OCD, anyone?

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  Apr 05, 2015 4:45 PM GMT

  I've struggled with OCD for over 10 years now. I have depression and anxiety too, but I feel like much of that stems from my OCD. I've tried medications and regular talk therapy, but I'm thinking of actually seeing a therapist who does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
  
  There have been times when it's manageable, and times where it totally debilitates me. I'm not just talking about OCD where things need to be in a certain order or washing your hands repeatedly...mine is much more severe than that. Intrusive, crazy thoughts of me doing things that I know I'd never act on, thoughts of bad things happening to my family/friends, and then feeling compelled to do certain "rituals" to make the thoughts go away. The thoughts cause me extreme anxiety and depression and make me feel like I'm a bad/evil/sick person.
  
  I won't go into detail, because if I did you'd probably think I'm psychotic if you don't fully understand what this disease is. I know that I'm not, and that these thoughts are completely irrational. I just feel like the methods I've done so far haven't completely worked, so I'm thinking the Behavioral Therapy is the best way to go.
  
  I came across some article's written by a doctor in my area, and I felt like I was reading my biography. http://www.wsps.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=76icon_surprised.gifbsessive-compulsive-disorder&catid=36icon_surprised.gifcd-and-related-subjects-by-frederick-penzel-phd&Itemid=64
  
  Anyone else ever suffer from this at all? How did you overcome it or learn to cope with it?

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  Apr 05, 2015 8:48 PM GMT

  
  
  Do the cognitive behavioural therapy. It's very very effective. As well, try some EMDR, which very likely the psychologist will know about. There are people I love very much with OCD and with training from CBT (cognitive therapy) they control it and even manipulate their OCD. (trust me there's nothing more jaw dropping in awe than seeing perfect work done by someone using their OCD instead of it using them).
  
  
  I'd like to hear how it goes!

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  Apr 06, 2015 3:56 AM GMT

  I feel you guy And your not alone!
  Def Try the Cognitive Therapy If you think it will help. I do talk therapy and medication and that has helped me.
  
  What helped me out a bunch is informing my family and my nearest and dearest trustworthy friends. I don't tell them what Im thinking, I just sort of tell them "My problem is acting up again....". Knowing that I have a safe haven of sorts is super comforting
  
  Also I turn to playing the piano Or listening to music and dancing. Physical activity seems to quiet the thoughts down as well.
  
  Good luck guy and Im def rootin' for you

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  Apr 06, 2015 6:09 AM GMT

  OCD is difficult to treat and requires high dose SSRIs. There truly is a chemical imbalance in the brain which requires to be medicated, so if it is affecting your life, you need to be on the medications. The SSRIs cause delayed ejaculation, which puts many guys off.
  
  Then add on CBT. CBT alone will be frustrating and likely ineffective.
  
  All the best.

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  Apr 06, 2015 6:09 PM GMT

  Thanks everyone. 2 of my closest friends know about it, and one of those two knows a little about the "crazy" thoughts I have because she said used to experience it as well. I called the therapist who does the CBT today, but he's out of the office all week so I left him a message.
  
  I currently am taking Effexor, which I took last year and it helped me with my depression. Then I went off of it, and my depression/anxiety came back which triggered my OCD even more. I feel like my psychiatrist isn't too familiar with OCD, so hopefully this therapist that does CBT can refer me to someone who is more knowledgable when it comes to medication therapy for OCD.

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  Apr 06, 2015 6:27 PM GMT

  I have Bdd

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  Apr 06, 2015 10:22 PM GMT

  I had pretty bad OCD in middle school-about sophomore year. I would wash my hands sometimes 8 times in one sitting and it was terrorizing what that did to me.. It's exhausting! I would also count to certain numbers before doing anything. I had rituals just like you say you have. I always felt that if I didn't complete the rituals that something bad was going to happen and it would be my fault because I didn't do that ritual. It got to the point where I couldn't handle it anymore, it was too much for me to care for. I wash my hands only when needed now (Food, Bathroom etc...) and I don't do my counting rituals anymore. The only form of OCD that I really exhibit now is in my handwriting but hey, people always compliment my handwriting! Moral of the story is keep your head up, just keep fighting it and you'll get rid of it !

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  Apr 07, 2015 12:48 AM GMT

  This read might be helpful to some of you.
  
  Homosexuality Anxiety: A Misunderstood Form of OCD
  https://www.psychologytoday.com/files/attachments/72634/williamshocd2008.pdf

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  Apr 07, 2015 4:12 AM GMT

  Yes, yes. . . a thousand times, yes. . . I totally understand what you are going through. I've had OCD since Day 1. When I was in 1st grade, I remember lying in bed crying because something made me keep counting and counting and counting, from one to a hundred, over and over, and all I wanted to do was fall asleep.
  
