OCD

[House Cat]

Does anyone on the board have it? What works for you? Have meds made any difference? Do you still suffer? I was diagnosed a few months ago after being misdiagnosed as bipolar for many years. They are still working out my meds. This pandemic is very hard on me because my obsessions are centered around my loved ones dying (pre pandemic). My son’s psychiatrist suspects that he has it too.

 

[Begonia]

Yes, I do. Along with anxiety. Not on meds, but staying off stimulants, exercise and meditation helps somewhat, along with rest. CBD oil just made me forgetful and error prone at work, but others swear by it. I feel for you though, it's really tough to deal with. You come join missy and I in our hug now ok?

 

[missy]

(((((Hugs))))) to you @House Cat and @Begonia

Yes, I do. Along with anxiety. Not on meds, but staying off stimulants, exercise and meditation helps somewhat, along with rest. CBD oil just made me forgetful and error prone at work, but others swear by it. I feel for you though, it's really tough to deal with. You come join missy and I in our hug now ok?

Greg thinks I do have OCD because I’m obsessed with mileage and precision when we cycle. Like I can’t do 57 miles. I need to get to a round number like 60 miles. As an example.

I’ve never been formally diagnosed however so I can’t say yes or no. The way I quell my anxiety is through exercise and also writing my feelings and thoughts down. I don’t take meds for my anxiety.

 

[asscherisme]

My adult son had OCD, anxiety and depression and takes medication for anxiety and depression. He has found that getting his medication dosage for anxiety right helps with his OCD.He also goes to therapy. When he gets stressed his OCD gets worse, so by focusing on stress relief that helps. I am sorry you are struggling. I have watched my son struggle since he was a little boy and I have seen the pain.


I will say that medication is a constant juggle. Something can work for him for a while and then it stops being effective so dosage is adjusted or medication changed. One thing that has been an issue is when he feels good, he tends to stop taking it and then he spirals downward. I hope over time he will learn to stay on it. He lives an airplane ride away from me so it is not like I can monitor him.

 

[rungirl]

Greg thinks I do have OCD because I’m obsessed with mileage and precision when we cycle. Like I can’t do 57 miles. I need to get to a round number like 60 miles. As an example.

@missy, just about every runner I know does this. We check our GPS watches and keep running until we hit an even number. It's not uncommon to see a runner run back and forth in front of their home just trying to hit that even number. I suppose we all have at least a little OCD.

 

[missy]

@missy, just about every runner I know does this. We check our GPS watches and keep running until we hit an even number. It's not uncommon to see a runner run back and forth in front of their home just trying to hit that even number. I suppose we all have at least a little OCD.

Thanks.
Makes me feel better.

I definitely have OCD tendencies. In my younger life I was a perfectionist and veered towards the OCD spectrum I think. I have let those perfectionist tendencies relax. Mainly cause I’m exhausted. I just can’t do it anymore.

 

[House Cat]

I’m exhausted too but it’s compulsive and I HAVE to keep doing it

 

[Ally T]

@missy, just about every runner I know does this. We check our GPS watches and keep running until we hit an even number. It's not uncommon to see a runner run back and forth in front of their home just trying to hit that even number. I suppose we all have at least a little OCD.

I do this

 

[missy]

I’m exhausted too but it’s compulsive and I HAVE to keep doing it

@House Cat I’m sorry and wish I had some knowledge to share about this. Have you tried CBT? I have heard good things about that. Sending you many good wishes and gentle hugs.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy – Beyond OCD

beyondocd.org

 

[inne]

(((((Hugs))))) to you @House Cat and @Begonia



Greg thinks I do have OCD because I’m obsessed with mileage and precision when we cycle. Like I can’t do 57 miles. I need to get to a round number like 60 miles. As an example.

I’ve never been formally diagnosed however so I can’t say yes or no. The way I quell my anxiety is through exercise and also writing my feelings and thoughts down. I don’t take meds for my anxiety.

OCD isn't really like "I feel a strong need to close the door 10 times in a row", it's like "I need to close the door 10 times in a row or my family will die." Obsessions (unfounded, repetitive thoughts/fears) lead to compulsive behaviours. So you probably do not need to worry

 

[missy]

OCD isn't really like "I feel a strong need to close the door 10 times in a row", it's like "I need to close the door 10 times in a row or my family will die." Obsessions (unfounded, repetitive thoughts/fears) lead to compulsive behaviours. So you probably do not need to worry

Thanks for your input @inne. Honestly that is one thing I wasn't worried about. I have a long list of concerns and this one didn't make the cut.

