Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders » OCD Symptoms

I JUST CAN'T TAKE THE CONSTANT OVER-THINKING….HELP!!!!

admin — Wed, 14 Jul 2004 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

….I AM PRETTY SURE IT IS OCD THAT I HAVE. WHEN I HAVE CHECKED ON THE INTERNET ABOUT OBSESSIBE THOUGHTS, THE EXPERTS SEEM TO FOCUS MOSTLY ON PEOPLE OBSESSING ABOUT CLEANLINESS, OR "BAD THOUGHTS", ETC. MY OBSESSIVE THOUGHT SITUATION IS QUITE DIFFERENT THAN ANYTHING LIKE THIS. I HAVE AN OVER-THINKNG OR OVER-ANALYZING PROBLEM. ABOUT A MONTH AGO, I WAS SIMPLY READING AN ARTICLE AND THE AUTHOR WAS STATING ABUT HOW A CERTAIN SEASIDE COMMUNITY HE LIVES IN IS GETTING OVER-CROWDED AND STUFF. AND THEN HE WROTE ABOUT HOW PEOPLE WOULD THINK HE WAS COMPLAINING, AND THEN WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE WAS APATHY, AND THAT HIS COMPLAINING WAS COMING FROM A LOVE OF HIS COMMUNITY. ALL OF A SUDDEN, I STARTED OBSESSING OVER THIS PARAGRAPH THAT HE WROTE, AND PARSING THE WORDS IN IT IN MY HEAD, AND GOING OVER AND OVER AND OVER THE MEANNG BEHIND WHAT HE SAID, WITH RESPECT TO LOVE AND I WAS TRYING TO THINK OF EXACTLY WHAT ONE WOULD HATE AND HOW THAT WOULD MAKE ONE COMPLAIN, AND WHAT ONE WOULD THINK TO THEMSELF ABOUT HATING OR NOT HATING, ETC, ETC, ETC, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS PERFECTLY CLEAR TO ME EXACTLY WHAT HE MEANT. I JUST COULD NOT STOP OVER-THINKNG THE PARAGRAPH AND OVER-ANALYZING EVERY SINGLEPOSSIBLE THING THAT COULD BE CONSTRUED BY WHAT HE SAID. IT HAS GONE ON FOR ABOUT A MONTH NOW AND COMES AND GOES IN INTENSITY. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE HECK TO DO. I WANT TO STOP THINKING ABOUT THIS AND TO JUST LET IT GO AND I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT.

Response:

im exactly the same i cant stop thinking about the same subject over and over its so scary i keep thinking about how the mind works and i cant answer the question but it wont stop coming sharon

Response:

Eight years ago, I got hung up on a magazine article in Psychology Today describing characteristics of "happy" people. I was trying to improve my self-esteem. At the time I didn’t realize I had OCD or any sort of psychological disorder. Up to that time I had never seen a therapist before. The article mentioned happy people were more likely to be extroverted than introverted. I immediately reacted very negatively to that little passage. For several days I kept thinking, overthinking and overrationalizing about my personality and trying to solve the delimma of whether I was introverted or extroverted. I came to the conclusion that I was an introvert. It may sound ridiculous but I began emailing and calling therapist to find out whether it was possible to convert my personality to being an extrovert. They said no. Then I began to calm down and forget about the article. Life was back to normal for about 2 months, until that Psychology Today article came back to my head again. What bothered me was my thinking that I was not supposed to be happy if I’m an introvert. I began to become severely depressed at that point and lost my appetite. I wished I had never read those two lines in that article. My thoughts became so ridiculous and distorted that I was thinking about going on a protest against that magazine and doing speeches about boycotting Psycho Today. Then I began seeing therapists. I learned a lot about myself and the fact that I had an obsessing problem. I took Luvox for a couple of months. They gave me techniqes on distracting myself from ruminating about my obsessions. It worked. Soon my depression lifted and I began to live life normally again.

Response:

D C wrote: > I HAVE AN OVER-THINKNG OR OVER-ANALYZING PROBLEM. ABOUT A MONTH AGO, I > WAS SIMPLY READING AN ARTICLE AND THE AUSTATING ABUT HOW A > CERTAIN SEASIDE COMMUNITY HE LIVES IN IS GETTING OVER-CROWDED AND STUFF. > AND THEN HE WROTE ABOUT HOW PEOPLE WOULD THINK HE WAS COMPLAINING, AND > THEN WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE WAS APATHY, AND THAT HIS > COMPLAINING WAS COMING FROM A LOVE OF HIS COMMUNITY.

You might also want to check out the overfocused variant of ADD. It’s closely related to OCD, and in many cases overlaps. It’s generally characterized by extreme difficulty is switching tasks. Check out Amen’s sites: www.amenclinic.com and www.brainplace.com — MYTHOLOGY, n. The body of a primitive people’s beliefs concerning its origin, early history, heroes, deities and so forth, as distinguished from the true accounts which it invents later. -Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary.

Response:

"Zorg" wrote in message

news:40f5c670$0$92636$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net… > …best consult a doctor. Good luck.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Ah – yes that too. J

Response:

D C wrote: > ….I AM PRETTY SURE IT IS OCD THAT I HAVE.

YES, YOU’RE PROBABLY RIGHT! …best consult a doctor. Good luck. Zorg

Response:

Dear DC, Hi : ) Have you ever obsessed about anything else in this way or is this your first recognizable experience? I am what is considered pure-O. This pure-O term means that most of your OCD symptoms are purely obsessional. How much time do you spend a day obsessing? It really doesn’t matter what you’re obsessing about. Does it feel good when you first start to think about it and distressing when you can’t stop.? Even the ritual / repetative characteristics of OCD I do in my head. OCD has many different off-shoots ie. pure-O, body dysmorphic disorder, and torretts syndrome. there are others. If you find it this distresing, I suggest you make an appointment with a pdoc or your general physician and discuss the medications that are speciffically designated to treat OCD. These include Zoloft, Paxil, Effexor (I wouldn’t take this one unless I had to) and others. Also, cognative behavior therapy is/ can be an improtant part of treatment as well. You can’t fix this on your own. It is a brain disorder that does respond to treatment. I hope this helps you some. If you have any more questions please post them. We are all here for each other. A last note, I have obsessed about the dumbest things just like you have described here. You are not alone. It’s just OCD thoughts. Peace, Joanna "D C" wrote in message

