Posted by Stavros on November 26, 2003, at 1:37:06
In reply to For Stavros » Stavros, posted by Elle2021 on November 24, 2003, at 0:12:48
Elle,
Thank you for your thorough response. I have been struggling coming off Wellbutrin and going on Strattera so I have not had much energy. Your situation seems to be a more defined Dxes of OCD than I. I know that OCD is a beast to tackle and I wish you luck and prayer in the battle. I am interested in how you respond to exposure therapy as well. Comparitively I don't relate with the points you mentioned in your post, that must be so difficult. For me I guess i just have some sort of anxiety disorder that i have chosen to not fight any longer. I am tired of distracting myslelf, rising to the occasion for all occasions and plain old not enjoying myself. I wanted to respond to you but I cannot get my brain to describe right now.
I have taken Wellbutrin 6 differetn xs, parnate, Adderal,(several stimulants) Neurontin, Depakote, Lamictal, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Zoloft, Luvox, Anafranil, Lithium, Risperidal, Geodon, Effexor 2xs, Ativan, Klonopin, Remeraon, and I know I am forgeting some too. This makes me crazy as one med helps with one area but adds 3 other issues to deal with. I think God and a miracle is my only hope. I am on my second week of Strattera with some results but my mind gets going and i cannot get away from myself which cause me to get anxious and lose the pleasures in life? I am so close but so far away from living again. I stopped working to try and get to the bottom of this so i can go back to my life but i am doubtful and feeling somewhat hopeless currently. I hope you have an enjoyable ThankgivingS
> Hi Stavros, good to hear from you.
> I guess I will start out with how my OCD started.
> I was about 10 when I started noticing some odd thoughts I was having. At first I thought I was OVERLY superstitious. Then, I started assigning inanimate objects with feelings. For example, I would sit on the couch as gently as possible for fear I would somehow "hurt" the couch. If I felt I had wounded the couch, I would do repeated tapping on it, until I felt it was "fixed" or "healed." I don't have this particular obsession anymore, but numerous others have developed.
> The most common, overwhelming, and most anxiety causing is the obsession that in some way I may have been infected with AIDS. Logically, I know I don't have AIDS, but the obsession is there. Other times I worry about getting herpes. I completely REFRAIN from using anyone elses chapstick, drinking after them, sometimes even a handshake is difficult to manage. I bleach just about *everything*, especially towels. I also do not share my towels with anyone. Another thing I can't share is a razor. Basically, I can't share anything. For a while, it was impossible for me to imagine myself ever having a boyfriend because the thought of kissing another person was terrifying. What if I caught a disease??
> If I tried to list every ritual I have, and how they go, it would take at least 2 pages. And, to be completely honest, discussing my rituals has BECOME a taboo ritual, if that makes sense. In other words, it causes me anxiety to talk about them, making me do the rituals. This is a great cause of frustration for my psychiatrist.
> I haven't read Stop Obsessing, but I have read tons of articles on OCD, in an effort to cure myself. I haven't done it yet. I have been struggling with it for years, but I still have hope. A site I find helpful (although directed towards teens is Organized Chaos. You have to register to access it, but it is completely free. I highly suggest it. What medications have you tried for your OCD? A brief list of the ones I have tried are:
> Celexa, Paxil, Zoloft, Anafranil, Lithium, Risperidol, Geodon, Effexor, Ativan, Klonopin, Trazedone, and others... Right now I'm taking Endocet, a opiate pain med, it completely relaxes me and makes a huge difference in my need to perform rituals. I'm going to talk to my doctor about taking it on a regular basis, but something tells me he isn't going to fancy that idea. :)
> I'm going to start Exposure Response therapy soon hopefully. I haven't ever tried it, so hopefully it will work. There is a great article on it on the Organized Chaos website. If you want to register for that one go to: www.ocfoundation.org
> Love to hear from you!
> Elle
> > Elle,
> >
> > I have been Dxed with OCD or more like ruminations but I am not convinced that actually right. Somaticaly i present with tightness in the face and shoulders. My mind want to figure out what it is that prevents me from feeling or going forward. There is something blocking me and my mind doesn't want to do anything until i can figure that out. So all my mind does is try and make sense of this. The best i can do is distract but it feels like i am ignoring an open wound. THis has been happening for 10 years. How does you OCD manifest itself? "Stop Obsessing!" by Reid Wilson is supposested to be a standard book i dealing with OCD? Let me know your thoughts
> >
> > S
>
poster:Stavros
thread:282607
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031121/msgs/283919.html