 

[inne]

I’m exhausted too but it’s compulsive and I HAVE to keep doing it

I am so sorry you're dealing with this. OCD, as you know, can be so uniquely challenging to treat. Aside from the typical medications and CBT, DBT can be really helpful if you have not already tried it.

 

[missy]

@House Cat here's another link fyi.

Treatments for OCD | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a treatment for OCD that uses two scientifically based techniques to change a person’s behavior and thoughts: exposure and response prevention (ERP) and cognitive therapy. CBT is conducted by a cognitive-behavioral therapist who has special training in treating OCD.

adaa.org

 

[Smith3]

I’ve had since since childhood and it got worse after some trauma. I’ve been in cbt therapy for 4 years and I’m on meds. You’ll have the greatest success doing both meds and therapy depending on how severe it is. Finding the right med is a bitch, it’s not an easy road atleast for me. But when u find the right one it’s amazing to be able to function.

 

[House Cat]

I’ve been in therapy for about 14 years. It’s been more trauma based though and I think I need something that may be more catered to my thought patterns. I get stuck in circular thinking that if I do things incorrectly or think incorrectly, my family members will die.

being misdiagnosed for so long has really done me a disservice because this has definitely gotten worse over time and I have been medicating for the wrong disorder.

watching my son go through this is a real heartbreak. He has anxiety and depression (so do I) and has a really hard time with it all.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

OCD isn't really like "I feel a strong need to close the door 10 times in a row", it's like "I need to close the door 10 times in a row or my family will die." Obsessions (unfounded, repetitive thoughts/fears) lead to compulsive behaviours. So you probably do not need to worry

That's super interesting.

I had that when I was little. I used to chant specific phrases sometimes 10, 20 times in my head or else I wouldn't survive the day.

I would repeat things over and over again because if I missed one I felt like I'd come to a bad end.

Same with walking a certain way, avoiding certain landmarks or performing various actions at certain landmarks (need to cross the road in 10 seconds or else xyz will happen).

I outgrew it in my 20s though and haven't done it in years but it was such a predominant part of my childhood.

 

[House Cat]

That's super interesting.

I had that when I was little. I used to chant specific phrases sometimes 10, 20 times in my head or else I wouldn't survive the day.

I would repeat things over and over again because if I missed one I felt like I'd come to a bad end.

Same with walking a certain way, avoiding certain landmarks or performing various actions at certain landmarks (need to cross the road in 10 seconds or else xyz will happen).

I outgrew it in my 20s though and haven't done it in years but it was such a predominant part of my childhood.

I did all of this as a child, again, to keep loved ones from dying.
Did you ever go on antidepressants or did you just grow out of it?

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

I did all of this as a child, again, to keep loved ones from dying.
Did you ever go on antidepressants or did you just grow out of it?

I just grew out of it.

We're Vietnamese and back in those days (gosh I feel old) the culture certainly wasn't receptive to mental health issues.

I do think my issues were environmental though rather than brain chemistry related. I suspect the symptoms went away in my 20s because I was working full time and away from home for most of the day (eventually getting married and moving out) hence the environmental stress element was removed.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

I'm a little OCD. I think it's hardwired in the brain, like anxiety. So when my OCD kicks in, I know it's really my anxiety kicking in. With that said, to me there is a very large disconnect regarding what I know cognitively and what I feel emotionally. I try to get my thinking brain to override my feeling brain.

For me- the first step is recognizing that increased OCD means I am suffering increased anxiety. Increased anxiety means increased OCD in that I need to feel in control. So..........I utilize exercise, diet and fasting to help ease my anxiety. I try to find the source of my anxiety and give it a name and a voice. That is how I manage my anxiety. For example, I make sure my other voice is heard. The voice that says you don't need the vacuum again because you did it yesterday and you are just upset because of X. You don't need another pearl necklace because you have 100. You just want another one to distract your from being upset with X. With practice the rational voice rules out.

 

[LLJsmom]

@missy, just about every runner I know does this. We check our GPS watches and keep running until we hit an even number. It's not uncommon to see a runner run back and forth in front of their home just trying to hit that even number. I suppose we all have at least a little OCD.

Yes. I can attest to the truth of this. I need to run 6.2 miles at least. It kills me to do anything between 3.1 and 6.19. I have to run whole numbers.

and yes I think I have some OCD. I’m a tax accountant. Doesn’t that tell you something? I’m extreme. Either all or nothing. I’m am either a mess or super organized. Actually both my parents are like that about different things.
OMG. Yes! As a child I had to say a certain prayer everyday or my family would be in danger. I stopped when I hit puberty.

