I feel better knowing what the problem is....

[adaptive1]

I just came back from my counsellor who said she had talked to the psychiatrist and they said they think I have obsessive compulsive disorder. I feel better now actually, I was imagining all kinds of things. They don't think I did any of this on purpose either and that I used the eating disorder behaviours to deal with my underlieing anxiety. But they don't think therapy is enough, they said I have already done so many positive things and medication could make a big difference. I was quite unsure about going to my doctor about it, but I am really at the point where I am beyond caring about being embarrassed. Anyway, it does feel better to know what the trouble is.

 

[rdw]

Glad you are feeling so positive.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I think the conclusions of your doctors make perfect sense. And I also agree that the vast majority of people with OCD need medication as well as therapy to effectively manage symptoms.

Good luck, adaptive1. I'm glad you're feeling better about this.

 

[forgetmenot]

Glad you are feeling more positive too and i hope the medication brings you back the stability you need hun hugs

 

[MHealthJo]

Glad for your positive experience of this adaptive1... And happy to hear that embarrassment is not holding you back as much... After all, we would rarely feel embarrassed about going and having a broken bone set, or having a doctor assist us with low this or high that or whatever else... but these things are just hard to get our mind around in that way aren't they. Best wishes to you!

 

[gardens]

Such a positive step forward! :2thumbs:

 

[adaptive1]

Sorry to vent again, the psychiatrist has still not forwarded the report to my doctor so I am not on any medication and am starting to not care anymore about any of this anymore. I did go to the new psychologist who basically told me medications don't work for obsessions very well anyway so I better learn to manage without. He said the psychiatrist just pushes pills on people. I really miss my old counsellor but I had to leave that program because they thought a psychologist would help me with the OCD. But why go to the doctor if the medications don't work anyway? I really think I am better off just trying to practice the techniques in the brain lock book and forgetting about all of this, besides, I have had lots of therapy already,isn't it just a question of me applying it consistently?

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I did go to the new psychologist who basically told me medications don't work for obsessions very well anyway so I better learn to manage without. He said the psychiatrist just pushes pills on people.

I have worked with a LOT of clients with OCD over the years and I would totally disagree with that psychologist. You do need to be on a medication with known anti-obsessional properties - in the SSRI family, this would be primarily Prozac, Luvox, and Zoloft - but in my opinion trying to treat OCD without medication is doing a great disservice to the client.

Frankly, you might be better off with a therapist who actually knows how to treat OCD and either waiting for the psychiatrist or in the meantime going back to your family doctor to ask him about prescribing one of those three medications. (There are others but they may be "overkill" for most people.)

 

[adaptive1]

Thanks, I feel better hearing you say that, I am obsessive enough as it is and when the psychologist put that doubt in my mind it didn't help. I think I'll look for one that doesn't have issue with the medication and won't judge me for wanting to try it. I appreciate your reply and welcome back online.

 

[forgetmenot]

I am glad you are going to try to find a different therapist hun one that will support you Medication does work hun Get a hold of your doctor okay as Dr Baxter has stated to get on the medication as soon as you can hugs

 

[adaptive1]

Monday I am going to my doctor now so this is my last weekend before I start the medication treatment. I am sure if I put my mind to it and do what is recommended that things will get better. Thank you for the support of the forum, it's been a really rough few months but I am hopeful it will be better. My mind is so jumbled with obsessive thoughts but I am sure I can find a way to learn to deal with it this time. It's hard when you think you are addressing a problem and you end up so obsessed with the problem that you make it worse. I hope I can figure a way to stop doing that. But thanks for being there for me

 

[Banned]

Good luck, adaptive. Keep us posted on how things go for you.

 

[AmZ]

Good luck

 

[adaptive1]

I went to the doctor today and I read the report from the psychiatrist. I am pretty devastated by what it says. It is not very good. It says that the chances of medication working for my OCD are pretty low because I have had it for decades likely. It does say to try prozac at a higher dose but that it probably wont work, it says it in a more clinical term but thats the gist of it. It says I should go for CBT but it also says I am incapable of regulating my emotions. It also says I should read some books, get some CD's and I dont recall which ones. It then goes on to say I have an obsessive personality and borderline traits, but not the disorder and that for now I am just diagnosed with OCD. But the report makes it pretty clear in my opinion that they dont have much hope that I will get better from any of this.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

First, remember that this is from a psychiatrist and it is discussing what medication can do. Even there, if s/he said that the fact that you have had OCD for decades means medication won't work, that's absolute nonsense. You don't "have" OCD for a month, a year or decades. It is part of your personality. If you have OCD, you have that pretty much lifelong. It is also the case that OCD always gets worse at times of greater than normal stress or anxiety, so from time to time you will experience "flare-ups".

But that doesn't mean that you can't learn to live with OCD and manage it. What it takes is the right anti-obsessional medication combined with the right treatment. Prozac is one of those medications; others include Luvox and Zoloft. Psychotherapy can include CBT but I think an approach based on Jeffrey Schwartz's Brain Lock: Free Yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior works best for the Pure O version of OCD.

Do you have a therapist currently or do you know of one in your area who specializes in OCD ?

 

[adaptive1]

Thanks very much for your thoughts. I am sure I can find one and I think I will have to do it on my own or I might end up with someone else saying negative things about medication or the disorder. I dont know where the borderline traits come from in the letter. I havent had big issues in this area, but apparently they consider the mental compulsions equvalent to hallucinations according to the report and thats why they put that in the report. I have never thought of it as something similar to that, and I will try not to fixate on the negative and move on, but it doesnt feel like the report was especially helpful. Maybe the truth hurts and I dont like it.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Or maybe the report was hastily constructed after a quick mental status examination and lacks validity?

 

[adaptive1]

That would certainly make me feel better . I suppose I should just focus on the solutions and not the problem. Thats how I get myself into these situations with obsessing about the problem, so I am going to focus on the solutions. It does hurt though to see something like that written about yourself, and its on my file now too.

 

[adaptive1]

I am kind of dissapointed that the medication does not seem to be helping. I know there are other ones and maybe it will take some time. Its kind of hard to try and make peace with this part of myself, especially as it feels as though my mind is always trying to find new ways to torment me and I always have to be on the lookout.

I dont know if it is the medication but I have found that I am constantly talking in my mind as though I am speaking to another person. I dont know if thats an OCD sign or if its dissociation of some kind of an attempt at anxiety relief. The more I do it, my mind starts to play tricks on me and I begin to feel like someone else is there. I dont know if it is the prozac or if I am developing another OCD obsessive compulsive habit but it is very annoying. Can anyone relate to this type of feeling?

 

[forgetmenot]

Just want to say i can relate i am not diagnosed with any label i know i have anxiety and sometimes to release it i do talk away to it seems like another person It helps to calm me it helps to talk to someone even if it is just someone from within side me.

I think it is the anxiety but i don't for sure i hope your doctor can help you with that one. If so let me know ok