news:15776-40F5B4E9-70@storefull-3191.bay.webtv.net… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> ….I AM PRETTY SURE IT IS OCD THAT I HAVE. > WHEN I HAVE CHECKED ON THE INTERNET ABOUT OBSESSIBE THOUGHTS, THE > EXPERTS SEEM TO FOCUS MOSTLY ON PEOPLE OBSESSING ABOUT CLEANLINESS, OR > "BAD THOUGHTS", ETC. > MY OBSESSIVE THOUGHT SITUATION IS QUITE DIFFERENT THAN ANYTHING LIKE > THIS. > I HAVE AN OVER-THINKNG OR OVER-ANALYZING PROBLEM. ABOUT A MONTH AGO, I > WAS SIMPLY READING AN ARTICLE AND THE AUTHOR WAS STATING ABUT HOW A > CERTAIN SEASIDE COMMUNITY HE LIVES IN IS GETTING OVER-CROWDED AND STUFF. > AND THEN HE WROTE ABOUT HOW PEOPLE WOULD THINK HE WAS COMPLAINING, AND > THEN WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE WAS APATHY, AND THAT HIS > COMPLAINING WAS COMING FROM A LOVE OF HIS COMMUNITY. > ALL OF A SUDDEN, I STARTED OBSESSING OVER THIS PARAGRAPH THAT HE WROTE, > AND PARSING THE WORDS IN IT IN MY HEAD, AND GOING OVER AND OVER AND OVER > THE MEANNG BEHIND WHAT HE SAID, WITH RESPECT TO LOVE AND I WAS TRYING TO > THINK OF EXACTLY WHAT ONE WOULD HATE AND HOW THAT WOULD MAKE ONE > COMPLAIN, AND WHAT ONE WOULD THINK TO THEMSELF ABOUT HATING OR NOT > HATING, ETC, ETC, ETC, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS PERFECTLY CLEAR TO ME EXACTLY > WHAT HE MEANT. > I JUST COULD NOT STOP OVER-THINKNG THE PARAGRAPH AND OVER-ANALYZING > EVERY SINGLEPOSSIBLE THING THAT COULD BE CONSTRUED BY WHAT HE SAID. > IT HAS GONE ON FOR ABOUT A MONTH NOW AND COMES AND GOES IN INTENSITY. > I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE HECK TO DO. > I WANT TO STOP THINKING ABOUT THIS AND TO JUST LET IT GO AND I > ABSOLUTELY CANNOT.

Response:

Whatever it is, OCD or not it is clearly very distressing for you. I have pure ‘thought’ obsessions myself. Can I ask you if you anything like this before ? Is there a crisis going on in your life (apart from this) at the moment that might be putting extra strain on you ? Hang in there my friend, I know it is hard, but the intensity of obsessions do change over time. I do not take any medications, but there are plenty of people here who can point you in the right direction for medical advice. It might me useful to say which part of the world you live in. Take care J "D C" wrote in message

news:15776-40F5B4E9-70@storefull-3191.bay.webtv.net… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> ….I AM PRETTY SURE IT IS OCD THAT I HAVE.

Response:

Drugs question for any OCDers out there….

admin — Mon, 15 Mar 2004 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

Its weird u know i find the tricyclics give me less side effects then the SSRI’s except for Anafranil which did the same thing, ive never been so constipated in my life!!! "No Kidding!" wrote in message news:Nns5c.5149$CJ5.765@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Everybody is different, but Pamalor (Nortryptylline) was the most effective > drug ever for me. Unfortunately, because it’s a tricylic, it also had a lot > of side effects (horrific constipation being my biggest complaint). I > couldn’t take it for more than a few months. > The second most effective (for me) was Paxil. It did have some sexual side > effects that I wasn’t too happy with and weaning off of it is a bitch but it > worked well. > NK > "Loz" wrote in message > news:Q8r5c.4379$1h7.29201@newsfep4-glfd.server.ntli.net… > > Hi there… > > Quick drugs question for any of you OCD sufferers out there as I am seeing > > my pdoc next week and would like a bit of advice/info before I see him. > > I suffer mainly from the more pure obsessional form of OCD. > > I have been on 150 mg Effexor XL for 4 months or so. It helps with the OCD > > slightly and my anxiety is also a bit better. I know that other OCD > > sufferers I have chatted seem to have had better improvements in their OCD > > symptoms with drugs so I want to chat to him about the possibility of > > increasing my Effexor dosage or giving another drug a go. > > Firstly, has any other OCDer found Effexor to be a good drug for > controlling > > the OCD symptoms. Secondly, if not Effexor what drug has helped most with > > your OCD? > > Thanks in advance for replying. > > Take care > > Lawrence

Response:

"No Kidding!" wrote in message news:Nns5c.5149$CJ5.765@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net… > Everybody is different, but Pamalor (Nortryptylline) was the most effective > drug ever for me. Unfortunately, because it’s a tricylic, it also had a lot > of side effects (horrific constipation being my biggest complaint). I > couldn’t take it for more than a few months.

interesting. i am on both Effexor and Nortriptyline (only 50 mg, for sleep), and while i did find the Effexor somewhat effective on it’s own (150mg), i found the combination to be much better. they’re pretty similar in how they affect the brain, so it’s possible that a larger dose of Effexor will accomplish the same thing. because i’m on a low dose of Nortriptyline, i don’t get bad side effects from it. i’ve read that many OCD sufferers do best on a very high dose of SSRI and SNRI type meds, so it’s possible that you’ll do well on an increased dosage of Effexor. -kelly

Response:

> i’ve read that many OCD sufferers do best on a very high dose of SSRI and > SNRI type meds, so it’s possible that you’ll do well on an increased dosage > of Effexor. > -kelly

I took Effexor and don’t remember it doing much for me. I guess all our body chemistries must be missing something and it’s a crapshoot trying to find the best one. One of the better antidepressant comparison charts is found here http://www.rxfiles.ca/acrobat/cht-Psyc-Antidepressant.pdf It’s a pdf file (meaning you need adobe acrobat reader to view it) NK

Response:

> I guess all our body chemistries must be missing something and it’s a > crapshoot trying to find the best one.

