OCD: General Discussion Thread

redharbor23 said:Klonopin is an anticonvulsant; frankly, I have no idea why he put you on that. Tylenol is an SSRI, typically used for OCD. My sister takes it at 100mg, but she’s bumping up to 150mg next week. She will likely eventually reach 300mg.

Have you experienced any side effects from it yet? It took my sister about a week to stabilize. She dealt with insomnia combined with extreme lethargy—basically feeling exhausted constantly but being unable to actually sleep.
After a month and a half, we are finally starting to see the effects kick in.

Since I’ve been dealing with OCD since I was nine and have cycled through two different psychiatrists, I can tell you that what you're on might not be the best move. I was on Zoloft for a long time, but honestly, it did nothing for me. I never felt any improvement. Later, I switched to Deprozel and that actually helped more.

It looks like things have been quiet on this end for quite some time. I’m actually hoping that’s for the best—that you're all feeling significantly better and simply don't find yourselves needing to vent here anymore. As for my own situation, the medication has been doing its job, and I'm finally starting to feel like myself again. While those compulsive urges haven't vanished entirely, they've certainly dialed back enough to be manageable, but the real victory is that the crushing weight of depression has finally lifted.
Sending my best to everyone out there!!

Anyone else dealing with this? Looking for some insight on progress, or ways to quiet the intrusive thoughts and repetitive loops.

I’ve been stuck in this cycle for a decade now. There is progress, but it feels like moving at a snail's pace😢, especially when you're trying to manage without any medication😁
If you're reading this and wondering what I mean, here's a link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessi...lsive_disorder

(Mod, if this topic has already been covered, feel free to delete.)

Kudos to you for staying off the pills. For me, it’s been a different story... I’ve been battling these intrusive, unwanted thoughts for six months now, and they just hit me out of nowhere. It’s an uphill battle every single day. It started with these sudden urges to hurt my dog—vivid images of actually doing it—then it shifted to hurting my mom, and now it's even turned toward myself. This whole thing is starting to feel much more serious than just "annoying." And honestly? I’d trade places with those people who just deal with constant cleaning compulsions any day of the week.

Jeffrey Ramos4 said:Kudos to you for staying off the pills. For me, it’s been a different story... I’ve been battling these intrusive, unwanted thoughts for six months now, and they just hit me out of nowhere. It’s an uphill battle every single day. It started with these sudden urges to hurt my dog—vivid images of actually doing it—then it shifted to hurting my mom, and now it's even turned toward myself. This whole thing is starting to feel much more serious than just "annoying." And honestly? I’d trade places with those people who just deal with constant cleaning compulsions any day of the week.

Believe me, the discomfort is identical whether it's cleanliness issues or violent thoughts. It all leads to the same place. For me, it started with contamination fears when I was a kid, then religious obsessions, then the thoughts about killing people—family, friends—or hurting myself. You wouldn't believe the panic inside my head. On the outside, I looked perfectly fine, but internally, it was pure hell.
When I didn't realize what was happening, I didn't pay it much mind. But once the intrusive thoughts showed up, the panic set in. I read books, emailed therapists online, and even saw a psychiatrist once. He suggested two types of medication—one for anxiety and one for depression, which is quite the cocktail for a 17-year-old 👎. It didn't help much; if anything, it made the thoughts feel more real, so I quit after just one day 😁. After that failed experiment, I sought out a specialist who works with young adults, and since 2003, we've been doing intensive therapy. Since 2005, I've felt better and clearer. The light switches, the hand washing, the repetitive tapping on walls—that's gone. But the intrusive thoughts remain. They arrive without logic and leave just as suddenly; I still haven't found the "trigger" that activated my OCD
.
If the OCD is weighing on you this heavily and feels like it's escalating, you aren't alone. Try to find a professional to talk to—not friends, because they won't grasp the nature of intrusive thoughts—maybe once every two weeks. It helps to know you don't have to navigate the understanding part by yourself

I’ve been through the ringer—psychiatrists, endless prescriptions, hospital stays... and yet, these violent thoughts still follow me around like a shadow. Maybe I should just write a book about my own head and these impulses. Something biting, sarcastic, and darkly funny... if I can actually get it finished before they finally catch up with me.

