![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 36 to 60 of 139. Go back in thread:
Posted by ed_uk2010 on February 2, 2015, at 12:10:25
In reply to Re: OCD Dont know where to go, posted by Bill82 on February 2, 2015, at 11:25:30
I'm not too bad thanks, things are reasonable. I have side effects from a lot of meds but not too many from SSRIs. Mind you, I have been on one or another for almost two decades, plenty of time to get used to them.
I suppose the advantage of saffron is that you can start treatment yourself. It is rather expensive though....
Posted by Bill82 on February 2, 2015, at 17:47:19
In reply to Re: OCD Dont know where to go, posted by ed_uk2010 on February 2, 2015, at 12:10:25
Glad you are feeling ok, side effects are a real pain. I just ordered some so I'll have to try it out. Have you ever heard of tianeptine?
Posted by Michael Bell on February 2, 2015, at 22:43:56
In reply to OCD Dont know where to go, posted by Bill82 on January 30, 2015, at 20:56:23
Take it from someone who had extreme hypochondriasis and obsessive/ruminative tendencies. I've been on everything. For daily medication, nothing works better than clomipramine. For anhedonia/low mood/OCD, ketamine infusions are damn near miraculous.
Posted by ed_uk2010 on February 3, 2015, at 6:36:02
In reply to Re: OCD Dont know where to go, posted by Bill82 on February 2, 2015, at 17:47:19
>Have you ever heard of tianeptine?
Yes. I've never been on it but I am familiar with it.
Posted by Hugh on February 4, 2015, at 11:42:29
In reply to OCD Dont know where to go, posted by Bill82 on January 30, 2015, at 20:56:23
Deep TMS press release:
The double-blind, placebo-controlled study involved a total of 25 OCD patients that had previously failed to respond to both pharmacological and psychological therapy.
The clinical results showed an average improvement of 27% in symptoms of patients in the high-frequency treatment group, which was significant relative to the sham-control treated group (p=0.0003).
From Yale Daily News:
Researchers at the Yale School of Medicine studying obsessive-compulsive disorder are moving closer to personalizing treatments to individuals brains.
The researchers are the first to use functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging to predict whether neurofeedback a technique in which patients are shown a real-time graph of their brain activity while they experiment with various treatment techniques will work for certain patients. Using 13 patients, researchers found that individuals with a stronger connection between the orbitofrontal cortex, a region responsible for decision making that also becomes hyperactive when people become abnormally anxious about dirt and grime, and the rest of the brain respond better to neurofeedback.
Some people will have a certain brain pattern and respond to certain types of treatment, while others will have a different brain pattern and respond to different types of treatment, senior author and assistant professor of diagnostic radiology at the Yale School of Medicine Michelle Hampson said.
http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2014/10/21/neurotherapy-more-successful-for-some
Posted by Louisiana Sportsman on February 6, 2015, at 14:47:02
In reply to OCD Dont know where to go, posted by Bill82 on January 30, 2015, at 20:56:23
This is such a great thread!
I would suggest buprenorphine therapy, it could help. But consider Pregabalin first. Or a really slow taper of Anafranil.
Posted by Bill82 on February 7, 2015, at 3:04:59
In reply to Re: OCD Dont know where to go, posted by Louisiana Sportsman on February 6, 2015, at 14:47:02
Thanks for the responses guys, dug up some interesting info on berberine, a sigma agonist that has a lot of other benifits and seems to be anoloxcic and anti depressive. From the roots of some common plants such as barberry(gives it the yellow color). Might get some...
Posted by Bill82 on February 7, 2015, at 3:38:58
In reply to Re: OCD Dont know where to go, posted by Louisiana Sportsman on February 6, 2015, at 14:47:02
Never mind berberine is used in prostate cancer haha, will pass on it for now then!
Posted by Bill82 on February 9, 2015, at 14:13:42
In reply to Re: OCD Dont know where to go, posted by Louisiana Sportsman on February 6, 2015, at 14:47:02
This article is interesting. Although when not on an ssri I don't experience depression, it may offer insight into how I get seemingly anticholinergic side effects from ssri. Just a thought.
Posted by ed_uk2010 on February 10, 2015, at 12:16:14
In reply to Re: OCD Dont know where to go, posted by Bill82 on February 9, 2015, at 14:13:42
Thanks for posting.