  I couldn't tell anyone about it, because I had no way to explain it. Besides, my parents were hardly the brightest or the most understanding people, so nothing would've been gained.
  
  Time has helped a whole lot, along with an understanding of what OCD is. I was in my twenties before I even knew it had a name.
  
  Do the CBT. It will definitely help. And when an OCD hits you, whether it's hand-washing or counting or neatness. . . or the wacky intrusive thoughts (those are the worst). . . tell yourself it's just an OCD, take your mind someplace else, and don't do whatever the OCD is telling you to do. Easier said than done, I know!
  
  It's almost like you have to build a new neural highway without OCD tolls. . . the more you can ignore your OCD, the more construction you do on your neural highway (that's literally what happens, your brain makes new connections to accomodate your new way of thinking).
  
  Hope this helps and let me know if you have questions, I'll be glad to help however I can.
  
  Famous people who have OCD: Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Howie Mandel, David Beckham, Leonard DiCaprio, Howard Stern, Charles Darwin, Jessica Alba, Donald Trump, Harrison Ford, Penelope Cruz, Beethoven, Michelangelo, Nikola Tesla, Martin Scorsese, Stanley Kubrick, Winston Churchill, Rose McGowan, Kathie Lee Gifford, Albert Einstein.
  
  
  
  
  

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  Apr 07, 2015 11:15 AM GMT

  Hey
  
  I go throughout the same thing, it is really hard… advice which I don't follow myself foolishly is to keep active with a good social life, face situations that give you anxiety (to a degree), try to grasp a solid clarity of understanding that you have a mental condition, a disability that sometimes you have no control over & in those times just somehow find a way of coping, letting it be, meditating, channeling creatively etc
  
  Medication really helps, it doesn't take away the checking or thoughts etc but nulls your emotive reaction to them… wether this is a good progressive thing or a hindering to emotional progress I don't know
  Citalopram can to be a little dodgy for the heart long term I've heard, not meant to take over 40mg apparently)
  Sertolene is a 'safer' one
  Avoid alcohol (another hard one for me but getting there)
  
  

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  Apr 09, 2015 3:35 AM GMT

  If you have OCD, it is because deep in your psyche you are incredibly resistant towards the natural flow of life, and you believe that life (or yourself) needs to look and be a certain way out of fear of rejection. You most likely are using OCD as a coping mechanism for extreme rejection or inner inadequacy, where you believed you should be ashamed of yourself, at a pivotal point in your psychological development.
  
  Ultimately your rituals work because you're making yourself believe that you you are reclaiming your power by obsessively focusing on hyper manifestation: having an idea that will fix or put something in order and make things right, and then creating it very intensely in your surroundings. You are fulfilling a sub conscious desire to have control and power of a part of yourself that was disempowered and out of control due to a past trauma, that trapped parts of your mind within your sub conscious, and now you feel stress, depression and anxiety because you are living a fragmented life. The soul is meant to be joined, and existence on earth is about connection, not isolation, though humans can detach and isolate as a survival mechanism, it is an extreme measure. Along with connection, you are here to create and manifest, and you can't manifest if you believe you are bad or something deserving shame.
  
  The problem is that your rituals put temporary band aids on damaging beliefs you are constantly carrying about yourself within your psyche everyday. Until you open up those wounds, and feed unconditional acceptance to your past traumas, you will have this disorder for the rest of your life.
  
  Try practicing mindfulness, being aware of how you treat and perceive yourself will give you great insight on your mental health. Good luck in your process, if you have any questions feel free to ask, or comment.
  
  
  
  

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  Apr 09, 2015 12:43 PM GMT

  TO22 saidIf you have OCD, it is because deep in your psyche you are incredibly resistant towards the natural flow of life, and you believe that life (or yourself) needs to look and be a certain way out of fear of rejection. You most likely are using OCD as a coping mechanism for extreme rejection or inner inadequacy, where you believed you should be ashamed of yourself, at a pivotal point in your psychological development.
  
  Ultimately your rituals work because you're making yourself believe that you you are reclaiming your power by obsessively focusing on hyper manifestation: having an idea that will fix or put something in order and make things right, and then creating it very intensely in your surroundings. You are fulfilling a sub conscious desire to have control and power of a part of yourself that was disempowered and out of control due to a past trauma, that trapped parts of your mind within your sub conscious, and now you feel stress, depression and anxiety because you are living a fragmented life. The soul is meant to be joined, and existence on earth is about connection, not isolation, though humans can detach and isolate as a survival mechanism, it is an extreme measure. Along with connection, you are here to create and manifest, and you can't manifest if you believe you are bad or something deserving shame.
  