Jeffrey Ramos4 said:I’ve been through the ringer—psychiatrists, endless prescriptions, hospital stays... and yet, these violent thoughts still follow me around like a shadow. Maybe I should just write a book about my own head and these impulses. Something biting, sarcastic, and darkly funny... if I can actually get it finished before they finally catch up with me.

It’s probably better if I don't list everything I've dealt with. Regarding that "before they happen" part: intrusive thoughts rarely actually manifest. At least, that’s what I’ve managed to prove over the last decade.😁

If you give those thoughts any weight at all—no matter how twisted or dark they seem—they tend to show up more often. For me, it was this paralyzing fear that I’d hurt my parents. It was three months of pure agony and anxiety until talking it through with a psychologist helped dial it down to a manageable level. That worked for those specific thoughts... at least for that time.

Finally found someone else who’s actually walking through this same kind of hell. Tell me—what do you do when those thoughts start creeping in? For me, I just spiral straight into total panic...

Jeffrey Ramos4 said:Finally found someone else who’s actually walking through this same kind of hell. Tell me—what do you do when those thoughts start creeping in? For me, I just spiral straight into total panic...

Take deep breaths and try to remind yourself—and it’s the truth—that these thoughts only hurt you, not anyone else. It’s like how repetitive tasks can help ground you; give it a shot. It's much easier to just freeze up in a panic if you stay stationary.
Try to keep your hands busy when they strike. If you can muster enough focus to distract yourself, it helps. It's tough to get anything done when your mind is racing like that, but with practice, you might find a middle ground.👍

Jason Clark4 said:It’s probably better if I don't list everything I've dealt with. Regarding that "before they happen" part: intrusive thoughts rarely actually manifest. At least, that’s what I’ve managed to prove over the last decade.😁

If you give those thoughts any weight at all—no matter how twisted or dark they seem—they tend to show up more often. For me, it was this paralyzing fear that I’d hurt my parents. It was three months of pure agony and anxiety until talking it through with a psychologist helped dial it down to a manageable level. That worked for those specific thoughts... at least for that time.

I’ve been fighting these same thoughts for about five years now. It follows the same script every single time: first comes the panic, then the desperate attempt to control or suppress the thought, then the crushing shame, and so on and so forth. I never told anyone about it because I genuinely thought I was losing my mind. It was terrifying. My biggest fear—which is totally standard for this—was that I would actually hurt someone, especially my baby. I’ve been seeing my psychiatrist for a year and a half now and I've been on medication for about a year. Honestly? I feel much better. The depression is gone. The thoughts still pop up occasionally, usually when I’m stressed or feeling really on edge... I used to think I was the only person on the planet dealing with this until I stumbled upon this forum and realized there are plenty of us. My thoughts were so repulsive that I couldn't bring myself to say them out loud to anyone; I'd only describe them to people who already knew what I was going through, and even then, I'd "package" them to make them sound less extreme. Honestly, the best advice I got on this forum was to just ignore them, and damn, it actually works. It was brutal at first, but thank God, it’s getting much easier. It really helps to talk to people, even virtually, who actually get it...

wearycobra36 said:It looks like things have been quiet on this end for quite some time. I’m actually hoping that’s for the best—that you're all feeling significantly better and simply don't find yourselves needing to vent here anymore. As for my own situation, the medication has been doing its job, and I'm finally starting to feel like myself again. While those compulsive urges haven't vanished entirely, they've certainly dialed back enough to be manageable, but the real victory is that the crushing weight of depression has finally lifted.
Sending my best to everyone out there!!

Hey, I just pop in every once in a while, but man, it's a ghost town in here... I'm really glad to hear you're feeling better. Honestly, same here—fingers crossed it stays this way.

So, looks like I’ve actually got this disorder.... constant stuttering, sniffing, facial grimacing, eye blinking, and a whole bunch of other nonsense... and I only just figured out that this is what it's called. Since I haven't scrolled through the whole thread yet, can someone tell me if this stuff is actually treatable? What should my next move be? I haven't seen a doctor about it yet. I'm 18 and trying to get into college, but honestly, I have no clue if I'll even be able to finish my degree if I'm stuck like this. It’s a massive distraction when I'm trying to study.