And it takes quite awhile to find the right one unles you are lucky… Take Care Lawrence "No Kidding!" wrote in message news:Dl76c.7365$CJ5.7253@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> > i’ve read that many OCD sufferers do best on a very high dose of SSRI and > > SNRI type meds, so it’s possible that you’ll do well on an increased > dosage > > of Effexor. > > -kelly > I took Effexor and don’t remember it doing much for me. > I guess all our body chemistries must be missing something and it’s a > crapshoot trying to find the best one. > One of the better antidepressant comparison charts is found here > http://www.rxfiles.ca/acrobat/cht-Psyc-Antidepressant.pdf > It’s a pdf file (meaning you need adobe acrobat reader to view it) > NK

Response:

"Loz" wrote in message

news:tH76c.4624$1h7.30513@newsfep4-glfd.server.ntli.net… > > I guess all our body chemistries must be missing something and it’s a > > crapshoot trying to find the best one. > And it takes quite awhile to find the right one unles you are lucky…

especially when most pdocs seem to change meds before even reaching therapeutic levels! -kelly

Response:

Hi there… Quick drugs question for any of you OCD sufferers out there as I am seeing my pdoc next week and would like a bit of advice/info before I see him. I suffer mainly from the more pure obsessional form of OCD. I have been on 150 mg Effexor XL for 4 months or so. It helps with the OCD slightly and my anxiety is also a bit better. I know that other OCD sufferers I have chatted seem to have had better improvements in their OCD symptoms with drugs so I want to chat to him about the possibility of increasing my Effexor dosage or giving another drug a go. Firstly, has any other OCDer found Effexor to be a good drug for controlling the OCD symptoms. Secondly, if not Effexor what drug has helped most with your OCD? Thanks in advance for replying. Take care Lawrence

Response:

Everybody is different, but Pamalor (Nortryptylline) was the most effective drug ever for me. Unfortunately, because it’s a tricylic, it also had a lot of side effects (horrific constipation being my biggest complaint). I couldn’t take it for more than a few months. The second most effective (for me) was Paxil. It did have some sexual side effects that I wasn’t too happy with and weaning off of it is a bitch but it worked well. NK "Loz" wrote in message

news:Q8r5c.4379$1h7.29201@newsfep4-glfd.server.ntli.net… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hi there… > Quick drugs question for any of you OCD sufferers out there as I am seeing > my pdoc next week and would like a bit of advice/info before I see him. > I suffer mainly from the more pure obsessional form of OCD. > I have been on 150 mg Effexor XL for 4 months or so. It helps with the OCD > slightly and my anxiety is also a bit better. I know that other OCD > sufferers I have chatted seem to have had better improvements in their OCD > symptoms with drugs so I want to chat to him about the possibility of > increasing my Effexor dosage or giving another drug a go. > Firstly, has any other OCDer found Effexor to be a good drug for controlling > the OCD symptoms. Secondly, if not Effexor what drug has helped most with > your OCD? > Thanks in advance for replying. > Take care > Lawrence

Response:

no ocd but bipolar. wtf?

admin — Tue, 13 Jan 2004 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

I was diagnosed by 1 Doctor as OCD and 2 doctors as Bipolar Affective Disorder 1, yes i do get manic. I know i am 100% sure i have Bipolar, but i think i have OCD aswell. Maybe its just not as bad as the bipolar. take care Chris. "Erik" wrote in message

news:jbUMb.24812$v16.6002@bignews5.bellsouth.net… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Did you switch doctors? Some have their favorite pet > diagnosis (and have the numbers memorized). It would be too > much work to look up a new one or flex their brains a little. > Do you get manic? What was the rationale behind the diagnosis? > Erik > alien wrote: > > ive been diagnosed with Bipolar Affective Disorder I, and my previous > > diagnosis of OCD has been thrown out the window. hmm. the doctors seem to > > think that my OCD symptoms are from the depressive phase of the manic > > depression. Oh well. I still think i have OCD no matter what they say =/ > > Take care all > > chris.

Response:

Chris I sometimes wonder if the doctors really know what they are talking about the way they change from one diagnosis to another. Isnt it possible to suffer from OCD and the Bipolar disorder? Lawrence "alien" wrote in message

news:jtLMb.8768$Wa.532@news-server.bigpond.net.au… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> ive been diagnosed with Bipolar Affective Disorder I, and my previous > diagnosis of OCD has been thrown out the window. hmm. the doctors seem to > think that my OCD symptoms are from the depressive phase of the manic > depression. Oh well. I still think i have OCD no matter what they say =/ > Take care all > chris.

Response:

Did you switch doctors? Some have their favorite pet diagnosis (and have the numbers memorized). It would be too much work to look up a new one or flex their brains a little. Do you get manic? What was the rationale behind the diagnosis? Erik – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -alien wrote: > ive been diagnosed with Bipolar Affective Disorder I, and my previous > diagnosis of OCD has been thrown out the window. hmm. the doctors seem to > think that my OCD symptoms are from the depressive phase of the manic > depression. Oh well. I still think i have OCD no matter what they say =/ > Take care all > chris.

Response:

I think anything is possible with mental illness. "Loz" wrote in message

news:h3UMb.2669$YV1.1685@newsfep4-winn.server.ntli.net… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Chris > I sometimes wonder if the doctors really know what they are talking about > the way they change from one diagnosis to another. Isnt it possible to > suffer from OCD and the Bipolar disorder? > Lawrence > "alien" wrote in message > news:jtLMb.8768$Wa.532@news-server.bigpond.net.au… > > ive been diagnosed with Bipolar Affective Disorder I, and my previous > > diagnosis of OCD has been thrown out the window. hmm. the doctors seem to > > think that my OCD symptoms are from the depressive phase of the manic > > depression. Oh well. I still think i have OCD no matter what they say =/ > > Take care all > > chris.

Response:

Yea i think i definatly have both. Take care Chris. "Loz" wrote in message

Response:

ive been diagnosed with Bipolar Affective Disorder I, and my previous diagnosis of OCD has been thrown out the window. hmm. the doctors seem to think that my OCD symptoms are from the depressive phase of the manic depression. Oh well. I still think i have OCD no matter what they say =/ Take care all chris.

Response:

(re:) What Works Other Than CBT and Meds?

admin — Wed, 17 Dec 2003 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

No worries. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Question wrote: > Gee, I have been gone so long that there was no "reply to" option when > I read the last thread. The last one I found was Nov 13– let me know > if someone posted after that that I missed. > Anyway, Erik–thanks for the apology. I agree that it’s all about > setting goals–I guess that’s where I’m not sure. I guess I just need > to decide what (if anything) I feel is overboard and then deal with > that. The problem, of course, is figuring out how to deal with it. > I appreciate all the comments and support on this and any other > costructive comments anyone wants to submit. > -q > Question wrote: >>Erik wrote in message … >>I’m not sure I understand why you use the term "trolling." >>To me it sounds negative, is it meant to be? > Yes, and I apologize. You probably aren’t trolling, but it > seemed that way at the time. My mistake. > Good luck with what you make of it. I think you need to set > your goals before you decide the how’s and what’s about > reaching this goal, but that’s just some unsolicited advice > on my part. > I don’t consider all my OCD symptoms as negative and some > are quite positive and enjoyable. Just a matter of how you > look at it. > Erik

Response:

Gee, I have been gone so long that there was no "reply to" option when I read the last thread. The last one I found was Nov 13– let me know if someone posted after that that I missed. Anyway, Erik–thanks for the apology. I agree that it’s all about setting goals–I guess that’s where I’m not sure. I guess I just need to decide what (if anything) I feel is overboard and then deal with that. The problem, of course, is figuring out how to deal with it. I appreciate all the comments and support on this and any other costructive comments anyone wants to submit. -q Question wrote: > Erik wrote in message … > I’m not sure I understand why you use the term "trolling." > To me it sounds negative, is it meant to be?