So, have you made any changes to your meds?
Posted by phidippus on February 10, 2015, at 15:48:45
In reply to OCD Dont know where to go, posted by Bill82 on January 30, 2015, at 20:56:23
First off, first line treatment for OCD is not medication, but ERP (exposure and response prevention). Its not easy to do, but if done properly, can curb even the worse ideations.
Second line treatment of OCD is treatment with a serotogenic drug. OCD involves lowered levels of serotonin in certain areas of the brain. Because of the physiology of OCD, you can't really treat it with anything else-unless you're using anti-glutamatergic drugs or antipsychotics to augment treatment with an antidepressant.
You described the medications you were on and I'm noticing a couple of trends with the antidepressants you've taken. Most or all of them caused an imbalanced emotional state: Mirtazapine, Luvox, Zoloft, Lexapro, Brintellix. This could be an indication of bipolar disorder, in which case you will need treatment with a mood stabilizer before you treat the OCD with an antidepressant.
Once you've treated the OCD with an antidepressant and you don't have the response you want, you'll want to augment with an antipsychotic (never take an antipsychotic alone to treat OCD-it'll just make it worse). The reason you want to augment with an antipsychotic is because OCD involves high levels of dopamine in certain parts of the brain, most notably the nucleus accumbens. Together the antidepressant and the antipsychotic will work together to lessen symptoms.
If you still don't have enough response to the antidepressant and the antipsychotic, it is advised that you add a anti-glutamatergic agent like Riluzole, Keppra, Zonegran, Topemax or Lyrica.
When you take antidepressants, typically, how long are you on them before you stop them because of side effects?
I too have severe OCD and have been able to conquer it with the right mix of medications and therapy. Write me back if you have any questions.
Eric
Posted by phidippus on February 10, 2015, at 15:51:37
In reply to Re: OCD Dont know where to go, posted by Bill82 on January 31, 2015, at 16:03:55
>I was about to try pregabalin but p doc decided against it die to adverse reactions to other GABA meds(benzos and lamictal).
Pregablin has nothing to do with GABA. It is a Calcium Channel blocker and glutamate antagonist. It would be ideal for treating your OCD.
Eric
Posted by phidippus on February 10, 2015, at 16:01:16
In reply to Re: OCD Dont know where to go, posted by Bill82 on February 1, 2015, at 13:10:41
>Zoloft was at 50mg for 3 days haha.
It takes about 4-6 weeks for SSRIs to become effective.
Eric
Posted by phidippus on February 10, 2015, at 16:12:41
In reply to OCD Dont know where to go, posted by Bill82 on January 30, 2015, at 20:57:31
Have you done ERP?
Eric
Posted by Bill82 on February 10, 2015, at 18:05:01
In reply to Re: OCD Dont know where to go » Bill82, posted by phidippus on February 10, 2015, at 16:01:16
Yea they had discussed the bipolar stuff with the doc, but when I'm not on any meds at all as I am now, I don't have depression at all and have never been manic or overly attentive, irritable, creative ect. So not sure why I would treat something that dosnt exist in the first place. As for the the gabapentin, she said it not me haha, and I noticed from the begining she seemed kind of daft in terms of understanding the science. (Ex: giving the car fluid example for why you have ocd, inferring I'm running low on seritonin and it's that simple.) as for erp, I already do that on my own time but it is not enough, as when exsposing myself to the stimulus and resisting my compulsions, which I do a lot, it causes a lack of motivation and zest for life that I had before(ex: not doing my rituals I then feel like a piece of crap, I don't have any desire to do anything to) . Only residual symptom psychologically I have that I didn't have before is an inanity to pay attention to a certain task, in that I space out or get distracted, and not from my ocd, but from other things. As for the zoloft I know 3 days would do squat, but the effects I had from it made me quit early because I simply couldn't take it. But still not sure what to as ssri make me sad and blue(what they do mentally is make me brush off the thoughts and then I feel like crap similar to erp) antipsychotics as you said do nothing on their own. Really what I would like is to find away to remove some of the extreme inability to have confidence in anything, but most people say that's impossible sadly.
