Topic : Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Dear Jakkay, 

I am based in the UK and I have come across this sort of situation in the media before, although it is not that common. It sounds as though your neighbour may have some obsessive problems of his own. The bad news, from my experience, is that these issues are not easily resolved. However , if you can get your community to back you up in this and see your side of the story that will probably help you to survive it if not solve it. You may feel it is the last thing you want to do but it may help to call in a mediator, someone from your local church or community group, to ask for a "start afresh" meeting on neutral ground. Sometimes the resons for this kind of behaviour become clearer in a neutral space. If this is not possible you may have to sink to his level and start to collect evidence. Whatever you do, do not break any laws in this matter as there is no going back afterwards. He may be acting out of a desperate need for attention in which case, as hard as it may seem, you may have to put up with it to avoid being seen as rising to the bait and feeding his need. I hope that the matter is resolved without further distress to your family. I have the same problems as your husband and when your home has already become something of a prison any other problems aren't going to make you feel any better. Good luck, Jonezdacat.   

I have had a sinus infection since before Thanksgiving, it is now close to February, but that’s not a big deal, the first round of antibiotics didn’t work and the doc wanted another 60 bucks for another visit then the money for the meds but that’s not the problem.  I got sick again and it aggravated my sinusitis so I had to go back and get some pills.  The physical symptoms and stress combination in my life have caused massive panic attacks, little sleep, and poor eating.  I haven’t needed Xanax for about 8 months now but I ask the doc for 5 or 10 until the cold is over.  She responded with no. Arg to say the least.

Here’s an update for you doctors.  SSRI 's and other such drugs do not work for all patients who have OCD.  I have been on and off Xanax since I was 17 and never been addicted or needed help getting off.  Come to think of it I have never needed anything but .05 mg.  If I did get addicted so what; I had some relaxation for goodness sake.  Instead of having a good night sleep I am writing this and drinking a beer.  I understand that there is research showing alcoholism is hereditary but that could be wrong.  So instead of prescribing a drug that would ease the burden doctors are making people such as myself drink to try to relieve the obsessive thoughts, fears, and panic attacks.  Great job medical schools you are doing a bang up job.

Now, I have had several psychiatrists and several psychologists and found if you are giving your money to the psychologist the psychiatrists are more than happy to give you the pills.  It appears they are only money machines looking to help each other get a bigger pocket.  It also appears Nurse practitioners are a joke, had one give my meds to another patient.  It could also be that the pharmaceutical companies are not giving doctors the kickbacks they receive from other medication because of the demand of controlled substances.

In closing if you have just been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder brings your pocket book because the doctors demand it to prescribe you meds you may need to live a normal life.  I have defended doctors for years and I am about done.  It seems they are very greedy self centered people.

Your comments struck a chord with me  as the mistakes made by mental health "professionals" have cost me a small fortune. I have been trying to find help for my problems since 1999, when they threatened to overwhelm me. In the UK we have what used to be regarded as a world class health system ( the National Health Service or NHS), paid for by contributions from those in work. Unfortunately most people here do not realise how under-funded the mental health services are until they try to access them, usually in an emergency. 

What I have discovered through my own experience is that there is hardly anyone qualified enough to make a correct diagnosis, in my case of OCD, and consequently provide the correct medication where necessary. Seven out of ten psychiatrist's posts in the NHS are left unfilled, in some cases for years. My first encounter with an NHS psychiatrist was appalling and led to my making an official complaint. I was eventually sent in the direction of group therapy but ended up paying for it as I was advised that there was a potential 18 month wait for a place in an NHS group. The psychotherapist who recommended group therapy suggested a particular group of practitioners and effectively pushed me in the direction of her private practice contacts. (At this point, several months after my initial contact with the NHS, no one had as yet put a name to my condition which I was obliged to explain again and again to an assortment of staff.)  After 6 months in the company of people who were being ripped off by an therapist who needed more help than we did I stopped wasting my money and pulled out. By this time I had spent at least £2000 on treatment and cab fares as I am too anxious to use public transport. 

The next NHS psychiatrist wondered if a cognitive behaviour therapist might help but forgot to make the referral so I wasted another 3 months. The CB therapist told me that I was right to have pulled out of psychotherapy and gave me the beginnings of a correct diagnosis. By this time I was so angry that I stopped asking the NHS for help and joined that growing army of mentally ill people without support or treatment in the UK. Along the way I was told repeatedly that I am suffering from depression (well I am now!) and was offered anti-depressants every time. Barely anyone mentioned OCD. If you haven't got schizophrenia or bi-polar disorder they don't know what to make of you. 

I have come to the conclusion that the paucity of services for these conditions has led to a two tier system, those who can afford it pay for it (paying twice over because of their National Insurance contributions) and the rest of us put up with ill-informed, over-worked staff. 

The only possible solution is an massive financial injection into this area.   