 

[nala]

I think that I have the potential to be. When DD was in college, I would obsess over her safety. Like I have ptsd from 3 separate events that happened. Meaning. I had a schedule to text good am and good night—to know she was alive and well. She agreed to the schedule and the times to set me at ease. Well. The 3 non consecutive nights that she forgot to text back—let’s just say that I spent 10 hours obsessing, crying, freaking out as hubby tried to console me and calm me down. So yeah. I can see how I have potential but that’s how I manage— a schedule. Another example is when I go to my bank vault to exchange my pieces. I will not go alone for fear that I will come back and drive myself Crazy thinking that I forgot to put a beloved ring back and someone will just keep it. So I control this by making sure hubby goes with me. I guess What I’m saying is that I have latent tendencies and I can pick up on them after one experience to implement measures to prevent them.

 

[kenny]

Yes, me gots OCD.
Around 20 years ago my Jungian psychoanalyst edjumacteded me about OCD.
She also explained why & how my tragic childhood was a major factor in me having it.

Today, understanding the pros and cons of my OCD, I've arrived at a very nice equilibrium.
My OCD is not gone but in my work, and every other aspect of my life, I can now use it to improve my life instead of harming it.
I'm no longer the victim of my OCD.

Folks, if you suspect you have OCD please learn about it and find an excellent psychoanalysis or psychotherapist.
If you can swing it, pay out of pocket to get full privacy and get your tightwad insurance company out of the equation.
Health insurance is about about money, not about what's best for you.
A great therapist is worth their weight in gold, and diamonds ... even large diamonds that were graded by GIA to be fully natural red diamonds.

I've learned that good therapy is the greatest gift one can give to one's self.

 

[Made in London]

I think most people suffer from some level of OCD whether they are aware of what it it, or not. Years ago I suffered from OCD.I had to perform all kinds of silly rituals before bed,before leaving the house etc,all because I was terrified that if I didn't, my DH or DS would be killed.Even prayers at bedtime had to be said a certain way otherwise God would punish me for not caring enough to get it right.These days I lead a peaceful life, freed from the grip of OCD

 

[House Cat]

I think OCD has been discounted to the point to where people think because they are a little obsessive or organized or have a thing about numbers, they might be “a little OCD.” Personality traits or quirks aren’t OCD. This is a very pervasive, all encompassing disorder. It’s deadly. My stepdad had it and killed himself. I once had a therapist say that people with OCD suffer most of all.

One of the worst parts about OCD is you do not lack insight. You know that what is happening isn’t logical. With other mental disorders lack of insight is hallmark. With OCD, we are painfully aware that we shouldn’t be thinking and behaving this way but we can’t help it. This leads to feeling completely hopeless. This leads to despair.

@nala I think there is a lot of overlap between PTSD and OCD. I have both. My therapist said that OCD says “ where is the danger?” and PTSD says “everything is the danger.”

 

[Made in London]

I watched a medical tv program about severe OCD sufferers.Those poor people suffered the worst kind of mental pain ever. One lady had to have her armchair that stood by the window placed just so, & the curtains touching the back of the chair exactly in the correct position,milimetre perfect. She spent 45 minutes sweating,measuring & crying in a desperate attempt to get it right so that she could go to bed.This was only one of her compulsions that tortured her all day, every day.

 

[stracci2000]

I will join in on this thread. This is a little hard to write. Sorry if this gets long.

From the age of about 7 till my early 30s, I have suffered with trichotillomania, which is hair pulling.
The story.....When I was about 7 or 8 years old, I had created a coin sized bald spot on the crown of my head.
No one could figure out why I was doing it. My Mom was at her wit's end. Of course in the 70s, we had no real information about this condition, what it was or why I was doing this. We didn't even know there was a name for it. The teachers didn't know, and our family doctor didn't know.
They all said I was nervous, and that I would grow out of it.

Every morning before school when Mom would comb my hair was a horrible experience. She would yell, and I would cry. Sitting at the dinner table I was very anxious, because Mom would walk by, look down at my head, and comment on the condition of my scalp.
When I got old enough to fix my own hair for school, the barrette became my best friend, because I could cover up the bald spot, and my hair pulling kinda fell off Mom's radar.

As I got older, the hair pulling urges would ebb and flow. I had triggers, like
watching TV or talking on the phone. Anytime my hands weren't busy.
But my hand would travel to my head, like it had a mind of it's own.
Thankfully, the bald spot never got big enough that I couldn't cover it with a barrette.
I thought I was a freak. I couldn't stop it, no matter how hard I tried.
I prayed, and tried to stop a thousand times.
Fast forward to about 1996, I discovered the internet. And lo and behold, I discovered a name for my long-suffering condition.
There was a forum I stumbled onto, and for the first time in my life, I realized that I wasn't the only one.
OMG, this was life altering. I read other people's stories, and realized that I wasn't a freak, that it was OCD, and it had a name.