Posted by Bill82 on February 10, 2015, at 18:49:14
In reply to Re: OCD Dont know where to go » Bill82, posted by phidippus on February 10, 2015, at 15:48:45
And luvox month and a half maybe two, brintillex 4 months, prozac a week then rash and inability to go to bathroo so had to stop
Posted by phidippus on February 11, 2015, at 15:38:11
In reply to Re: OCD Dont know where to go, posted by Bill82 on February 10, 2015, at 18:05:01
Suggesting you were by bipolar was just that: a suggestion. Its good that you're not.
>(Ex: giving the car fluid example for why you have ocd, inferring I'm running low on seritonin and it's that simple.)
Its not that simple, but low serotonin accounts for a majority of the problem. High dopamine and high levels of glutamate also play a big part.
>as for erp, I already do that on my own time but it is not enough, as when exsposing myself to the stimulus and resisting my compulsions
Resisting your compulsions is not really a part of ERP.
How do you do your ERP-how do you expose yourself to the stimulus?
>not doing my rituals I then feel like a piece of crap, I don't have any desire to do anything
What sort of rituals do you have?
OCD kind of works that way-it'll make you feel depressed when you don't do your rituals, but this feeling usually passes.
>Only residual symptom psychologically I have that I didn't have before is an inanity to pay attention to a certain task, in that I space out or get distracted, and not from my ocd, but from other things
Funny you should mention this, because dextroamphetamine has shown efficacy in the treatment of OCD-d-amphetamine might help your OCD and attention problems.
>what they do mentally is make me brush off the thoughts and then I feel like crap similar to erp
You basically feel guilty for not having the thoughts which makes you depressed?
>Really what I would like is to find away to remove some of the extreme inability to have confidence in anything
Does this lack of confidence come from your anxiety?
Eric
Posted by Bill82 on February 11, 2015, at 16:37:06
In reply to Re: OCD Dont know where to go » Bill82, posted by phidippus on February 11, 2015, at 15:38:11
Yea one of my obsessions is that I will become bipolar or schizophrenic so I think about it a lot...idk just want my damn life back haha
Yea I was looking at maybe a seritonin modulator instead since I get bad vocal tics on ssri.
Pretty much erp I do is I just choose not to do a compulsion and put it off until I hopefully forget about it. Problem is even if I forget about it I get triggered again.
Well might be tmi, but I have primarily sexual obbsessions, so rituals are replaying intrusive thought over and over on my mind until it feels right that I don't like it, dosnt sound too bad on paper but it has destroyed my life, unemployed havnt left my house in several months now. If I have a bad thought in shower or when I do my duty, I can get stuck doing same thing I was doing,(doing my male typical thing) which can last for at times up to 4 hours. I have scars from this sh*t it is just aweful.
Had thought of that, my doctor I see now has also written a paper about it at one time I think, I am just scared to ask because of my previous abuse of benzos and don't want to come off as a junkie and lose another doctor. Also last night I actually tried to see how caffeine would do and I had a cup of coffee which I normally don't drink. Increased focus at first but then began to give me really bad jitters and worsened ocd till I fell asleep finally at 6am haha, maybe chronic dosing would be different, coffee is also a adenosine(spelling?) antagonist I beleive so it's probably different
Feel guilty like I'm begining to accept them and will soon find it's ok and my new life will begin.
Yea I'd say so....best way I can describe it is that it's an inability to take risks for some things if that makes since. For example think of something you would literally die to protect, and then wether you would risk that in any way. It's a paradox. I also feel like I'm always lying, so for example I feel like I am making something up when I wrote this to you and am stretching the facts and that I might not have ocd etc.
My ocd was also sudden onset pretty much occurring after I caught a mycoplasma infection. Before this I had pediatric lyme and seizures that went away after antibiotic treatment for years, and I might have had obsessive tendancies, my mom remebers me reporting lo and behold intrusive sexual and violent thoughts and hypochondriac things( like worrying I has testicular cancer) at the age of 5 6 but these disappeared after age 10 when the seizures stopped. In middle and high school all I had was goal oriented obbsessions, that were ego syntonic. Ie I loved playing football so I lifted and trained for football a lot. I was always a little bit of a worrier but not at all to the extent I am now.
So part of me believes I have always had ocd other part says it may be partially be immune mediated. I try to keep them in two seperate categories, so for now I am trying ivig therapy for the immune side, and focussing most of my attention on the belief I always had ocd.