My ocd has always been with cleaning and having things in the right place in the house. I am still dealing with that, however, it has toned down alittle. I use to go organize my kids toys and my husbands tools. Now my OCD has change after I began the symptoms of bipolar disorder. It now its plucking my eyebrows and eye lashes till I  barely have any and constanly using the nail kits on my toe nails. I know it's bad yet I can't stop. I dont know if its the pain or the relief of stress. I got to a point that I was losing toe nails and eyebrows to an extreme. My husband finally put the nail kits away and I have to ask for it. Does anyone else have a similar affliction? If so email me at dawneubanks2005@gmail.com 

I was recently diagnosed with OCD with cleaning. Before i had kids i hated to clean,and then i had my first baby in 2004 and kept the house clean enough to where it was decent enough to have company and not worry about them thinking we were pigs. then i had another baby in 2005 and my cleaning is gradually getting to the point where i go to bed thinking of what i need to do, what i need to go through and organize. i am scrubbing the bathtub the counters the walls everyday.If i do take a break from cleaning for a couple of hours i begin to dizzy and sick to my stomach so i am constantly doing something.my husband gets tired of me cleaning all the time,but if i don't do it, it will never get done. does anyone have advice of what i can do to save my marriage and have a normal life 

I have had i small case of OCD since Kindergarten, I started counseling because i would wash my hands every few minutes at recess and I would always be nervous... The yard duties told the teachers and that is when i started to see the school counselor but after 1st grade I moved schools and I  never got treated, but the reason it all started was I thought I would die from the misletoe becuase it was everywhere at school (i know it does make sence) Now I am 16 and my parents still dont think it is that bad... It runs in the family my grandma is on meds and mom is recovered (hers was only a few years).. but I am the only one was the hand washing in the family.. (i wash my hands like 40 times a day, and always carry hand sanitier) it really bugs me that i am always worrieing .. I have noticed some other tendences too... little things.. I have been doing this for what seems like forever.  I just wanted to see if anyone has sugguestions... since everyone eles in the family got better i feel like I am just getting on there nerves and all my friends just joke with me.. "the grem freak" "hand sanitier girl" they even tease me I laugh but i still think it is a problem i should handle. please help if you can (sesa82_4@hotmail.com) 

thankx 

~sara 

This picture is an example of what my Aunt's entire home looks like... 

Animal hoarding is a problem, not only for the animals involved, but for the people involved. I believe that my aunt is a typical case and I am desperate to help her, my uncle, my emotionally disturbed adult cousin and my grandmother. 

My aunt and her family are living in squalid conditions. The floors in her home are so soaked with animal urine and feces; I believe the floors could buckle. The high levels of ammonia resulting from accumulated animal urine makes the air difficult if not impossible to breath. Your nostrils burn with every breath and the odor stays with you long after you have left her home.   

I have asked for help within my family, but no one is willing to step forward.  They are afraid of what will happen to my grandmother, my aunt and her family.  They are afraid that she will lose her home and, (to be perfectly honest), that she and her family will have to come live with them. I am VERY afraid that she will “disown” me, but have decided to step forward besides… My aunt needs help, emotionally, physically, and financially, and I do not know where to turn.  She does not need to be arrested.  She does not deserve to lose her home. She does not deserve to live in the home that she has created.  She needs help! 

Hi I'm 14 years old and I'm starting to think I might have symptoms of OCD.  I'm very confused and don't really understand why I do some of the things I do.  For example: 

1. I have to rip up everything berfore I can throw it out, I can't just throw out a piece of paper. 

2. I clean my room at least twice a day, even though my room might be spotless. 

3. I have to have everything in my room symettrical, things on my dresses, shelfs, my pillows, etc. 

4.  I have to have all my clothes in a certain order and facing a certain way in my closet and if its not that way I have to fix everything. 

5. When writing out my homework, I usually write it more then once to make sure its perfects. 

6.  I have to keep my books and DVD in alphabetical order or I start to fell anxious. 

7. I'm scared of getting hurt or falling down and hurting someone else. 

8. It takes me a long time to go to bed because I have to make sure my pillows and blankets are just right and that my nightlight is pluged in and that everything in my room is in its right place. 

I need help, I don't know if I'm going crazy or something if wrong with my.  My family sometimes makes fun of me for the things I do, but I don't think they understand and I don't know who to turn to for help, so I;m turning to you guys.  I spend so much time alone in my room trying to make everything perfect.  Please help me! 

Hi, my name is James, I'm 40 years old from Montreal, Canada  and I have had OCD for about fifteen years.  

From what you have indicated you seem to have OCD. OCD has two components, the Obsessions, which are persistent thoughts, doubts, struggles for perfection or uncomfortableness with uncertainty, which causes anxiety and is followed by a Compulsion, which is an action (ie. putting things in order, touching something a certain way, checking things over and over, or mentally trying to find the perfect answer or figure things out) in order to relieve the anxiety.  

In all cases of OCD, the obsessive thoughts (which are persistent and get worse if you challenge them or don't perform the compulsion) is followed by some compulsion (action) you perform to relieve the anxiety or uncomfortableness you feel.  

My suggestion to you would be the following. 

1) Find a Cognitive-Behavioral therapist would has experience treating people with OCD. Note:(psychotherapy or looking into you past for an understanding only makes OCD worse) 

(OCD is and Anxiety Disorder so a good place to look would be hospitals that treat anxiety disorders)  

2) Find a support group. They may even have support groups for teenagers.  

3) Tell you school nurse or counsellor that you are having problems and maybe they have a contact to help you find a therapist. 

Below are resources I have found on the net you may find helpful. Remember, you are not alone and you are not the disorder. The disorder is something you have like someone gets the cancer, it's not your fault, it's a chemical imbalance happening in your brain that can be helped with therpay and medication (SSRI's). 

The OCD Foundation: http://www.ocfoundation.org/ 

Articles by Dr. Steven Phillipson: http://www.ocdonline.com/articlesphillipson.php 

Ask Alice (Questions from College aged kids): http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/Cat4-full.html#34 

I Hope this is of some help, 

Please Seek Help. You will be thankful later on, 

James Rankine 

President 

Quebec OCD Foundation