I cant hide it anymore

[almostfamous666]

OK so I have come to the conclusion that I need more help than what i am getting, in particular, the picking of my body. Although I see my Dr regularly, I think maybe I need someone that has more information and experience with OCD and picking. This obsession has increased dramaticlly in the past year or so and I am unable to hide it anymore. I am asked all the time what happened to me, or why do you have all those cuts? Something that used to be infreaquent and in places that I could cover, is now up and down both arms, hands, neck, face, and back, and anywhere else I can reach. I look in the mirror and am shocked to see how I look myself, and wonder when or how I did it. I am sure that the added stress of not having any income and dealing with CPP for almost a year is a huge trigger, but I need this to STOP !! My children are affected by it as well as my husband, and I see the looks on strangers faces when they see me. I never really thought that my issue with this was that serious, but now for the first time ever I am proclaiming that I have this problem and I want help!! Is there a way to get involved with help that is more specific to this problem in my area?
I want to recognized myself in the mirror....:hopeless:

 

[David Baxter PhD]

You say you see your doctor regularly. Do you mean your family physician? or a psycyhiatrist? Have you tried psychotherapy before? Medications?

Also, you used the term "picking" but you also refer to "cuts"? Are you talking about compulsive skin picking (dermatillomania) or cutting or both?

 

[almostfamous666]

I see my family DR as well as my regular pysichatrist. I have battled depression, anxiety, and OCD for almost 18 years, and grew up with my Mom having OCD and compusive cleaning. and as a young teen I was a cutter. I was able to stop that but the SI has returned in the form of compulsive picking and a huge urge to cut. I feel as though the DRs are stretched so far by the patient load, and that maybe I get put into a lumped group of nonspecific group for depression. I find it VERY hard to speak about. I am currently taking wellbutrin and ciprilex with clonazipam. I had gastric bypass about 3 years ago and as a side effect, I am unable to absorb things properly in my tummy and I get vitamin shots. I wonder, if it has since been having the same result with these meds? I dont have income to hire a therapist, and I dont know how to go about finding what I am looking for, and feel completely out of touch with my Drs now.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I see my family DR as well as my regular pysichatrist.

Do you see your psychiatrist for psychotherapy? or solely for medication issues?

I have battled depression, anxiety, and OCD for almost 18 years, and grew up with my Mom having OCD and compusive cleaning. and as a young teen I was a cutter. I was able to stop that but the SI has returned in the form of compulsive picking and a huge urge to cut. I feel as though the DRs are stretched so far by the patient load, and that maybe I get put into a lumped group of nonspecific group for depression. I find it VERY hard to speak about. I am currently taking wellbutrin and ciprilex with clonazipam. I had gastric bypass about 3 years ago and as a side effect, I am unable to absorb things properly in my tummy and I get vitamin shots. I wonder, if it has since been having the same result with these meds?

I can't answer your question about absorption and the gastric bypass. Is this something you've asked your doctors? If you're not absorbing enough of the medications, that might be the reason your symptoms have returned.

I dont have income to hire a therapist, and I dont know how to go about finding what I am looking for, and feel completely out of touch with my Drs now.

Ratrher than looking for someone who specializes in compulsive picking, look for therapists with expertise in self-injury or borderline personality disorder or body dysmorphic disorder (not diagnosing you with any of these - it's just that therapists who work with borderline personality disorder frequently have to treat self-injury and compulsive picking is also associated with body dysmorphic disorder). You might also look for therapists or programs who treat OCD since they would have overlapping skills as well.

 

[almostfamous666]

Yes, I would for sure say that my pysichatrist for medication only. We dont usually discuss the real issues.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Another resource is OCD Ottawa - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Support Group of Ottawa, Ontario. Support for people with OCD and their parents, families and loved ones. which includes support groups in the ottawa area you might find helpful.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Yes, I would for sure say that my pysichatrist for medication only. We dont usually discuss the real issues.

Therein lies the problem: Medication can only do part of the work with compulsive disorders. You need a combination of behavioral and cognitive skills and strategies to accomplish the rest, not only to manage the compulsive behavior but also do identify and learn how to better manage and cope with whaqtever triggers the compuylsive behavior for you.

You might ask your psychiatrist about current programs in the area (it is confusing - so many have come and gone overe the past decade or so because of funding cuts).

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Other possibilities for information about local resources:

Canadian Mental Health Association, National Office (CMHA)
595 Montreal Road, Suite 303, Ottawa, ON, K1K 4L2
613-745-7750

Welcome to NAMI Ontario

Anxiety Disorder Association of Ontario (ADAO)
153 Chapel Street,, Heartwood House, Ottawa, ON, K1N 1H5
http://www.anxietydisordersontario.ca

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders Self-Help Group
180 Percy Street Ottawa, ON, K1R 6E5
OCD Ottawa - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Support Group of Ottawa, Ontario. Support for people with OCD and their parents, families and loved ones.

Mood Disorders Ottawa (MDO) Mutual Support Group
1355 Bank Street, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8K7
613-526-5406