What is the best cure for OCD intrusive thoughts? I have OCD. Please help!!!?
First off keep doing as your doctor tells you and take your medicine everyday as prescribed. If you are going to get off of the medication you be sure and tell him first so he can help you do it correctly. I have suffered from OCD for seventeen years. My OCD was deemed unresponsive to cognitive behavioral therapy a few years ago. I am not a doctor so I am not even going to begin to talk to you about pharmacology, but I can tell you that certain medicines have helped me in the past and have made my life great and tolerable today. I suffer from Scrupulosity of the worst kind and can relate to what you are experiencing also. My best advise to you is get a really good PSYCHIATRIST who specializes in OCD. Remember there is no cure for OCD so stay calm. Just know your unwanted sexual thoughts are not uncommon for someone with OCD.
Zoloft and obsessive thoughts?
I know from an earlier question that you are young...and there is so little data about the under 18 age group...and any anti-anxiety medication can cause certain symptoms in anyone. Teens are especially susceptible to experiencing unusual side-effects or sensations. My nephew was put on Prozac at 15, and he immediately began experiencing suicidal thoughts...and had to be taken off of it almost immediately. Thank God he told his parents about that, or he might have just killed himself. The fact that you feel better without the Zoloft indicates that this is NOT the medication for you. Let your doctor know that you are feeling better without it, and you may be able to take something else for the anxiety. There are some older, safer meds for the anxiety, and they are generic, and you can probably get them at WalMart or Target for $4 a month. Kudos to you for listening to your body and your gut instinct--sometimes doctors like to tell patients, especially youngs ones, to just take this and you will feel better...but YOU are the biggest part of managing your heath, especially with depression and anxiety. Don't be afraid to speak up, and to change providers if you do not feel you are getting the care you need. Hang in there--life gets better!
How can I stop obsessive thoughts?
By knowing who you are.You are not your thoughts. I myself struggled with a severe form of obsessive thoughts. I had impossible tasks for myself. These months were the worst of my life. They robbed me of all the peace I had. I felt helpless and powerless against them but I still had to follow them. They came from a deep place; a wound of rejection, and this was my way of staying in control over the wound, to protect myself. I knew I wasn't having any control and I was in fact controled by these thoughts. But I wasn't able to get rid of them. It was a pure survival mode I was in and I felt afraid, very afraid, because these thoughts were at the same time also my very enemies. I had no peace, no joy and no life left in me. It's almost impossible to have OCD without being depressed. Unless you are having a light form of OCD.One of the things that eventually brought me to my freedom was to get to know my worth and I also had to go through mental tentions. To not give in, and I want to let you know that whatevever your OCD looks like… it is okay to avoid some tention in the beginning but slowly build your strength to face each and one of these thoughts from wich you know are not realistic and speak truth over them. Speak truth to them.Truth and OCD cannot go together for a long period of time. Truth needs to win over the lies that are in your mind.This is how I overcame the core of my OCD, by speaking the truth to it.I know you can do this as well.Oh by the way. I always say this but don't be harsh on yourself. Speak truth from a heart of love and deep compassion. Because, a lot of the thoughts you are having are probably pieces of pure pain wich are in need of so much love and care.I know you can overcome them. ‘Caus I did. It was tough, but more than possible!
Does anyone else get intrusive thoughts?
i get horrendous intrusive thoughts about my worst nightmares (children, babies, family, boyfriends family, grandparents etc.) most of them are sexual but lately they have turned sexually violent or just plain violent. its horrific. i didn't know my mind could be this sick. i try to be a very morally and ethically pure person, but i find that my intrusive thoughts (which are most definitely unwanted and very distressing) cause me a great amount of grief and guilt. the ocd plays on my worst fears, the things i dont want to think about or carry out or see ever in my life, and in turn it makes my life hell because i do think them and see them and it causes me a great amount of pain. after trawling many ocd forums, websites etc. it says that you need to let the thoughts in. but when they are as distressing, disgusting and sickening as mine, how am i to let them in? they are morally and ethically wrong in every way, my worst nightmares and im scared the fact i keep getting these intrusive thoughts means i am a sick person and should be in a mental hospital and that they are significant in some way. how can i cure myself? i used to be like everyone else and get weird and disturbing thoughts sometimes but paid no attention to them and as soon as they had arrived they had vanished again. now, i sit there terrified of my own mind. when i get a thought it plays over and over and a lot of the time will get more distressing. my method right now is just trying to block it out because letting it in makes me feel so guilty. does anyone have any advice for me? also, should i feel guilty? obviously i never want to see, think or carry out these acts of course but it makes me feel so guilty because of the people and things involved. my dad, children, my boyfriends grandfather and even my boyfriend (with my boyfriend they are usually violent thoughts or ones that i dont love him) i honestly dont want these thoughts but they have such a hold over me and make me feel so guilty, please help!!