  The problem is that your rituals put temporary band aids on damaging beliefs you are constantly carrying about yourself within your psyche everyday. Until you open up those wounds, and feed unconditional acceptance to your past traumas, you will have this disorder for the rest of your life.
  
  Try practicing mindfulness, being aware of how you treat and perceive yourself will give you great insight on your mental health. Good luck in your process, if you have any questions feel free to ask, or comment.
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Wow, this makes total sense to me.
  
  I've struggled with my sexuality pretty much my entire life. Probably from the time I started to realize that I wasn't attracted to girls the same way "most other guys were" (probably age 12 or so). It really hit me in my freshman year of high school (age 14) and that's when the OCD started. The OCD caused me so much anxiety, and a year later when I was 15, I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis (which I fully believe was brought on by the anxiety of the OCD/facing my sexuality).
  
  I spent the next 2 years in high school pretty much isolated from everyone. I was sick with the Ulcerative Colitis and really had no friends (plus the medication caused me to gain a ton of weight and had terrible side effects). I wasn't anti-social and had acquaintances in school, but never socialized outside of class and spent much of my time alone. My sophomore year I missed a good chunk of school due to being sick with the UC (I was hospitalized), and finally in my junior year at age 16 I had 2 surgeries to remove most of my large intestine, and missed pretty much half of that school year.
  
  It wasn't until my senior year that I made a small group of friends, but I'm still really only friends with one of those people today (I have a couple of other friends now through work and such). When it came time for college, I had anxiety about going away to school so I commuted and found myself back in the same pattern of not socializing with others outside of class. I always felt like something was stopping me from trying to build a meaningful connection with others, and I feel like a big part of that was in fear that someone might discover that I'm gay and would then reject or disown me as a friend.
  
  I've changed my major/transferred schools several times (and took time off in between), and still haven't graduated yet.
  
  Also, I've always imagined myself as a bottom when it came to sex with another man, and I recently found out that I can't do that due to the surgeries I had for my Ulcerative Colitis. So now there's that issue to overcome as well, once I finally do fully accept myself. I also have insecurities about my body (scars from the surgeries, stretch marks from the weight I gained, etc) and I just never feel like I'm good enough. I've never been in a relationship with anyone and I'm 24, never even kissed anyone (just received oral once from a random hookup through Grindr that I pressured myself into doing). I guess I'm afraid to put myself out there in a sense.
  
  My parents went through a nasty divorce in my childhood for quite a few years, and I also feel like I never fully came to terms with that either.
  
  Sorry for the long sob story lol, but I guess repeating all of that back to myself is just a reminder of why your post makes complete sense.

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  Apr 10, 2015 4:00 AM GMT

  pazzy saidwell... as someone that has it and it's bearable where it's not controlling my life like that anymore. it took a long time to get to this point. it hasn't gone away. they say that ocd is one of those lifelong things but that's what they say. i don't believe that. TO22 pretty much explained what ocd is. it pretty much is when someone's anxiety is on overdrive and they go about trying to control it in a way that is irrational to make them calm their nerves. it also has to do with the brain chemistry too. some people brains are wired like that where they get too much of the wrong chemicals flowing out their brain which prompts them to be ocd'ish.
  

  
  
  Well I personally used to have anxiety attacks in school, where my body would feel like pins and needles were poking out of my body, i would begin to sweat and and become flush with redness all over my body. I had that in conjunction with allergies to the point where it happened anytime I was uncomfortable. Yes, chemical imbalances creates this disorder, but focusing on stress, danger and fear also forces your body to release different chemicals into your body, and if you concentrated on these things for a very long time growing up, you yourself are causing your brain chemistry to become altered. I now never have this problem where my eyes water and feel the need to run away from anxiety attacks. My brain chemistry was very dangerous in the past, I focused my attention and altered my incorrect beliefs of myself to the point where I vibrationally cannot become anxious to that extent because I know there is nothing to be that afraid of anymore. Actually all of my difficulties lead to a spiritual awakening that for my life was destined to happen, and I am grateful for my challenges because of the rewards I now possess.
  
  Yes, as you get older your brain becomes less malleable than in formative years and you may need stronger support in the form of medication or supplements, but ultimately if you don't do shadow work on your rejected aspects of yourself you will never eliminate the catalyst which is causing your poor brain chemistry. What I'm saying applies to most peoples' issues but not all, there are alway exceptions and cases that demand more specialized solutions.

