I have struggled with OCD and perfectionistic tendencies almost all of my life. When I was a kid, I knew my compulsions and even a lot of my thoughts were irrational but I had no tools or ways to best help quiet that little voice in my head telling me what to do. Heck, I didn't even know what OCD was. It wasn't until I started therapy many years later that I learned about OCD and how it affected me. I was taught skills and ways to best manage that little voice in my head. I even did some exposure and response therapy.
At first, it was extremely hard to try and do the opposite of what I thought I needed to do. I was petrified to try and go against what I had done for years. I thought I would never be able to manage my OCD, but therapy, skills, and most of all hard work were what helped me to calm my fears and manage my disorder. Although I can better manage my OCD now, I will always have it. For me, compulsions and intrusive thoughts can get worse with my mood or emotional state. Luckily, I have the tools that I need whenever that little voice creeps in.
"You don't have to learn to control your thoughts; you just have to stop letting them control you."