Posted by worrier on May 16, 2003, at 21:09:58
In reply to Re: ARE YOU MY DOPPELGANGER? » mills, posted by Jack Smith on May 16, 2003, at 16:35:18
> > And, it's the "magnet" that pulls/compels my attention inward, the nagging, vague gnawing that demands my attention. Is that like yours? And have you felt like you didn't fit in because you couldn't show a "ritual" (i.e. compulsion) or an "intrusive thought" (e.g. "Oh No!! I think I ran over somebody!!, etc.) (i.e. "obsession")? It's been very frustrating to me not to be able to identify, much less "label", what is obviously a disorder of some kind.
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> I have never thought of myself as having OCD, and I still don't think I would fit into that category, specifically because I don't have any sort of ritualistic behavior.
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> >
> > So, the benzos help you? Is yours like a "feeling" of a "compulsion?" My problem is the compulsive urge itself, and I don't really have a choice of whether to look within or not; I've got to, i.e. what I think of as a "compulsion" in the first place, right?
> >
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> Same here. Just sort of the compulsive feeling of what's wrong with me? And it manifests itself in a tightness in my chest, etc.
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> > You and Matt are the only two people I have ever met that could even relate to this type of OCD. What do you say when people ask you what you have or what are you taking meds for, etc.? I say now an "anxiety disorder" but I even feel weird saying that.
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> Benzos definitely help me but I have never taken them long term. Though I am considering that. But I also clearly have classic signs of depression, mostly atypical symptoms--oversleeping, rejection sensitivity but no overeating.
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> The label I have always gone with is depression and GAD, I am surprised you were diagnosed with OCD and not GAD. It doesn't really matter what someone calls it because the treatments really overlap and what works for some doesn't work for others.
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> JACK
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>Gee guys, you have really made me think. I've had panic attacks for almost 20 years and was always able to more or less deal with them up until a year or so ago. Made the big mistake of mentioning them to my MD who put me on a whirl-wind tour of virtually every antidepressant know to man all of which made things much worse. To make a long story as short as possible, paxil sent me over the edge and I haven't really come all the way back yet. The thing is, post-paxil I seem to be experiencing the same sort of thing you all are describing...a constant awareness of a tightness in my chest,sometimes in my throat too.I have called it anxiety for lack of a better term, but your comments about constantly "checking" physical sensations really hit home. I find that I am exceedingly aware of my heart rate...you name it.Almost like my brain is constantly scanning my body for anything slightly out of kilter. Is this anything like what you've described? Benzos help alot, but the underlying "awareness" never completely goes away.Comments would be appreciated. Worrier.
poster:worrier
thread:224665
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030514/msgs/227138.html