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  Apr 13, 2015 6:04 PM GMT

  The therapist called me back and he doesn't accept insurance. He wants $190 for the first visit and $160 for each visit after, and I'd have to see him once a week for who knows how long. It's not something I can afford right now, but I'm gonna see if my parents can maybe help me out since I feel like this is a last resort for me before I end up in the hospital.
  
  He also said he knows psychiatrist who specialize in medication treatment of OCD that can refer me to (I'm guessing once I get started with him), but I'm sure none of them take insurance either. Ugh.

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  Apr 13, 2015 8:27 PM GMT

  ant811 saidThe therapist called me back and he doesn't accept insurance. He wants $190 for the first visit and $160 for each visit after, and I'd have to see him once a week for who knows how long. It's not something I can afford right now, but I'm gonna see if my parents can maybe help me out since I feel like this is a last resort for me before I end up in the hospital.
  
  He also said he knows psychiatrist who specialize in medication treatment of OCD that can refer me to (I'm guessing once I get started with him), but I'm sure none of them take insurance either. Ugh.

  
  
  
  I just did a google of Deer Park psychologists that take insurance and found some.
  
  Hang on a sec...
  
  

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  Apr 13, 2015 8:28 PM GMT

  
  
  
  OK here we go....maybe call up a few and ask them..
  
  https://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/state/NY/Deer+Park.html

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  Apr 14, 2015 9:02 AM GMT

  I had severe ocd as a teen. I left home and school at 15.
  I've had to go through hell and I've put my family through hell. The only thing that will help ocd is confronting the symptoms and time. TIME always reduces the symptoms. But growing up with so much stress and keeping so much pain hidden and locked up inside takes its toll on you.
  I no longer have the rituals but I'm not a 100% free person and I never will be. My nerves are a wreck. And that is totally understandable. What a shame..so many people with serious problems and they can't afford to see a psychiatrist. 160 dollars for 55 minutes. Jeezus

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  Apr 14, 2015 5:37 PM GMT

  

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  Aug 05, 2015 8:26 PM GMT

  Hey, SO do I have an OCD for around 10 years now. I have no compulsory behaviours but obssesive thinking.
  
  I have tried A CBT and it helped only with panic attacks. Maybe I picked the wrong therapist, but yea the therapy is the most important. Now i'm gonna try somthing new, a different kind of therapy and try to wean off of pills.
  
  But lately I've had some major problems with sleeping, I wakr up like 5 times a night smoke cig. or eat.. it's tiresome,
  
  But we'll do it try a cbt therapy

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  Aug 15, 2015 12:17 PM GMT

  I wonder how our parents dealt with depression and ADD and OCD and all the restless legs they must have had. Oh right, there was not a massive big pharmaceutical movement to treat every little issue with a new drug. When you find yourself claiming to suffer from something that does not exist, your problem isn't OCD or any other clever acronym, it's your a drama queen with issues unrelated to fake diagnosis.

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  Aug 19, 2015 3:40 AM GMT

  smartmoney saidI wonder how our parents dealt with depression and ADD and OCD and all the restless legs they must have had. Oh right, there was not a massive big pharmaceutical movement to treat every little issue with a new drug. When you find yourself claiming to suffer from something that does not exist, your problem isn't OCD or any other clever acronym, it's your a drama queen with issues unrelated to fake diagnosis.

  I had to quote/post this three different times to make sure it gets posted just in case the server is down for some reason.

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  Aug 19, 2015 3:41 AM GMT

  smartmoney saidI wonder how our parents dealt with depression and ADD and OCD and all the restless legs they must have had. Oh right, there was not a massive big pharmaceutical movement to treat every little issue with a new drug. When you find yourself claiming to suffer from something that does not exist, your problem isn't OCD or any other clever acronym, it's your a drama queen with issues unrelated to fake diagnosis.

  I had to quote/post this three different times to make sure it gets posted just in case the server is down for some reason.

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  Aug 19, 2015 3:41 AM GMT

  smartmoney saidI wonder how our parents dealt with depression and ADD and OCD and all the restless legs they must have had. Oh right, there was not a massive big pharmaceutical movement to treat every little issue with a new drug. When you find yourself claiming to suffer from something that does not exist, your problem isn't OCD or any other clever acronym, it's your a drama queen with issues unrelated to fake diagnosis.

  I had to quote/post this three different times to make sure it gets posted just in case the server is down for some reason.

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  Aug 19, 2015 3:41 AM GMT

  Does this mean I have OCD?

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  Aug 19, 2015 3:41 AM GMT

  Does this mean I have OCD?

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