so proud of you. I know through my own troubles with controling food etc how that can be. It was actually through following a really healthy happy strong blogger on IG ( like way back ) that really helped me to focus and get through. Sending all our love to you
@Eavan O'Riada ps. This progress means the world to be. I know this progress and this is freaking sooo hard and its amazing. you are amazing dont forget that
@Eavan O'Riada amazing to hear how far you have come. Well done on such great progress. Thanks for sharing your story. 💙💙💙
Thank you so much @Maeve Madden @Sinead Bergin. Your kind words and all the support that I have received from you and the rest of the community honestly means the world to me. I love you all so much and can only one day hope to give back to others what you have all done for me. xx