Also I was on lamictal for a long time as a child for seizures, a year or so I think, and I guess I tolerated it well then, but I was also better then, and wasn't in the state I am now. As I have sexual based ocd one of the main things I worry about is I will become impotent or have my testosterone lowered, stupid I know but then again so is my brain haha. Might be a thought for the bipolar and glutamate side of it, but worry about impotence it may cause(no effects on testosterone I exhausted the internet on that haha)
Lastly just want to thank you and everyone else for helping me it means a lot. This is one of the main things I look forward to in the day is hearing your guys thoughts.
And last thing for eric, since you seem to know a lot about ocd I had a question about yours, do you notice when you first wake up in the morning, as in the first 5 minutes it's non existent? Like if you had a bad thought before you fell asleep after waking up it dosnt seem to catch hold nearly as bad? Was wondering because I have seen others say this and I know this is true for me too. Was wondering if it's in connection to why when you have a dream, while dreaming you beleive in it, but then when you wake up you say wtf? Possibly upon arrousal certain hormones chemicals are used to create this process? Maybe this is similar to how ocd works, In that you have a bad thought and it seems like the world is ending, you successfully delay thinking about it, 20 min later you look back and say ahh that was horse... I know this to be true at least with past obbsessions of mine too, like my hands sweating or that I had als, look at those thoughts now and say lol. Anyways thanks for your thoughts means a lot, also if this dosnt make since just let me know and I'll try to explain better.
Posted by phidippus on February 11, 2015, at 17:20:41
In reply to Re: OCD Dont know where to go, posted by Bill82 on February 11, 2015, at 16:37:06
> Yea one of my obsessions is that I will become bipolar or schizophrenic so I think about it a lot...idk just want my damn life back haha
How old are you? If you're under 30 it could happen. Now there's some ERP for ya.
> Yea I was looking at maybe a seritonin modulator instead since I get bad vocal tics on ssri.
Seritonin modulators don't work very well for OCD. Do you think these ticks might be psychosomatic?
> Pretty much erp I do is I just choose not to do a compulsion and put it off until I hopefully forget about it.
That isn't ERP. ERP deals with the obsessive thoughts you have.
> Well might be tmi, but I have primarily sexual obbsessions
I have intrusive thoughts about molesting children, mostly those children related to me.
>so rituals are replaying intrusive thought over and over on my mind until it feels right that I don't like it
This is not a ritual, but an obsession.
>dosnt sound too bad on paper but it has destroyed my life,
Writing down obsessions is usually ineffective as a therapy, however recording your thoughts on audio and playing them back to yourself is a method of ERP.
>unemployed havnt left my house in several months now.
How do you subsist?
>If I have a bad thought in shower or when I do my duty, I can get stuck doing same thing I was doing,(doing my male typical thing) which can last for at times up to 4 hours. I have scars from this sh*t it is just aweful.
Am I to understand you masturbate for hours on end? That's more like an addiction.
>Also last night I actually tried to see how caffeine would do and I had a cup of coffee which I normally don't drink.
Studies show caffeine lessens the symptoms of OCD, but you need doses as high as 200 mg.
> Feel guilty like I'm begining to accept them
This is a common sentiment among sufferers of OCD. Thing is, you're not accepting the thoughts-you're reducing their power to frighten you. You're never going to accept the thoughts, but you don't need to have so many and they don't need to rule you.
>I also feel like I'm always lying, so for example I feel like I am making something up when I wrote this to you and am stretching the facts and that I might not have ocd etc.
You tryuly are a Doubting Thomas. So what if you're lying?
> So part of me believes I have always had ocd
Some are born with OCD and others develop it, like me.
>
> As I have sexual based ocd one of the main things I worry about is I will become impotent or have my testosterone lowered, stupid I know but then again so is my brain haha.If you want to try some ERP, when you have thoughts like those, agree with them. Tell yourself you will become impotent. Do things to purposefully become impotent-like stick your crotch against the microwave.
>do you notice when you first wake up in the morning, as in the first 5 minutes it's non existent?
Yes I do.
>Possibly upon arrousal certain hormones chemicals are used to create this process?
Not hormones. OCD is a neurochemical process.