What are some tips how to cure (or even tame) anxiety, depression and constant obsessive thoughts?
Make an appointment with a specialist or general practitioner. This is coming from one, who is “walking the path.”At least 50% of clinical depression is genetic. It has nothing to do with lack of willpower. Also, as in my case depression can be caused from an insult to the brain (TBI). All efforts to control your anxiety/depression should be initiated by medical personnel. Too, a great majority of the time if you have anxiety, you also have depression. The number one health problem in the world today is stress; consequently, all steps should be taken to control it.You can also use countless non-chemical means to cope with stress. Some of these are: avoid negative people; don’t rely on your memory - write it down; make duplicate keys; say “no” more often; simplify meal time; always make copes of important papers; ask for help with jobs you don’t like; break large tasks into bite size portions; smile; pet your dog/cat; don’t know all the answers; say something nice to someone; say “hello” to a stranger; ask a friend for a hug; practice breathing slowly; stand up and stretch; strive for excellence NOT perfection; don’t worry what other people are thinking about you, because they are NOT thinking about you (you are not the center of the universe); talk less and listen more; freely praise other people; relax - take one day at a time…you have the rest of your life.Please know if you have clinical depression, these “de-stressors” and many more should be used along with prescribed medication….NOT in lieu of prescribed medication. Should you care to read about my battle with anxiety/depression, take a look at the ebook on Amazon Kindle, Rise Above: Conquering Adversities. It’s had very good reviews. Besides, if you don’t like it, you’re only out 99 cents…..
How do antidepressants help with obsessive thoughts and behaviors?
antidepressants, as well as psychotherapy, such as CBT may help obsessive thoughts primarily by allowing the brain to “let go “ of anxiety. Although in general only antidepressants that increase Serotonin are helpful, we don’t know for certain if this the actual mechanism of action.It is normal to have intrusive, anxious thoughts, which in a normal situation are either dealt with or put aside for latter resolution. In depression and OCD people have trouble resolving the anxiety and keep ruminating about it, even though they may be aware that logically it is not helping.Antidepressants can help with letting go of these thoughts in a shorter time, breaking the obsessive thinking by improving the “outflow” of anxiety from the consious problem solving part of the brain, allowing better functioning and handling of day to day anxiety and events.For severe OCD the benefits of antidepressants and CBT clearly outweigh the risks for most patients, If the situation is milder, CBT alone is an entirely reasonable first alternative . Genuine OCD can have a pernicious effect on your life, so doing nothing is probably not a good alternative. good luck
How to deal with OCD intrusive thoughts?
the thing to do is accept that the thought is JUST a thought, the more you stop being afraid the more it will go AWAY. It doesnt define you, you see ocd wants you think that your thought are you as a person, and you get very scared when the thoughts come up and the fear drives the ocd to become more, you need to stop being afraid of the thoughts, you CAN control it, just accept that it is fear and F = false E= evidence A = apearring R= real. So its all a lie. OCD =FEAR i hate when people say its mental its nothing BUT FEAR becoming worse if you dont take control of the fear.
My pure OCD/intrusive thoughts are killing me. I don't know what to do. What's the cure?
I’m sorry to hear that you’ve been going through this.Intrusive thoughts are quite common. For some people, they can generally manage them. For others, the intrusive thoughts may lead to a disruption in the person’s ability to function on a daily basis. Obsessive-compulsive disorder, in general, has both obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. The behaviors are carried out in an effort to alleviate or reduce the obsessive thoughts for a period of time, but the behaviors ultimately do not resolve the issue and the thought/behavior cycle will continue.Treatment for intrusive thoughts and/or OCD is typically two-fold: a combination of both psychotropic medication (e.g., anti-anxiety medication) and mental health counseling.Psychotropic medications can be used short-term (which is subjective) or longer-term. They are helpful for altering the way your brain receives neurotransmitters. This means the medication can alleviate some of the overwhelming anxiety and allow you to better examine your thought and behavior patterns and alter them. Medications can take a few weeks to build up in your system and for you to experience positive effects of the medication. Of course, some side effects are possible and are usually noticeable pretty quickly. Not all medications are the same, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t experience a positive change after a few weeks; sometimes prescribing this medication is a bit of trial-and-error since each person’s body and brain are unique and will react differently.Medication alone is unlikely to fully suit your needs. An effective evidence-based mental health counseling treatment approach is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT focuses on the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors/outcomes. Challenging and changing the unhelpful thoughts into neutral or helpful thoughts will allow you to start to change your cycle.I would suggest you search for a local psychiatrist and a local mental health clinician (e.g., psychologist, professional mental health counselor, social worker) who specialize in anxiety disorders.Best wishes!