Yes, and I apologize. You probably aren’t trolling, but it seemed that way at the time. My mistake. Good luck with what you make of it. I think you need to set your goals before you decide the how’s and what’s about reaching this goal, but that’s just some unsolicited advice on my part. I don’t consider all my OCD symptoms as negative and some are quite positive and enjoyable. Just a matter of how you look at it. Erik

Response:

ocd returning

admin — Wed, 08 Oct 2003 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

>From: willi…@india.com >I am very paranoid about >going off the Prozac as it has helped in the past, and even now I am >much better than before I started stking it. On the other hand, if >something else might work better..

bill, dont try to reduce meds without getting together with your pdoc. if you need something different they can gradually take you off one while adding another. i got into huge trouble with agoraphobia when i suddenly stopped ananfranil a few yrs ago. i couldnt work for 6 months! lisa

Response:

williamd wrote:

> I am not sure whether it is more connected with halving my prozac- It probably is. That and quite possibly that ’some CBT’ was not enough CBT. > which makes me worry i have somehow rendered this drug ineffective for > me- i’ve gone back to full dosage for iver a week and still the ocd is > pretty bad. SSRIs need to build up over a few weeks. If you’re already on them and are increasing the dosage, you still have to let them build up. > It seems so long as I was weaning onto prozac and > xanax and just zoning out all the time I had little desire for ocd or > anything else. I had the same experience. > Has anyone else had a similar problem and learned how to turn up the > good parts without rousing the dreaded ocd monster? Thanks for any > info/suggestions. I think being patient, reducing meds s l o w l y and being very proactive in terms of using what you learn in CBT is key. By slowly, I mean months and years even. Four years ago I was on 40 mg of seroxat (a high, mind-numbing dosage) and I needed that. It brought my obsessions under control and let me learn about OCD and how to manage it through CBT – challenging my fucked up thinking, facing my fears, learning to embrace rather than avoid anxiety, etc… Once I had learned a lot of coping stategies and had them quite well practised, I was up for the challenge of reducing my meds but I didn’t just half my dose I went from 40 to 35 mg and stayed there for a few months and practiced applying what I learned in CBT. Then from 35 to 30 mgs for another few months, then 30 to 25 mgs for another few months, 25 to 20 mgs for about 9 months (had a lot of stress at that time that was challenging enough), then from 20 to 15 mgs for a few months… You get the picture. Now, I’m on about about whatever it is you get when you take a 20 mg tablet and chop it up into 8 bits and take one bit every other day. In other words, barely anything. It’s been a slow process but effective for me. Though I still have some fears, they are not all consuming. I am quite normal now but I did have to work hard at it and I still work at maintaining my normality (which is far, far easier than getting there). — ARQ Add a dot on each side of the ‘r’ in my name and a ‘c’ in front of lara to email me.

Response:

Hi Erik, and thanks for the encouragement. I am very paranoid about going off the Prozac as it has helped in the past, and even now I am much better than before I started stking it. On the other hand, if something else might work better… I suppose I’ll wait awhile and see if things return to normal. If not I may ask my doc about another med. bill

Response:

I am also in the process of weaning from meds. I suffer from occasional bouts of anxiety, but it seems to come and go. It can last for a few days and then disappear for a week. It is not an every day thing but when it happens, I panic and think "this is how it is going to be forever". I have been off antidepressants since March and I’m down to (2) 400 mg tegretol a day which is sub-therapeutic I’m sure. My psychiatrist does not want me to stop totally yet, so I am on hold for a few months to see how I do. I have been doing very well for the past few years but I was always on medication. I haven’t been in (medicine-free) recovery long enough to give you much advice except to *anticipate* feeling anxious in the beginning. Realize that this is normal and just knowing this will help a little. I also think one of my problems is that I am not allowing the OCD to stop me from my normal activities. I doing everything as usual and this is also making me anxious. So I’ve had some pretty bad days that still come and go but I’m trying to keep doing what I normally do and praying I get used to it and this will subside. NK "williamd" wrote in message

news:1g2ig9q.9a5llk6os9zoN%williamd@india.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I was feeling great relief after a few months of Prozac and some CBT > from a local counselor. At the same time I had been improving in my > anxiety in general, esp concerning marriage/family issues. A couple > weeks ago I started lowering my dosage of prozac by half just to see if > I still needed 40mg daily. Also around that time I had a big epiphany in > that suddenly I wasn’t scared about the marriage/family issues any more. > For the last couple weeks I have felt better from GAD than in years and > old interests, hobbies, and passion for life is returning. > The problem with all this is my ocd symptoms seem to be returning as > well. I am not sure whether it is more connected with halving my prozac- > which makes me worry i have somehow rendered this drug ineffective for > me- i’ve gone back to full dosage for iver a week and still the ocd is > pretty bad. On this other hand, i think it may have more to do with my > refound zest for life. It seems so long as I was weaning onto prozac and > xanax and just zoning out all the time I had little desire for ocd or > anything else. Now that i am getting better anxiety-wise, the ocd is > also functioning at a higher level. > Has anyone else had a similar problem and learned how to turn up the > good parts without rousing the dreaded ocd monster? Thanks for any > info/suggestions. > bill

Response:

I was feeling great relief after a few months of Prozac and some CBT from a local counselor. At the same time I had been improving in my anxiety in general, esp concerning marriage/family issues. A couple weeks ago I started lowering my dosage of prozac by half just to see if I still needed 40mg daily. Also around that time I had a big epiphany in that suddenly I wasn’t scared about the marriage/family issues any more. For the last couple weeks I have felt better from GAD than in years and old interests, hobbies, and passion for life is returning. The problem with all this is my ocd symptoms seem to be returning as well. I am not sure whether it is more connected with halving my prozac- which makes me worry i have somehow rendered this drug ineffective for me- i’ve gone back to full dosage for iver a week and still the ocd is pretty bad. On this other hand, i think it may have more to do with my refound zest for life. It seems so long as I was weaning onto prozac and xanax and just zoning out all the time I had little desire for ocd or anything else. Now that i am getting better anxiety-wise, the ocd is also functioning at a higher level. Has anyone else had a similar problem and learned how to turn up the good parts without rousing the dreaded ocd monster? Thanks for any info/suggestions. bill

Response:

Hi Bill, Don’t dispair. This is a normal thing except that now you know what to do about it. Yes, I know that which you talk about about. The beast and the cruel fact that a zest for life and OCD seem to go hand ‘n hand. I had the opposite effect with SSRI’s. That is when I start to pull out of my depression that the OCD would attack with a vengence, and drive me back down. I finally found some relief with an anti-psychotic (Seroquel) and I was finally able to wean onto an SSRI (Lexapro). For me at least, it seemed to decouple the ‘zest for life’ and ‘OCD’. That 10 years of counseling came into good use, and things have been snapping into place over the last, err, year. Erik – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -williamd wrote: > I was feeling great relief after a few months of Prozac and some CBT > from a local counselor. At the same time I had been improving in my > anxiety in general, esp concerning marriage/family issues. A couple > weeks ago I started lowering my dosage of prozac by half just to see if > I still needed 40mg daily. Also around that time I had a big epiphany in > that suddenly I wasn’t scared about the marriage/family issues any more. > For the last couple weeks I have felt better from GAD than in years and > old interests, hobbies, and passion for life is returning. > The problem with all this is my ocd symptoms seem to be returning as > well. I am not sure whether it is more connected with halving my prozac- > which makes me worry i have somehow rendered this drug ineffective for > me- i’ve gone back to full dosage for iver a week and still the ocd is > pretty bad. On this other hand, i think it may have more to do with my > refound zest for life. It seems so long as I was weaning onto prozac and > xanax and just zoning out all the time I had little desire for ocd or > anything else. Now that i am getting better anxiety-wise, the ocd is > also functioning at a higher level. > Has anyone else had a similar problem and learned how to turn up the > good parts without rousing the dreaded ocd monster? Thanks for any > info/suggestions. > bill

Response:

Do I have a personality disorder?

admin — Thu, 11 Sep 2003 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

Hi, I have been diagnosed as having Obsessional Compulsive Disorders (OCD), anxiety and depression ’set against features of Schizotypal Personality Disorder’. This is the wording at the bottom of the pile of paper I received after an assessment. What exactly does ’set against features of Schizotypal personality disorder’ mean, do I have a personality disorder or just bits of one? I suppose at the end of the day it’s just about words and labels but I have been try hard, with therapy, to try and sort myself out and it would help me to know which bits of me are ‘real’ and which can be attributed to other things (if that makes sense). Sorry if it’s a bit garbled. Thanks, Hobbit

Response:

"Hobbit" wrote in news:bjqjqu$id8$1 @sparta.btinternet.com: > What exactly does ’set against features of Schizotypal > personality disorder’

that means you don’t have the schizotypal dx. However, this person thinks you are showing some traits associated with schizotypal pd (search on google and you will probably find the list.. I’m too lazy to type those in the dsm). So the answer would be just "bits" of schizotypal If you would have more "bits", you would have had the dx schizotypal. First you need to know what those features are (Ask him or her). If you think it’s correct. Then, you could try to "remove" those features one at a time. :) Sometimes it begins with a few "bits" (just features) .. then it gets worse.

Response:

HI I’m Frenchie. I have Borderline Personality Disorder. I can’t diagnose or confirm a diagnosis….but just a tip….before you get hung up on the idea of having a disorder, please don’t de-humanize yourself….you are not a disorder, you’re a person. I think so many of us who get diagosed with something so serious as a Personality Disorder end up "becoming our disorder". My doctors never told me that some of me was okay. They said "this is what’s wrong with you and you can’t be a good person until you fix it". My diagnosis actually made things worse for me….so don’t let it do the same to you. I know that being diagnosed can be a mixed blessing…."finally I have a name, a reason for feeling this way" and "oh my god, this is serious, my life is over" Don’t let it overcome you. Just because you have a disorder doesn’t mean that your feelings opinions, reactions etc. are not real….they are very real…. At the same token, try not to fragment yourself into "this is right and this is wrong, this is well, and this is diseased", you’ll probably feel even worse, rather, decide which behaviors are causing the most trouble. Concentrate on those. Sometimes you can learn to change things yourself. Streamline things little. There may be in fact, things you can’t change yourself, that you may need medication for, but that’s ok too. Just because you have a disorder, that does not have to mean that you "ARE" your disorder…I think that’s the one thing that sets therapy back quite a bit. Love yourself, take care of yourself, but the best advice I can give, is try to UNDERSTAND yourself…learn about yourself and I promise it will help you get better (at least a little)….also, maybe if you don’t already, you should keep a journal…..write in it every day and be VERY honest with yourself. Also, talk to people. Talking to people who know first hand how it feels to be diagnosed and suffer through what you’re suffering through is some of the best therapy there is. People in this group are probably more than willing to listen and give advice if you need them to…..just remember….you are still a person…..all of you…..treat yourself like one! I don’t know if it helps any, but there’s my 2 cents…..take it for what it’s worth to you! Frenchie

Enter TheMadhouse

Response:

[delurk] would appreciate a warning in subject if there will be sound in post. thanx. [/delurk] "Frenchie" wrote in message

news:22322-3F60E071-240@storefull-2271.public.lawson.webtv.net… HI I’m Frenchie. I have Borderline Personality Disorder. I can’t diagnose or confirm a diagnosis….but just a tip….before you get hung up on the idea of having a disorder, please don’t de-humanize yourself….you are not a disorder, you’re a person. I think so many of us who get diagosed with something so serious as a Personality Disorder end up "becoming our disorder". My doctors never told me that some of me was okay. They said "this is what’s wrong with you and you can’t be a good person until you fix it". My diagnosis actually made things worse for me….so don’t let it do the same to you. I know that being diagnosed can be a mixed blessing…."finally I have a name, a reason for feeling this way" and "oh my god, this is serious, my life is over" Don’t let it overcome you. Just because you have a disorder doesn’t mean that your feelings opinions, reactions etc. are not real….they are very real…. At the same token, try not to fragment yourself into "this is right and this is wrong, this is well, and this is diseased", you’ll probably feel even worse, rather, decide which behaviors are causing the most trouble. Concentrate on those. Sometimes you can learn to change things yourself. Streamline things little. There may be in fact, things you can’t change yourself, that you may need medication for, but that’s ok too. Just because you have a disorder, that does not have to mean that you "ARE" your disorder…I think that’s the one thing that sets therapy back quite a bit. Love yourself, take care of yourself, but the best advice I can give, is try to UNDERSTAND yourself…learn about yourself and I promise it will help you get better (at least a little)….also, maybe if you don’t already, you should keep a journal…..write in it every day and be VERY honest with yourself. Also, talk to people. Talking to people who know first hand how it feels to be diagnosed and suffer through what you’re suffering through is some of the best therapy there is. People in this group are probably more than willing to listen and give advice if you need them to…..just remember….you are still a person…..all of you…..treat yourself like one! I don’t know if it helps any, but there’s my 2 cents…..take it for what it’s worth to you! Frenchie Enter The Madhouse

Response:

>I have been diagnosed as having Obsessional Compulsive Disorders (OCD), >anxiety and depression ’set against features of Schizotypal Personality >Disorder’. This is the wording at the bottom of the pile of paper I received >after an assessment. What exactly does ’set against features of Schizotypal >personality disorder’ mean, do I have a personality disorder or just bits of >one?