>Maybe this is similar to how ocd works, In that you have a bad thought and it seems like the world is ending, you successfully delay thinking about it, 20 min later you look back and say ahh that was horse...
Ideally, you don't want to delay thinking about it. You don't want to suppress the thought. Enjoy the thought, I dare you.
Eric
Posted by ed_uk2010 on February 11, 2015, at 17:27:12
In reply to Re: OCD Dont know where to go, posted by Bill82 on February 11, 2015, at 16:37:06
>I also feel like I'm always lying, so for example I feel like I am making something up when I wrote this to you and am stretching the facts and that I might not have ocd etc.
That's very typical of OCD. They're often called 'obsessions of doubt', as you probably know.
>one of the main things I worry about is I will become impotent or have my testosterone lowered, stupid I know but then again so is my brain haha.
Sexual obsessions are common in OCD - and distressingly difficult to discuss.
I believe you need to practice 'acceptance'. Accept your obsession.... it's OK that you may have lowered testosterone. Although I expect your testosterone is perfectly normal, what would happen if it was low? Nothing serious really. If it was low at any point you could be prescribed testosterone replacement and you'd be fine. The consequences of having low testosterone would be far less severe than the consequences of OCD.
And the impotence. Accept it. Again, it's highly unlikely you have any medical reason for being impotent at your age. But most men would struggle to get an erection if they were in a state of psychological distress. So if you do experience distress, you may struggle too. But accept it. What are the consequences of not getting an erection? Again, they are less severe that the consequences of OCD. Having an erection isn't much benefit when you've got severe OCD. And think... millions of people live with erectile problems caused by medical disorders. Any erectile problems you have will be temporary and psychological. If you accept that you may be temporarily impotent when under stress, you would do yourself a favour. Most men would not get an erection when under immense stress. This is perfectly normal. The more you accept this is a normal feature of being a man the less anxiety you'll have.... and then you won't have a problem with erections anyway. Even if you did, it's not life-threatening, and it's treatable. So perhaps.... just think 'well, what if I was impotent?' What if you were? You'd still be here. You could be treated, you could live a happy life. Much happier than you are right now. Impotence is generally a lot easier to treat than OCD!
If I don't get an erection it normally means I'm not in the mood. I'm not always in the mood. A lot of people aren't. It doesn't imply a major problem, I'll be in the mood another time.
Sometimes, it's not possible to force the thoughts out of your head until you've considered..... are the consequences of the obsessions really as bad as the obsessions themselves? They almost never are. It would be easier to be impotent and not have OCD. It could be treated more easily. Hopefully, if you think this to yourself, the obsessions will reduce and you'll realise you don't actually have an erectile problem either.
Posted by Bill82 on February 11, 2015, at 17:54:32
In reply to Re: OCD Dont know where to go, posted by ed_uk2010 on February 11, 2015, at 17:27:12
Yea I have thought about that, haha, one of the main things that spikes me. Guess it gets back to the thing I said about not being able to accept or enjoy because it's a deal breaker to in that I just can't do it I guess, rather would just not exist or even exist with ocd than agree with it. As for the testosterone impotence thing it just prevents me from having motivation to try new meds I guess cause my mind can't see them as long term solutions? And as for the addiction aspect of it I have thought that, but then again I'm in serious pain and want to stop but just want to check To make it feel right. If it was addiction wouldn't it be ego syntonic? Do any medicines help to allow the person to get rid of the doubting or are they just for allowing for the person to disengage compulsions?
Posted by Bill82 on February 11, 2015, at 18:00:19
In reply to Re: OCD Dont know where to go, posted by Bill82 on February 11, 2015, at 17:54:32
Also I do know about that I could go schizo or bipolar, but usually my sexual obbsessions are more pressing to me so I don't worry about it. I am fortunate enough to still have a place to live with my parents, and they have seen me go from normal to nut case, but only time will tell how long I'm allowed to stay.
And back to the morning thing I thought neurotransmitters or at least seritonin were a form of hormone?
Posted by ed_uk2010 on February 11, 2015, at 19:29:18
In reply to Re: OCD Dont know where to go, posted by Bill82 on February 11, 2015, at 17:54:32
I think it's useful that OCD is being discussed on this board because it rarely is. It's often mentioned in passing... but the term 'OCD' is widely misused. I think there's a lot of misunderstanding about what OCD involves. OCD is not the same as extreme perfectionism, although some people have both; OCD is not the same as obsessional personality traits either.
