How to first ask for help?
Question:
My advice is to just be open with them, it’s very hard. But my psych usually says, so how are things? which is great because it gives me the chance to just open up straight away and get everything off my mind. good luck and welcome to the group! ~Am~ xxx Oriole Adams <oriolead…@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20011107194036.29796.00003400@mb-ch.aol.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> As I mentioned in a previous post, I have not yet mentioned any of my quirks or > behaviors to my doctor. But I think it’s time to reveal myself. How does one > do so? I’ve got an appointment later this month, and I wonder how to broach > the subject. How did the rest of you seek help? > ~ > Thinking it right, doing it wrong > Is easier from an armchair > Waves of alternatives wash at my sleepiness > Have my eggs poached for breakfast, I guess….
Response:
Thanks for the warm welcome! I’m learning so much by reading all the posts here…..some things I’ve done/felt as long as I can remember, and now I see other folks are the same, and it may be part of OCD. For example, having so much to do, feeling overwhelmed, not knowing what to do first, so nothing gets done. Or my seemingly constant need for reassurance….I ask someone if such-and-such is OK, they say yes, and I’ll ask "are you sure?" "you’re sure you don’t mind?" "promise me it’s OK?" etc etc, certainly driving them nuts. Thanks again for the responses, and just for being here. ~ Thinking it right, doing it wrong Is easier from an armchair Waves of alternatives wash at my sleepiness Have my eggs poached for breakfast, I guess….
Response:
Thanks for the responses. I think you’re right about showing him my hands; in fact, I can maybe lead off by asking for a lotion for them and take it from there. My husband teased me saying he’ll take a package of my pens (I keep all my pens in their original packaging, in the same order they came in from the store) with us to the doctor, and start writing with them, and put them back in the wrong order without wiping them off, and then I won’t have to say a word to the doctor! ~ Thinking it right, doing it wrong Is easier from an armchair Waves of alternatives wash at my sleepiness Have my eggs poached for breakfast, I guess….
Response:
In message <20011107194036.29796.00003…@mb-ch.aol.com>, Oriole Adams <oriolead…@aol.com> writes >As I mentioned in a previous post, I have not yet mentioned any of my >quirks or behaviors to my doctor. But I think it’s time to reveal >myself. How does one do so? I’ve got an appointment later this month, >and I wonder how to broach the subject.
One thing that strikes me is to show him/her your hands and explain how they have got that way. Emphasize that your hand cleaning is something you feel compelled to do. Since this is the most basic ‘classic’ symptom of OCD the doctor should catch on to what kind of problem you’re describing. I’ve no experience of this myself, but all the advice I’ve heard says – don’t be afraid to write things down. Obsessional problems can be very hard to explain so it can be easier to write down the things that are upsetting you and show them to the doctor. Just some ideas!.. — simon smith
Response:
As I mentioned in a previous post, I have not yet mentioned any of my quirks or behaviors to my doctor. But I think it’s time to reveal myself. How does one do so? I’ve got an appointment later this month, and I wonder how to broach the subject. How did the rest of you seek help? ~ Thinking it right, doing it wrong Is easier from an armchair Waves of alternatives wash at my sleepiness Have my eggs poached for breakfast, I guess….
Response:
> As I mentioned in a previous post, I have not yet mentioned any or > behaviors to my doctor. But I think it’s time to reveal myself. How does one > do so? I’ve got an appointment later this month, and I wonder how to broach > the subject. How did the rest of you seek help?
I first went to a social worker. The reasoning was insurance and referrals. The social worker spent about a half hour trying to find out if I hated my parents. I demonstrated my OCD to the social worker, numbers and syllables, and they immediately got me an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic. The first person I met with was an interning Psychiatrist. It was nice, because he was free. He tried to find out about any suicidal tendencies and to determine the amount of time spent on the OCD (6 to 8 hours a day). Celexa was prescribed. Now on 80 mg’s a day. I was then referred to Dr. Scott Bea. Fantastic Psychologist who got me started in books and CBT’s. I went to about 5 sessions and really got a hold of myself and my brain. I still see the intern for the meds, but have been doing very well. I only told my wife and my best friend when I first ‘came out’. It took 8 months before I told anyone else. My Mother and Father were very worried about my calmness and meditation techniques. They are very Christian and feared I was turning New Age. I was able to assure them that the meditation and the calmness is a result of trying to battle OCD. They were quite reassured that I wasn’t turning into a channeler or something. :-P Rock on.