Hi. Hobbit. This one is definitely Vaipen’s milieu. He is a veritable font of knowledge on the subject of schizotypal personality d/o. But I don’t know if he reads all the posts. (Maybe he does, I don’t know.) But just in case, if I were you I would repost this and put "Schizotypal PD" in the subject field. Vaipen will open it immediately and probably tell you anything you need to know. Cheers, Diana "Of the Moon"

Response:

Thanks everyone. Warm Regards, Hobbit

Response:

Thank you!

Response:

>Anyway… That is what you are dx’ed with. Now, you also seem to show >signs of StPD, which btw, is also what I have so be very welcome here >my mad friend for now we are double in strength and can turn this >newsgroup to our hand.

Please do. I would like nothing more! ) >Now, please do tell me what sort of Hobbit you are and what your mind >is like! I show you mine if you show me yours? Can pick your brain? >You can study me too!

Wait a minute. What happened to "I’m a very private person"? :-p Diana "Of the Moon"

Response:

Hi, thanks for your reply. I have various types of OCD symptoms but mostly intrusive thoughts. One type of thought that is present at the moment suggests to me that terrible harm will come to people unless I repeat certain actions to make it safe, this is not uncommon with OCD but may also be strengthened by the ‘magical thinking’ aspect of StPD. Some thoughts leave me thinking that I may be a danger to others and suggest alsorts of other unpleasant possibilities. I also have lots of other OCD symptoms too and the associated anxiety. I received my diagnosies later in life so have 30 years of living where I believed I was bad and evil and missed a lot of formative social contact etc. I’m trying to find the real me (and afraid that I won’t like myself when I do), what bits really are me, what bits come about because of year of thinking I was bad and what might be StPD. I’m sure I’ll get there in the end. Thanks again Hobbit.

Response:

>From: "Hobbit" the_hob…@i12.com >Date: 9/13/2003 1:57 PM Eastern Standard Time >so have 30 years of living where I >believed I was bad and evil and missed a lot of formative social contact

I missed a lot of that too. And I don’t really know how to go back and learn what I missed. But anyway, I can relate. >I’m sure I’ll get there in the end.

You’ll get somewhere. It may not be where you expect! ) Diana "Of the Moon"

Response:

paxil short term effects?

admin — Thu, 19 Jun 2003 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

I took Paxil for approximately 7 years (give or take 2 years)….I been on other antidepressants since 1990. I don’t think I suffered any long term effects from it. The only reason I came off of it was that it affected my sex drive and constipated me somewhat. I also wanted to see how I would do without it. My dosage started at 40 mg and over the years I was able to taper down to 10 mg. I think it helped me, especially in the beginning. My sister also takes it for OCD and swears by it. She says she will take it for the rest of her life. I just stopped taking it in March. It is a difficult drug to taper off of……it must be done very slowly or you will have "discontinuation syndrome" (i.e. side effects such as dizziness, nausea, anxiety, etc). The good news is I am doing fairly well so far. I always took my Paxil in the am…….they say it is sedating (it is) and it would make sense to take it at night but when I did, I found myself waking up every hour or so. When I took it in the am, it didn’t do this. If I ever get seriously depressed again, I would take it but I don’t recommend it for minor stuff. NK wrote in message

news:8i83fvgh2rq7vs32vmoa6p5rhp67p5tcvr@4ax.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I take Paxil for my OCD, since 1998. Currently on 20mg. Still have > frequent annoying OCD symptoms. Questions; > Are there instances of prolonged Paxil use making OCD worse rather > than curing it? I am not convinced Paxil has made my OCD any better in > the last five years. > Is it healthy to take Paxil for such a long period of time? Should I > stop? > What time of day is it best to take Paxil for OCD, in terms of its > short term effects? I currently take it in the evening. Should I take > it in the morning, would it have better efficacy for preventing OCD > during the day? > Thanks for answers.

Response:

paxil has been working well for me. i’ve been on 32.5 mg now and it seems to be helping with the overall depression and OCD. i’m also on Risperdal, which is an anti-psycotic, but is also used for OCD. i take paxil at night because i felt too drowsy during the day if i took it in the morning. as for side-effects, i must be very resilient to them. i havn’t even noticed a decrease in sex drive, maybe because i’m 20 and have plenty of drive to start with, *lol* TB wrote in message

Response:

paranoid about accidents

admin — Fri, 16 May 2003 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

lately i cant stop worrying about anything. one night when i was coming home from work my windshields werent defrosted very well even though i scraped them as much as i could. the parking lot is often crowded with people and now I feel like I almost ran someone over because I didnt let the windshield clear. I fear i might have not seen someone and easily ran into them because the dummies dont use the crosswalk and just walk right down the middle where you leave the parking lot. I worry about a lot of incidents in the past. I’m always paranoid I might easily injure someone or myself. be it driving or just any kind of accident. I can always be more careful but I have a hard time worrying about things that have happened in the past and could have been a accident. I wish I could make it stop. I also find myself doing other ocd tpye behaviors. I will check my alarm clock maybe 10 times before I goto sleep to make sure its set. sometimes I go back and check my car several times to make sure my parking break is set. I bought the book brain lock and hopefully that will set me on the right track. also is there any evidence that fish oil helps treat ocd? thanks

Response:

Worrying that you may have run somebody over is possibly the most common and classical of OCD symptoms. At the end of the day, if you run someone over then you tend to know about it. Running somebody over is probably akin to going over a large speed hump or mounting a steep kerb – if it happens, you feel it, apart from anything else. And no, although you maybe shouldn’t have been fiddling with the radio, lighting a cigarette, etc, this makes no difference. That’s what I used to try and tell myself when I used to get these types of obsessive urges anyway. I found they gradually receded and have now practically disappeared. Brain Lock is a good book and gives a comprehensive incite into OCD and its causes. As for oily fish and OCD, that’s news to me! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Chris wrote: > lately i cant stop worrying about anything. one night when i was coming home > from work my windshields werent defrosted very well even though i scraped > them as much as i could. the parking lot is often crowded with people and > now I feel like I almost ran someone over because I didnt let the > windshield clear. I fear i might have not seen someone and easily ran into > them because the dummies dont use the crosswalk and just walk right down the > middle where you leave the parking lot. I worry about a lot of incidents in > the past. I’m always paranoid I might easily injure someone or myself. be it > driving or just any kind of accident. I can always be more careful but I > have a hard time worrying about things that have happened in the past and > could have been a accident. I wish I could make it stop. I also find myself > doing other ocd tpye behaviors. I will check my alarm clock maybe 10 times > before I goto sleep to make sure its set. sometimes I go back and check my > car several times to make sure my parking break is set. I bought the book > brain lock and hopefully that will set me on the right track. also is there > any evidence that fish oil helps treat ocd?