Jeremy Bailey61 said:So, looks like I’ve actually got this disorder.... constant stuttering, sniffing, facial grimacing, eye blinking, and a whole bunch of other nonsense... and I only just figured out that this is what it's called. Since I haven't scrolled through the whole thread yet, can someone tell me if this stuff is actually treatable? What should my next move be? I haven't seen a doctor about it yet. I'm 18 and trying to get into college, but honestly, I have no clue if I'll even be able to finish my degree if I'm stuck like this. It’s a massive distraction when I'm trying to study.

Mine started out just like that—eye twitching, tapping on wood, cracking my knuckles—honestly, I don't even remember all of them anymore. Is it curable? Absolutely. You just have to find a way to decompress. Personally, I think the best bet is sitting down with a psychiatrist. Most of this stuff can be tackled without even touching medication. If you’ve bothered to read some of the previous pages, you’d see we’ve dealt with much worse things here. For example, I used to deal with all those compulsive physical habits, which eventually spiraled into these horrific intrusive thoughts where you genuinely feel like you're losing your mind. But thank God, with help from my doctor and some antidepressants, everything finally settled down...

Olivia Rivera77 said:Mine started out just like that—eye twitching, tapping on wood, cracking my knuckles—honestly, I don't even remember all of them anymore. Is it curable? Absolutely. You just have to find a way to decompress. Personally, I think the best bet is sitting down with a psychiatrist. Most of this stuff can be tackled without even touching medication. If you’ve bothered to read some of the previous pages, you’d see we’ve dealt with much worse things here. For example, I used to deal with all those compulsive physical habits, which eventually spiraled into these horrific intrusive thoughts where you genuinely feel like you're losing your mind. But thank God, with help from my doctor and some antidepressants, everything finally settled down...

What kind of compulsions are we talking about? Look, even while I'm typing this, I'm feeling this intense, nagging urge to write one single line slightly crookedly—I physically cannot stop myself from doing it. It feels terrible. For a long time, I genuinely thought I was losing my grip. I was deep in depression (still am, just in a milder phase), and there was a point where I even considered ending it all... thankfully, my faith helped pull me through. Now that I realize it’s "just" an illness, I've got some hope again, but man, dealing with this is still an uphill battle. If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?

Jeremy Bailey61 said:What kind of compulsions are we talking about? Look, even while I'm typing this, I'm feeling this intense, nagging urge to write one single line slightly crookedly—I physically cannot stop myself from doing it. It feels terrible. For a long time, I genuinely thought I was losing my grip. I was deep in depression (still am, just in a milder phase), and there was a point where I even considered ending it all... thankfully, my faith helped pull me through. Now that I realize it’s "just" an illness, I've got some hope again, but man, dealing with this is still an uphill battle. If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?

I'm 26... Honestly, back when I was in school, I spent the whole way there praying because I was terrified that something bad would happen to my family if I didn't perform certain rituals. I always had to get up from my chair and move to the right side because I didn't want to mess up my "luck." I had to tap on wood every single time a negative thought crossed my mind (like, thank God I have that little ritual to fall back on...). At one point, I was blinking so much that I refused to leave the house because I couldn't control it and felt so embarrassed about it... plus a million other things. Even now that the physical stuff has calmed down, these dark, intrusive thoughts still hit me. It started with seeing car accidents on the road and then my brain would just spiral into thoughts like, "what if you just died right here in front of everyone?" That's what dragged me straight into depression. By the time I finally worked up the nerve to start therapy, man, it was a total nightmare. But, I will say this—I've been on Lexapro for about a year and a half now, and it has made my life so much better. The physical compulsions are gone, even if those stray thoughts pop up occasionally. I know it’s a brutal thing to carry, but believe me, it is treatable. Try to ignore them, try not to give them any power, and one day you'll just wake up and realize you aren't doing it anymore.

Jeremy Bailey61 said:What kind of compulsions are we talking about? Look, even while I'm typing this, I'm feeling this intense, nagging urge to write one single line slightly crookedly—I physically cannot stop myself from doing it. It feels terrible. For a long time, I genuinely thought I was losing my grip. I was deep in depression (still am, just in a milder phase), and there was a point where I even considered ending it all... thankfully, my faith helped pull me through. Now that I realize it’s "just" an illness, I've got some hope again, but man, dealing with this is still an uphill battle. If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?