OCD normally revolves around thoughts (the obsession) which are unwanted, intensely repetitive, intrusive and either shocking (sexual, religious), anxiety-provoking (disease, contamination) or difficult to explain (symmetry and similar preoccupations). In general, the thoughts revolve around the idea that something awful or appalling could happen (such as infection from contamination) or sometimes that the sufferer themselves will be condemned as a result (sexual, religious etc). Compulsive behaviors often occur in an attempt to either suppress or 'disprove' the obsession, but the constant doubting makes it necessary to repeat the compulsions over and over and over again. Repetitive thought processes 'mental rituals' may occur in isolation (pure-O), or physical rituals and compulsions may be present(classic OCD). Either way, the obsessions and compulsions take up a huge amount of time.
Common types of OCD include:
Obsession: Fear of disease, bacteria or contamination.
Compulsion: cleaning, washing - the most well known type of OCD among the general public. The many other types are much less known.Obsession: Out of character, unpleasant sexual thoughts (abuse, incest, rape) or intrusive violent thoughts (injury, death).
Compulsions: washing, touching, praying, counting etc.Obsession: religious profanity.
Compulsions: praying, repeating religious passages, counting etc.Obsession: bodily dysfunction, perceived deformity.
Compulsions: touching, checking (eg. in the mirror), comparing, measuring.Obsession: doubting (car not locked, house not locked, window left open?).
Compulsions: checking, opening/closing doors, switching lights on and off. Rituals to be performed on leaving rooms/house/car.Obsession: symmetry, possibly a special type of OCD.
Compulsion: reordering, rearranging etc.>Yea I have thought about that, haha, one of the main things that spikes me.
In general, a major characteristic of an obsession in OCD is that it will be based on the worst or more unpleasant thoughts possible. Especially in sexual/violent OCD. The thoughts are ego-dystonic.
>Guess it gets back to the thing I said about not being able to accept
Accept what? That you might be impotent?
Accepting the fact that you *will* struggle to get an erection some of the time (which is normal) is a major way in which you can reduce the power of the obsession. Reducing the power of the obsession will eventually allow you to realise that you're not impotent at all.
>would rather just not exist or even exist with ocd than agree with it.....
What could you never accept or agree with?
Here is an example:
Obsessions in sexual OCD may be related to abuse, incest, homosexuality, pedophilia or rape, amongst other things.... unpleasant, unwanted, intrusive thoughts, ideas or images. This does not mean the sufferer actually wants to abuse someone; as you know, it means that the thoughts of abuse keep coming into their mind, against their will (ego-dystonic). The thoughts will feel appalling, frightening and abhorrent, this is the very nature of OCD, that the thoughts are not based on reality, the mind is creating the most unpleasant scenarios possible, torturing itself, causing doubt - is it OCD or is it real? The obsessions cause a huge amount of distress precisely because they are totally unwanted and out of character.
In this situation, 'acceptance' would refer to the acceptance that these thoughts are occurring as part of the OCD, and that it *is* OK because no one is actually going to be hurt in any way. The thoughts are part of the illness. The sufferer is not a bad person. If they were, they wouldn't be distressed by the thoughts! The very fact that the thoughts cause so much distress proves that they are OCD. The understanding and acceptance that no one is going to be hurt means that the thoughts lose their power. Once an obsession loses its power over the sufferer, the obsession will eventually go away.
>And as for the addiction aspect of it I have thought that, but then again I'm in serious pain and want to stop but just want to check To make it feel right. If it was addiction wouldn't it be ego syntonic?
Yeah, if you're masturbating to try to prove to yourself that you're not impotent, it's not an addiction, it's a compulsion. In OCD, the compulsion is occurring to try and suppress the obsession that you might be impotent.
So... you might be impotent sometimes. So what? You may indeed. Lots of people are. Until you accept that this is a possibility, you'll continue to try and disprove it by your compulsive behavior. Acceptance may be the route to health. And in health, you won't be impotent.
>Do any medicines help to allow the person to get rid of the doubting or are they just for allowing for the person to disengage compulsions?
