: Re: OCD Writing Techniques When I was a kid, I could sit down put the pencil to the paper and the words would just flow; then I was diagnosed with OCD and things started changing for me. The

@Heady158

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OCD is a common condition, and it is on the anxiety spectrum. It's usually successfully treatable using a combination of psychotherapy (particularly Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and often medications.

As the conditions are related on the same spectrum, any strategy those with anxiety use to overcome the hurdle of starting to write may be useful for OCD. There have been a number of questions about anxiety on this site that may help.

One of the paralyzing features of anticipatory anxiety, often a prominent feature of OCD, is getting caught in a circle of thought about "what ifs" or obsessing about getting something perfect the first time through. The most commonly successful theme in what I have read so far for writers with anxiety related conditions involves force-starting.

Essentially, the key is to break the inertia by starting the ink flowing (or fingers moving) with whatever comes to mind - without regard to form or fit. Title the document "Rough Draft V1" so you have permission for it to be super raw, and try not to review and revise as you go along. Try to just get ideas out as they come without caring how they fall. Make a goal of a sentence, then paragraph, or page etc. Promise yourself no one will read it, or whatever fears hold you back, and just jump in. Writing groups like Nanomo are effective for some people.

But the underlying condition isn't a permanent sentence for suffering. Seeking help is important for wellbeing in all areas of life.

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