Can high amounts of stress cause OCD? (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)?
For the past few months, probably since the beginning of this summer, my anxiety and stress level has risen significantly. But lately, probably for the past few weeks or so, I've found myself needing to do odd things, it's like my mind is instructing me to do these things, and if I don't, "bad things will happen". At least, that's what my mind 'says', if I don't do certain things, like for example, tap the counter four times, something bad will happen. It's beginning to affect me more than I thought it would. In the mornings I am almost always running late now because I spend more time satisfying my minds 'commands' by tapping things and doing things over until they're just right, and it is tiring me out, I don't want to do it anymore, but I feel that I have to. No matter how much I try to ignore the thoughts, I always end up doing what my mind tells me. Examples of my minds commands are things like: Tapping things. Stepping extra steps when I'm walking. Looking at things twice instead of once. Saying random things out loud. If I don't do these things that my 'mind' tells me to do, I will end up thinking things like, "I'll be sad for the rest of my life if I don't do this." "Everyone will hate me if I don't do this." "I'm a failure if I don't do this." "Someone will get hurt if I don't do this." Please give your honest and serious answers, it will help me out a lot. Thank you.
How do you deal with a girlfriend having OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder)?
Read up! Because what I am going to say next might sound contradictory. While the simplest advice is to 'be supportive', do realize that it does not mean giving in to her whims. And that is not to satisfy some male upmanship stimulus. It is for her sake that I say don't give in to everything. One of the worst traits about OCD as you would probably know is that it worsens if left unattended. The more you give in, the more demanding it becomes. And beyond a point, it starts interfering with routine. Read up 'Brain Lock' by Dr Jeffrey Schwartz, if you already haven't. Read up 'Exposure and Response Prevention on the internet, if you already haven't.I don't presume to know more and be pedantic. I'm relating my personal experience in the hope that it helps you. All the best.And Christine Lloyd - doff hat to you!
OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER need advice! Urgently. POCD....?
About a couple of days ago, I was worried that i secretly would want to lust after children. I couldn't get this idea out of my mind, so I gave in and made myself imagine something sexual with a child. I got a thought about me fingering a baby (the thought went further into the baby actually becoming aroused by this action that made me feel like it was arousing to me) i have NO DESIRE TO BE WITH CHILDREN or hurt them in any way. Mark my words. I have no desire to molest them. I had the thought and I wish I never had it because now I'm experiencing guilt, agony, and all I've been doing is hibernating in my room trying to figure out why I felt this and feeling terrible about myself all day. I feel like because I may have gotten aroused by the thought that I'm an actual evil person who deserves to go to hell. I suffer from OCD, and the testing and analyzing all comes with it. However, when. I got the thought it was to check if I actually felt any kind of way and in result I did. But I truly don't think it's because I'm attracted to babies. Maybe just imagining something sexual turned me on and that's what it was. In my thought the baby got turned on, and because it's a baby and doesn't know why it feels good it's all knew - well that idea turned me on.... NOT THE BABY ITSELF. I'm 23. A woman. And I was molested as a child. I repeat, I'm not a baby or child luster. I would never in a million years do anything. I see a therapist regularly and she helps me usually with my problems.
How to deal with this obsessive compulsive reading disorder?
Picture THIS: You open a book you've been wanting to read for weeks, you skim through through the blurb and the acknowledgements and the dedication, and then begin the opening chapter. You read the first sentence. There's a pause created by you, your brain feels as though it missed something out, like you haven't "fully" read the sentence, so you go back and re-read it, before re-reading and re-reading it again, over and over and over until you finally feel like you've read it "properly". This ritual is constantly repeated throughout the course of finishing the book. ↑ THAT is called Reading OCD and it's a right struggle, I must say. I won't go as far as to tell you that it is "ruining my life" because it's not; I still love reading and I do manage to finish books and enjoy them, just not in the same way other kids do so. I read loads; but I re-read more. Now my question is, HOW do I cope (or even overcome) this obsessive compulsive reading disorder? I'm aware there may not be a cure, exactly, but I'd like some helpful advice at least. I'm 13 (fourteen days to go until I'm 14) years old and a Secondary School student, if that helps at all.
How do you cope with mixing an obsessive compulsive disorder personality and living with messy partners?
You watch a TV series called the Odd Couple, or the movie of the same name. Or read the Neil Simon play that inspired them.They’re comedies but the way the characters handled their differences and resolved conflicts is interesting and might be helpful for you. If you can get your messy partners to watch it with you, you’ll have a shared reference for figuring things out.
Am I suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder? (OCD)
Yes, the symptoms do suggest OCD. I'm not a doctor either but my wife suffers from OCD. There are a couple of things you can do. 1. Buy a copy of Brain Lock by Dr Jeffrey Schwarz. His book tells you how you can rewire your brain and deal with OCD yourself. 2. If you are in Bangalore, go to NIMHANS. NIMHANS has one of the world's best OCD treatment centres in the world and the treatment (apart from a small registration fee), is free of cost. So your concern about it being expensive is taken care of. 3. Do some self-therapy at home, if you can. There's a type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy called Exposure and Response Prevention. Briefly, list down all your fears and obsessions. Once you have done that, grade them as per severity. Start with the lowest anxiety-inducing stimuli first. And expose yourself to them. After you have done that, try and resist the compulsive behaviour that you are tempted to perform. For example, if you are in a bus or train, rest your head against the wall and then when you get home, try to resist the urge to wash your hair. It is difficult and you may not be 100% successful at the first go itself. Do not worry. But do not give up. If you persist, you will realise soon that you are able to tolerate some of the impulses without having to act upon the compulsions. Slowly, keep progressing to more and more difficult impulses. The treatment requires professional help but if you are averse to seeking help, this will at least help you to control the smaller issues. 4. Do not ignore it. I repeat. Do not ignore it. OCD is progressive and it will just get worse if you do not deal with it at the right time and properly. 5. I am in Mumbai and I suspect you are too. If you want to reach out to me for guidance (from a layman who has seen his wife go through it), do write to me on snpunjabi at gmail dot com. I can put you on to people who can professionally help. All the best.
What is the best drug for obsessive compulsive disorder treatment?
The best drug is the drug that works best for you.I’m not being flippant here. Our bodies react to different drugs in different ways. You may have great luck with an SSRI, which is the first line for OCD pharmaceutical treatment. You may not need a drug at all and instead rely solely on Cognitive Behavioral Techniques to help you.Talk to your doctor and your therapist.
If I am an obsessive compulsive person, what kind of therapy is most effective?
First off, let's clear the label. You are a person who has obsessive compulsive tendencies. Yet those tendencies are not who you are.Obsessive compulsive disorder definitely has a biological component, so you will probably want to see a doctor for medication. I would recommend seeing a psychiatrist rather than a GP--they have more training and are more up-to-date on psychiatric medications.As far as therapy, you need to first understand that obsessive-compulsive type behaviors are a desperate attempt to control the uncontrollable. They are fear-based, and a response to something that is causing you to experience fear and anxiety. Therapy should consist of identifying the triggers and redefining them, so that you can stop the fear response from happening. Here is an article I wrote about redefining: 5 Steps to Creating a New Reality.You will likely find a skill-based therapy to be the most useful. These therapies teach you tools that you can learn to redefine and to prevent your own fear response from happening. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is one such treatment, and I strongly recommend it. I use a variant of CBT with my clients.