SSRIs help some people reduce the doubting. But sometimes, like Phiddipus says, it is necessary to accept certain aspects of the obsessions in order for them to lose their power. Once they've lost their power, they will eventually go away.
>bipolar, schizophrenia
Nothing you've said so far is suggestive of either condition. Your symptoms sound highly typical of severe OCD only.
Take care. And be kind to yourself.
Posted by Bill82 on February 11, 2015, at 21:21:36
In reply to What is OCD? For those that don't know...., posted by ed_uk2010 on February 11, 2015, at 19:29:18
Yea I havnt mentioned my main obsession resolving sex but it is one of the classic ones and you mentioned it on the page. I masturbate to check that I am not arroused to the thoughts, which can last for hours. As for impotence, that was one of my previous obsessions and actually partly how this all started emotionally for me. I was in college and was really drunk and couldn't get it up. Was worried what this meant. At the time I really like a girl and started to worry that this may affect my relationship with her. So I would spend hours worrying that I would be impotent low t had a varicocele, my varococile would lower my t levels eventually, ssri would only worsen the problem....etc. then at this point through reasearch I knew I most likely had an anxiety disorder and ocd for a lot of the pictures. Ironically, at first I saw the obbsession I had now and laughed saying wow that is weird how could you doubt that. Then the thought got stuck in my head that since I had ocd I too could develop that type, and after a day or so of worrying my topic changed and ocd exploded. Since then I have left school, then work, and now struggle to exist at times haha. The girl is long gone and at times I ponder if I want to be celibate after all this sh*t, but I am still almost instinctually aversive to anything that could impact my libido. This is disregarding the main obbsession I have now which is what truly is unbearable, and only reason I havnt named it exactly is I am scared if I write it someone may see it or it may come true ect. Pretty dumb but idk maybe that's why they say so many people go without treatment. In accepting my obbsession I feel it would ruin the ability for me to ever love again, and it greatly depresses me, and takes the life out of everything else I enjoy. However if I combat the compulsions, my desire and drive for my past life still lives, so that is why I say I balance between the two. As for what you say acceptance truly is at the end, I do tell myself that all the time, but I continually doubt it and still wonder what if ect. On top of all this I am also unfortunate to be particularly med sensitive. Although part of me thinks I am making it up and lying or imagining the symptoms they still exist physically. So I have been having trouble finding something that is tolerable atm. I have been able to push through the thing with the ocd and impotence side effects of meds, but I get other things like vocal tics and shouting for no reason and dripping that just becomes unmanigible. I hope that clears some of the stuff up, sorry I was not more clear I just can't seem to be clearer even though I know I'm being stupid haha. Also I agree with you that more people should know about this, as a lot if people who don't tank as bad as I did( of me if I was still ocd about being impotent or having aids) would or will most likely just keep it that way and not seek help for the same reason I am not specific here. They do t want to take the risk as it could potentially destroy the life they love. This can lead to even worse ocd and even substance abuse which can be end all. But thanks for the time to put forth that description it will help a lot in other people understanding what exactly is ocd.
Posted by ed_uk2010 on February 12, 2015, at 12:36:52
In reply to Re: What is OCD? For those that don't know...., posted by Bill82 on February 11, 2015, at 21:21:36
Hi there,
We are often guilty on this board of using a lot of medical/psych terminology such as OCD, dysphoria, bipolar, anxiety disorder etc without qualifying what it really means to us or how horrible it feels. I think you've done really well to describe the distress you're in. It's a lot easier to just say OCD without explaining anything, but if no one knows what you mean, it's difficult to advise or help. Through an improved understanding of your illness, you can gain insight into the workings of your own mind, and begin the journey toward health.
>Yea I havn't mentioned my main obsession resolving sex but it is one of the classic ones and you mentioned it on the page. I masturbate to check that I am not aroused to the thoughts, which can last for hours.
I understand. Classic sexual/violent OCD is always based on the worst thoughts the sufferer can think of. That is the very nature of OCD. The obsession either terrifies or appalls the sufferer (ego-dystonic). You don't need to name your specific symptoms on here. That could cause you more anxiety and isn't necessary. The diagnosis is not in doubt.
>I was in college and was really drunk and couldn't get it up. Was worried what this meant.