Oh, and one more thing: do not kill yourself over this. Seriously. This stuff is treatable.

Olivia Rivera77 said:I'm 26... Honestly, back when I was in school, I spent the whole way there praying because I was terrified that something bad would happen to my family if I didn't perform certain rituals. I always had to get up from my chair and move to the right side because I didn't want to mess up my "luck." I had to tap on wood every single time a negative thought crossed my mind (like, thank God I have that little ritual to fall back on...). At one point, I was blinking so much that I refused to leave the house because I couldn't control it and felt so embarrassed about it... plus a million other things. Even now that the physical stuff has calmed down, these dark, intrusive thoughts still hit me. It started with seeing car accidents on the road and then my brain would just spiral into thoughts like, "what if you just died right here in front of everyone?" That's what dragged me straight into depression. By the time I finally worked up the nerve to start therapy, man, it was a total nightmare. But, I will say this—I've been on Lexapro for about a year and a half now, and it has made my life so much better. The physical compulsions are gone, even if those stray thoughts pop up occasionally. I know it’s a brutal thing to carry, but believe me, it is treatable. Try to ignore them, try not to give them any power, and one day you'll just wake up and realize you aren't doing it anymore.

My symptoms hit a little differently, but it’s essentially the same beast. Those intrusive thoughts used to be way more intense, though looking back, it feels like they've calmed down. Instead, the physical compulsions have ramped up over time without me even realizing it. I feel like the last four years of my life have just vanished into thin air; I completely shut myself off from the world and it just kept getting worse. For example, whenever I read the paper, I can't help but twist the corner of the page. I do it constantly—while listening to music, while working, whatever. I basically need a newspaper nearby just so I can fiddle with the edges. And yeah, sometimes I blink so much that I stay inside because I'm mortified. Some people on another forum suggested I go see a psychiatrist, but my biggest headache is figuring out how to tell my parents. Seriously, we've lived together for 18 years and now, after all this time, I have to break the news? It’s awkward as hell that I didn't tell them sooner, but I've reached a breaking point. I have to get moving, even if it feels like starting from zero.

Olivia Rivera77 said:Oh, and one more thing: do not kill yourself over this. Seriously. This stuff is treatable.

Look, those were just dark thoughts creeping in when things hit rock bottom... but I'm not going there again. Not when I know there's actually a way out.

Jeremy Bailey61 said:My symptoms hit a little differently, but it’s essentially the same beast. Those intrusive thoughts used to be way more intense, though looking back, it feels like they've calmed down. Instead, the physical compulsions have ramped up over time without me even realizing it. I feel like the last four years of my life have just vanished into thin air; I completely shut myself off from the world and it just kept getting worse. For example, whenever I read the paper, I can't help but twist the corner of the page. I do it constantly—while listening to music, while working, whatever. I basically need a newspaper nearby just so I can fiddle with the edges. And yeah, sometimes I blink so much that I stay inside because I'm mortified. Some people on another forum suggested I go see a psychiatrist, but my biggest headache is figuring out how to tell my parents. Seriously, we've lived together for 18 years and now, after all this time, I have to break the news? It’s awkward as hell that I didn't tell them sooner, but I've reached a breaking point. I have to get moving, even if it feels like starting from zero.

Look, I totally get it. Telling people is brutal. It took me until I was 24 to finally open up to my family. And honestly? Most people who haven't dealt with this stuff don't think it's some huge, terrifying deal, which can be frustrating. You can actually go to a doctor without even telling your folks if you want to, though it’s usually better to be open. Just a heads-up: be careful who you vent to. Since they don't "get" it, they might make jokes at your expense, and while they think they're being funny, it's actually killing you inside. From my own experience, I really recommend seeing a psychiatrist. It makes life so much more livable. I used to think I’d never have a normal life because of the depression and the compulsions, but look at me now...😍Be Brave and hang in there; things will get better. And hey, if you end up needing antidepressants, don't sweat it. They aren't scary. It just takes a minute for them to kick in. It can be a bit of a struggle at first because I had to cycle through a few different types before I found the one that actually worked for me.