Because I was armed with more info about my problem, I suddenly was able to understand the condition and my own triggers. The bald spot finally disappeared. For the first time in my life, I no longer needed the stupid barrette! I was finally able to get a real haircut.
I am very happy to say that for the last 25 years, I have been able to control my triggers, and I no longer actively pull my hair. I still touch the hair on the top of my head from time to time, and sometimes I catch myself with a hair between my fingers, but this is rare.
I should point out that I was a nail-biter in grade school, but I stopped that behavior by age 12.

I have done a lot of research on trichotillomania, and it is still not widely understood. Some say it is a grooming behavior gone wrong, and there is no explanation for why some people have it. It is more common in girls.
But on a more curious note, it seems to run in my Mom's side of the family. In hindsight, some relatives on Mom's side seem to have suffered from it.
But no one talks about this, and women are very good at hiding it.
I think it is much more common than we think.

Thanks for letting me tell my story. As a member of this loving PS family, I feel I can open up about my suffering and you all will understand.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

@stracci2000, I wish I could give you a big hug, it’s amazing that you were able to overcome hair pulling. I’m glad you can love free of that.

 

[stracci2000]

@stracci2000, I wish I could give you a big hug, it’s amazing that you were able to overcome hair pulling. I’m glad you can love free of that.

Thanks Yada, I will take that big hug and hug you back!!
When I think back, it is kind of surreal how my life was impacted by it.
But I am convinced that it is hereditary. And it wasn't my fault.
Many of us have behaviors that are taboo to talk about.
We need to get these kinds of OCD behaviors in the open so that others can get help.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Alrighty, some brave folks here getting real so I’ll share mine which is hugely embarrassing given we are on a jewelry forum.

I suffer from dermatillomania which is a compulsive impulse control disorder where you pick the skin off your fingers. This started when I was five or six, I learned this by watching my brother but his is not as severe. As a young child and for probably 30 years I would peel the skin off the tips and pads of all my fingers. Then I stopped picking my pinky and ring fingers but kept with all the others. Finally I got to a point where I only picked the skin on my thumbs, unfortunately I haven’t been able to completely stop permanently. You would think in those younger years someone would have tried to help, maybe I wouldn’t be struggling with this still.

There have been periods that I did stop completely without medication (our wedding) but all it takes is one dry spot to get started again. Stress makes it worse of course. I have been on anti-anxiety meds in the past and they helped the picking to stop but I loathe medication so I stopped taking it.

It’s kind of amazing that in all these years I have never gotten an infection. My fingerprints on my pointer fingers and thumbs are permanently altered as a result of constant picking over 35 years.
I have learned to hide this all really well, most people have no idea. The main thing has been keeping the kids from developing this habit. My older son does bite his nails but he is not a picker thank God. It would have been easy for him to start as he is very anxious.

Housecat I really feel for you, OCD is like carrying a huge weight around every day of your life, exhausting. Let’s face it that this year is not helping either but we can just do the best we can. Big hugs!

 

[stracci2000]

Alrighty, some brave folks here getting real so I’ll share mine which is hugely embarrassing given we are on a jewelry forum.

I suffer from dermatillomania which is a compulsive impulse control disorder where you pick the skin off your fingers. This started when I was five or six, I learned this by watching my brother but his is not as severe. As a young child and for probably 30 years I would peel the skin off the tips and pads of all my fingers. Then I stopped picking my pinky and ring fingers but kept with all the others. Finally I got to a point where I only picked the skin on my thumbs, unfortunately I haven’t been able to completely stop permanently. You would think in those younger years someone would have tried to help, maybe I wouldn’t be struggling with this still.

There have been periods that I did stop completely without medication (our wedding) but all it takes is one dry spot to get started again. Stress makes it worse of course. I have been on anti-anxiety meds in the past and they helped the picking to stop but I loathe medication so I stopped taking it.

It’s kind of amazing that in all these years I have never gotten an infection. My fingerprints on my pointer fingers and thumbs are permanently altered as a result of constant picking over 35 years.
I have learned to hide this all really well, most people have no idea. The main thing has been keeping the kids from developing this habit. My older son does bite his nails but he is not a picker thank God. It would have been easy for him to start as he is very anxious.

Housecat I really feel for you, OCD is like carrying a huge weight around every day of your life, exhausting. Let’s face it that this year is not helping either but we can just do the best we can. Big hugs!

Hey, guess what.
I am a cuticle picker, too. I have been known to peel the skin right down to the first joint. I think you know what I am talking about here.