Response:

I take cod liver oil. It is super for your immune system, but another one of its supposed benefits is lowered agression which I take to mean anxiety and anger, and more blood flow to the brain i think. In any case, I have not noticed it doing anything to my OCD, but I doubt it hurts it. "Chris" wrote in message

news:3lcxa.860176$3D1.490936@sccrnsc01… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> lately i cant stop worrying about anything. one night when i was coming home > from work my windshields werent defrosted very well even though i scraped > them as much as i could. the parking lot is often crowded with people and > now I feel like I almost ran someone over because I didnt let the > windshield clear. I fear i might have not seen someone and easily ran into > them because the dummies dont use the crosswalk and just walk right down the > middle where you leave the parking lot. I worry about a lot of incidents in > the past. I’m always paranoid I might easily injure someone or myself. be it > driving or just any kind of accident. I can always be more careful but I > have a hard time worrying about things that have happened in the past and > could have been a accident. I wish I could make it stop. I also find myself > doing other ocd tpye behaviors. I will check my alarm clock maybe 10 times > before I goto sleep to make sure its set. sometimes I go back and check my > car several times to make sure my parking break is set. I bought the book > brain lock and hopefully that will set me on the right track. also is there > any evidence that fish oil helps treat ocd? > thanks

Response:

Once again, Leveler123 is on the money. "Chris" wrote in message

Response:

OCD symptoms

admin — Wed, 14 May 2003 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

Hi, Can anyone give me the lowdown on OCD symptoms that include sucking the front of shirts or sleeves and scratching. My stepson does these things, and at first he would literally eat the front of his shirt and when that was gone, he would start on the sleeves. He suffers mild eyczma and when he begins to scratch, he scratches until he is bleeding. Then he starts on a new area. These areas are usually legs, arms and hands. He leaves his face and torso alone, but has a habit of holding himself (you know what I mean) when he is nervous. He suffers undiagnosed TS, has a brother with moderate TS and a dad with Mild TS. His mom died when he was 6 and he suffers separation anxiety (understandable) His maternal grandmother is bi-polar and his uncle committed suicide (schizoprenia related). His mother and grandfather both died of brain tumors (in frontal lobes) within six months of each other. All of his mothers family have difficulties establishing and maintaining long term relationships. Poor kid, he is 12 and although some of these things were not so obvious when he was 7,8,9,,10…they are starting to stick out at 12. Any advice anyone. Thanks, Cathy

Response:

that’s so terrible i don’t know what to tell you. if you can afford it please please take him to get help. a little pill and talking to someone about his problems can make all the difference. my situation was ignored and because of that i am suffering more. i feel so bad for this kid. it is better to accept and agknowledge then to ignore and pretend it is a phase. please talk to him. the scratching sounds like ocd related symptoms and it is not all that uncommon for people with TS to have OCD too. i hope i could help. liz

Response:

> He suffers undiagnosed TS, has a brother with >moderate TS and a dad with Mild TS. His mom died when he was 6 and he >suffers separation anxiety (understandable) His maternal grandmother is >bi-polar and his uncle committed suicide (schizoprenia related). His >mother and grandfather both died of brain tumors (in frontal lobes) within >six months of each other. All of his mothers family have difficulties >establishing and maintaining long term relationships.

gee, it seems like your stepson has been dealt a very bad hand. i wish i knew what to say to help. the only advice i would give is to maybe take him to a psychologist & have him evaluated. perhaps they could put him on some medication & get him started on some behaviour therapy. i think the bad thing to do would be to wait. my ocd became really noticeable when i was 13, & i didnt go to the doctor until i was 21 [im now 22]. the longer the patterns, etc have to sink in, the more difficult they are to overcome/correct/etc. thats how it has been for me anyway. good luck! nothing

Response:

Hi I was wondering if someone could provide me with symptoms or examples of ocd other than the standard ones like washing your hands or fear of germs ? Thanks —-== Posted via Newsfeed.Com – Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==—- http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! >100,000 Newsgroups —= 19 East/West-Coast Specialized Servers – Total Privacy via Encryption =—

Response:

Cleaning/contamination obsessions, I think, are the most common symptom of OCD, but a great number of sufferers have many different symtoms ranging through (as classified by some people) four groups. Cleaning, checking, hoarding or counting. Symptoms could be carrying out rituals which could be from washing hands or checking electrical appliances/power points over and over, to hoarding useless items (old papers, pamphletts/flyers, containers, old mail to name a few) or compulsively counting things to certain numbers/obsession with certain numbers (an example might be counting steps or no. of times they tap their finger/s in, say, sets of 4 or 10, or 29, etc.). OCD is sometimes called "the doubting disease" because you are sure the fears and thoughts are not real, but they ‘feel’ real, and this may get to a point where your mind is filled with doubt. Uncertainty or doubt may mean they are constantly seeking, reassurance or approval (especially children). The person might doubt their own thoughts. Constant reassurance from a doctor about all sorts of things might be a symptom (NOTE: do not confuse this with ordinary worry or someone who’s a mild hyperchondriac. We’re talking constant reassurance). Many people are slaves to rituals of arranging objects or items. I read that someone used to painfully arrange a pen back in it’s place for a quarter of an hour if they bumped it out of place, for a deep fear of losing things, or fear of not being able to find something when it is really needed (hence that something terrible will happen caused by them). A sufferer might think that if they don’t perform their ritual, they might hurt someone or cause a terrible incident. Being overly concerned with certain words, numbers, sounds or images can be a symptom. An example might be that the person might blink or touch a lamp 4 or 8 times when they want to blink or go to bed, or it might be that certain words, numbers, etc are viewed as ‘bad’ or ‘evil’. Intrusive thoughts, I think, are quite common (but i’m no doctor or anything like that). Intrusive blasphemous or unreligious thoughts might occur, and the person may feel very guilty about them, or fear they might occur. These "invade" or "intrude" the person’s mind, and may also be of a violent or perversely sexual in nature as well. An information website that has some common obsessions and compulsions is http://www.mentalhealth.org.au/ocd.html . It’s an aussie website (cause I’m from Australia) with links to resources, etc. (P.S. I think I’m a little obsessional in not missing out any info, or compulsive info giver. Hope all that helped you.) Col. colhea…@hotmail.com "vh" wrote in message

news:Xns937B681E4A202xaixaixai@198.87.234.3… > Hi > I was wondering if someone could provide me with symptoms or examples of > ocd other than the standard ones like washing your hands or fear of germs > ? > Thanks > —-== Posted via Newsfeed.Com – Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==—- > http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! >100,000 Newsgroups > —= 19 East/West-Coast Specialized Servers – Total Privacy via Encryption

