Topic : Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

One more thing..  MY husband of 17 years this Jan 14, is trying to make me leave.  He threatened a lwyer, and angry JUST BECAUSE I HAVE OCD!!  Through sickness and health he told me when we married.  Yeah right! 

After reading over some of these posts, I am beginning to think I have a form of OCD.

I, too, am very neat and like things in a particular way. I cannot sit and relax until everything is put away and before I go to bed, I like things cleaned up as they should be. I am also cleaning up after people or cleaning up while I'm cooking. I dont know how to relax.

I dont really have an issue with "performing rituals" though. I do feel I suffer with anxiety and depression. If things dont go as I had planned, my mood is greatly affected.

Anyway, the reason I am posting, and what I find to be the biggest problem, is that I obsess about things to the point where it drives me crazy. And almost all the time. it's about things I have no control over, which really drives me crazy. If something bothers me, even after talking it out and coming up with a resolution, it will STILL bother me. It never goes away. It is always the same issues that bother me too. I feel as if I need constant reassurance that things will be ok. I just keep thinking about it. I have guilt then for allowing it to "rent space in my head" as my boyfriend puts it, but I can't control the thoughts. They also seem to get the best of me. From my past, I still have some self-esteem and trust issues. I finally am with a really good man and dont want to ruin our relationship because of my weird thoughts. Does this sound like a form of OCD? What can I do to get it to stop?!?

After reading your post it looks like you have OCD. The best resource I have found on-line to understand how to deal with OCD are the artilces by Steven Phillipson - OCD Online. Your types of OCD are Pure Obsessions (Ruminations) and Reassurance Seeking. You may have other types as well but from  what you indicated those seem to be your main problems.

 

The remedy to OCD is based on the psychological principles of classical extinction ie face the fear without doing the ritual to reduce the fear or anxiety. You need to find a way to avoid doing your anxiety reducing ritual (ruminations - thinking and rethinking or asking for reassurance) and live with the anxiety. Over time the anxiety will disipate. Search for web pages on dealing with ruminations or Pure Obsessions as well as research the Steven Phillipson's articles.

 

I also would look for a qualified therapist to treat your OCD. The best therapy is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. 

 

So you need to know for most people OCD is a life long condition BUT once you learn the techniques on how to handle the disorder, things get better.

 

Good Luck,

 

James   

According to my psychologist I now have Asperger's Syndrome, but before that he said that I had OCD. Then they said that I have a mix of both. Does that means that I have to take medicin for both?

So, I'm definatly new to this site, but I was diagnosed with OCD about 3 years ago.  I'm in a sophmore in college, 19 years old, and my junior year in highschool was hell for me.  I was home schooled for half of the year and missed out on a lot of fun stuff because of OCD.  After reading a few of these posts, and after going through therapy and seeing so many different "specialists"  i just thought i would share my story.

When i go back and think about everything i've been through with OCD, i remember little things that may have been a sign that i have OCD, but i never really thought about having a disorder.  I got to the point that i could not even get myself out of bed, i was to afraid, that i would find something wrong and have to obsesse over it, it was the worst feeling, but i didnt know what i had or what was going on with me, i just couldnt do anything and i wasnt myself.  my mom was lost also, she didnt know what to do either, she almost lost her job becaues of having to take care of me.  I must have seen atleast 2 or 3 therapist before i found the one that was right.  He then referd me to a doctor that he worked with and they both took care of me. 

It was the hardest thing i've ever had to go through.  Admitting that i had OCD was he first step, no one wants to admit they have a disorder, but its so much eaiser when you do, my therpist was amazing, he worked at my pase to get over things, and he never pushed me too hard, when he saw i was pushed, he would take a break and jsut talk, he also explained to me that there are SOOO many different kinds of OCD, and that one in four people have some kind of OCD, its just a matter of how worse, and easy they can get over it.  I read a story of a 16y/o batteling with OCD, from my own opinion, the medicine does kind of bring you down a little at first, but like someone else said, sometimes its finding the right meds. 

its such a hard thing to go through, if your a parent and have a child, try to understand that its not what we want to be dong, we cant help it, and we thank you for dealing with what we have to go through to get better.  If your batteling it, it can be SO hard and make you want to just give up, but dont, dont at all, its not worth it.

Sometimes i do have tendencies to obsses about things, and it gets hard even after treatment, but once u talk to someone that can explain exactly what your going through, then you understand it better, and there are so many websites with quotes and things that can just inspire you.

OCD is a hard battle, whoever reads this, dont give up.

your story sounds a lot like mine.  i never really knew how to say what i was feeling, but obssesing ove things you ahve no control over is kind of what i went through also.  The other person to respond to this gave so much good advise, once i talked to someone and knew what OCD actually was, and had help dealing with it, it was so much easier, it still is hard after everything, it just takes time, you'll make, i know you will.  let me know how things go. 

Hey guys. I haven't been on in a long time! I've been doing really good. Stopped the cutting and the pulling. But because I have nothing to do I've been really depressed. And thoughts of suicide have been coming stronger.

more later

tez

Hi I have recently been diagnosed with ocd and anxiety and wanted to let you know there is hope. I take it one day at a time, but doing better right now. There is this great web site to go to, i have made alot of friends and it really has helped. Its called, ocdtribe.com , I hope this helps you out and anyone else.

im a 27 yr old female who has ocd and bi polar my house has to stay spotless or i freak out.everything has to be in order. i wont even let my 5 yr old play in her romm unless i clean it after .between the both of these things i feel like im falling off the edge of a cliff.im just glad i found this site and people to relate 2.