People with OCD can often trace back the origin of a particular obsession. The symptoms can begin with a sort of 'horrible realisation' that a certain scenario is possible. The feature of OCD is the person can't brush the unwanted, and often frankly ridiculous thoughts away. It's almost like a form of self-punishment. There is a constant doubt.... what if, what if, what if it's real? What if this happens, that happens etc
>SSRIs would only worsen the problem....
SSRIs rarely affect testosterone levels, but they do produce sexual side effects quite often because serotonin is involved in controlling orgasm/ejaculation and (to some extent) libido.
Am I right in assuming that you fear SSRIs may invalidate the 'usefulness' of your compulsion because they may interfere with your ability to use it to 'disprove' your obsession? (Does that even make sense!?)
>I ponder if I want to be celibate after all this sh*t,
>In accepting my obsession I feel it would ruin the ability for me to ever love againThere's different forms of 'acceptance'.
Here is a invented scenario with typical symptoms...
A young woman has sexual-theme OCD involving recurrent intrusive images and thoughts about having sex with her family members. Her compulsion involves constantly going to the bathroom to check her pulse rate. She believes that if it's fast she must be 'aroused' and that thought is terrible for her. She will then need to measure it again. If it's normal, she has to check it again, 10 times, to 'prove' to herself than the thoughts are 'false'. Sometimes, she checks it 100 times to be sure. She does this for about 4-5 hours a day. She feels she can never do anything which raises her pulse rate, so she rarely leaves her home. She wants a boyfriend but the horrible unwanted thoughts make this seem impossible. She starts to hate her life.
How can she help herself to get well again? On SSRIs, she notices that her pulse doesn't rise as much. She fears that she can't use her pulse rate as a 'measure' anymore, and stops the meds.
Her doctor advises her to try to resist the compulsive checking because it doesn't actually make her feel better for more than a second, she simply has to do it again to be sure. She understand his advice and tries to follow it but can't. She is compelled to check. She feels that if she is a 'bad' person, her life is not worth living, so she has to check and check and check.
So, she tries to change her thoughts. What can she possibly accept or change?
Are the thoughts bad? No. And she is not bad either! The thoughts are unwanted and horrify her. She needs to accept that she is not a 'bad' person. If she was, she wouldn't have spent years hating the thoughts.
How can she come to terms with the thoughts? She needs to accept that the thoughts are OCD. Other people with OCD have bizarre unwanted thoughts too, she is not alone. She needs to accept that since none of her thoughts will ever 'come true', the content of her obsessions don't really matter. NO ONE is being harmed by the OCD except herself. Her family certainly aren't being harmed. They just want to see her well again.
How can she stop the compulsive behavior? Like the masturbation, it isn't helping her. She will not be able to resist the compulsions until she accepts that they are futile. This will be hard to accept because she currently uses them to suppress her anxiety briefly. She needs to let her pulse rate rise in many different circumstances and see that it's not really anything to do with arousal in most circumstances, and even when it is - nothing happens and no one is hurt.... certainly not her family. The thoughts are hurting no one except herself. If the thoughts are not hurting her family, do they really matter? No. They are horrible but they are just thoughts created by the illness. And they won't go away until she lets them lose their power over her.
>Celibacy
Depending on your type of OCD, what would happen if you think.... well, what if I did become celibate? Maybe think to yourself 'I will become celibate until I'm well', and that will be OK. Would that reduce your anxiety?
>doubt it and still wonder what if ect. On top of all this I am also unfortunate to be particularly med sensitive.
True, and you've not had much luck with psychological therapies so far either. The success (or otherwise) of psychological treatment depends a great deal on the type of therapy and the therapist themselves. Is there a different psychologist you can see?
>Although part of me thinks I am making it up and lying.....
Obsessions of doubt?
>So I have been having trouble finding something that is tolerable atm.
Does your doctor have any suggestions? I wondered whether you discussed the possibility of trying an SSRI such as sertraline (Zoloft) at below the normal dose range, since you seem hypersensitive for whatever reason....
Psychological treatments can be of great benefit if you have the right therapist. A bad experience with one tells you little or nothing about how you'll do with another. You can also do self-help psych therapies using information in books or online. There is an increasing amount available.
Take care and write back.
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