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Response:

Hi Thanks for the lengthy response When I was a bit younger I had a problem where I was afraid of germs and I would wash my hands like a bazillion times a day and have to clean anything in a bathroom before touching it, etc. Somehow I managed to break free from that. But these days I do a few odd things that I can’t help and I’m not sure if you’d consider ocd. For example when my wisdom teeth came in, some of the bottom teeth got a bit misaligned and so, this might sound a bit weird, I am always checking with my tongue to see if they are worse than before, I dont even realize that I’m doing it, and I seem helpless to stop. Is this bad habit or is it ocd? The fact that it acts as a re-assurance tells me it’s not just habit… I also have obsessive thoughts I suppose, although I don’t even know how to describe it… —-== Posted via Newsfeed.Com – Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==—- http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! >100,000 Newsgroups —= 19 East/West-Coast Specialized Servers – Total Privacy via Encryption =—

Response:

"vh" wrote in message

news:Xns937CA15FA633xaixaixai@198.87.234.3… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hi > Thanks for the lengthy response > When I was a bit younger I had a problem where I was afraid of germs and I > would wash my hands like a bazillion times a day and have to clean anything > in a bathroom before touching it, etc. > Somehow I managed to break free from that. But these days I do a few odd > things that I can’t help and I’m not sure if you’d consider ocd. For > example when my wisdom teeth came in, some of the bottom teeth got a bit > misaligned and so, this might sound a bit weird, I am always checking with > my tongue to see if they are worse than before, I dont even realize that > I’m doing it, and I seem helpless to stop. Is this bad habit or is it ocd? > The fact that it acts as a re-assurance tells me it’s not just habit… > I also have obsessive thoughts I suppose, although I don’t even know how to > describe it…

Well, I can tell you some information to consider and help you learn about it, but it should only be you along with your GP who diagnoses whether you have it (and I’m no doctor). You might want to consider some of this, and have something to talk to your doctor or others about. But some things to think about are: The common element to the various symptoms of OCD is anxiety or discomfort. Anxiety associated with the obsessional thought/s is what drives the ritual/s. How much anxiety or discomfort do you feel if you try to resist checking your teeth with your toungue (or other rituals)? Also, most sufferers realise that their actions are absurd or useless, yet they still feel compelled to perform their compulsions or rituals. Many people have little quirks or idiosyncrasies which occasionally go beyond a habit (say, when we’re stressed or quite nervous), but if they go beyond that to when they’re just impossible to resist, or interfering with your life (say, making you late, missing appointments, etc), or you are sufferering because of it, then OCD may be the cause. Are you continuously performing these ‘out of control’ habits? To what level do they interfere with your life (if so)? Obsessive thoughts usually cause associated anxiety and/or distress to OCD sufferers. Sometimes sufferers will come up with distractions, mental rituals, or avoidance in order to lessen the discomfort (this is the basis of compulsions -they are performed to lessen discomfort, only mental things may be used instead). How much discomfort to you experience when you get these obsessional thoughts? Do you do anything, get distracted or do/think anything to avoid them? OCD sufferers often experience unwanted or intrusive thoughts. Keeping in mind that we all have things we don’t like to think about, whether from bad experiences or against our principles, Do you have any to which you try not to think about? Do they just feel like you can’t get rid of them or cause you much distress? Do remember that kids go through stages, and we all have our little things we do, but basically ask has it become or has it been a problem or really worrying you or causing you stress? This is just some information to think about. I’m not a doctor, I must stress that, but if I had to give any bit of advice to you, it would be that don’t panic or worry, have a chat with a doctor and when you do, be honest and don’t feel ashamed about any of it, as that is the only way they can be helpful (even if it’s just to tell you you have quirks like most people). You’ve taken a good step already and asked about it (that was one of my really big mistakes). And by the way, no, it doesn’t sound weird what you wrote because OCD, or similar like having that sort of personality, is very common, so there’s probably others concerned just like you, and learning about it won’t hurt either. Basically, chat with your doc -he won’t bite your head off for asking. I’m gonna stop writing now before a text book breaks out (sorry). Col. > —-== Posted via Newsfeed.Com – Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==—- > http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! >100,000 Newsgroups > —= 19 East/West-Coast Specialized Servers – Total Privacy via Encryption

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Response:

Does occupational therapy really help

admin — Fri, 25 Apr 2003 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

i have had responce prevention therapy……..it was very intence i was not capable of completeing i just wasn’t ready. but it does work for a high persentage of people. "James" wrote in message

news:b8bhra$a6e$1@nntp-stjh-01-01.rogers.nf.net… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hi , > Im going to start occupational therapy soon for help with my ocd, social > interaction and self-esteem. I take 80 mgs > of Prozac and 2 mgs of Clonazepam daily to relieve my OCD symptoms. I still > find it very difficult to be a more outgoing and competent person. Hopefully > OT will help > me. Im somewhat nervous about going to OT and meeting strange people. I have > bad moodswings lately. > My mood changes from generally happy to wanting to hit > a inannimate object when having negative thoughts. > Does anyone else feel these ways ? Your replys are > greatly appreciated about this subject. Thank you. > Bye, James

Response:

Hi , Im going to start occupational therapy soon for help with my ocd, social interaction and self-esteem. I take 80 mgs of Prozac and 2 mgs of Clonazepam daily to relieve my OCD symptoms. I still find it very difficult to be a more outgoing and competent person. Hopefully OT will help me. Im somewhat nervous about going to OT and meeting strange people. I have bad moodswings lately. My mood changes from generally happy to wanting to hit a inannimate object when having negative thoughts. Does anyone else feel these ways ? Your replys are greatly appreciated about this subject. Thank you. Bye, James

Response:

IMHO I’m not sure you mean "occupational" therapy. Behavioral therapy works to some extent for most people if the therapist is skilled. Group therapy is great to commiserate and share coping skills but should be an adjunct to individual intensive therapy with a trained therapist. Be sure you have someone with OCD experience and ask how many patients they have had with OCD. If the answer is under 10 then run. There are many subdivisions of behavioral therapy specific to OCD. The amount of work you are willing to do (read as "hell you subject yourself to") should determine how agressive the therapy should be. A good therapist will ask the right questions and is worth the effort to find. I did 10 years of individual and group therapy before there were any SSRI’s and it helped me. My OCD has not disappeared but is under varying levels of control. Rarely does OCD just disappear. Attitude is everything. Good luck. "James" wrote in message