Medication for OCD - experiences?

[WorrierMum]

Hi everyone,
I was in my GP's office today discussing options to treat my OCD. I would class it as mild OCD but it certainly interferes with my day to day functioning. My mind is so preoccupied on intrusive repetitive thoughts (health and kids related) that my window of tolerance for putting up with stress is very small. I am impatient with my kids, angry a lot and always feel on edge.
My psychologist has been great but she suggested I consider medication. My GP said we could try it for 3 months as a trial.
What have been your experiences with an SSRI for OCD/anxiety? I'm hoping people have had some positive outcomes and it's helped them into remission from their OCD?
If I do take the medication I will continue with talk therapy with my psychologist and an online CBT course at the same time.

Thanks

[white knight]

Hi, welcome

My wife has OCD a little but I have little knowledge of it and subsequent medications.

I can address the anxiety issue however and once this post is posted your thread will go back to the top and have another chance at being answered.

You have matched stress and anxiety together which I have always done and is imo quite accurate. Anxiety is a serious illness and from my own experience going from panic attacks and living on the "edge as you describe it, is difficult. Anxiety as I have indeed proven, is curable however, but it often takes a long time. Nevertheless now at 66yo I'm really glad I attended to it when I did.

So here is a few threads that might assist your start in reducing the stress you feel. Mind you, even now I have honed my skills so I avoid things that stress me, even though I dont end up stressed if you can see what I mean.

You only need to read the first post of each of these-

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/anxiety/anxiety-how-l-eliminated-it

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/anxiety/worry-worry-worry

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/anxiety/worry-worry-worry-part-2

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/staying-well/depression-distraction-and-variety

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/staying-well/meditation---words-of-wisdom---it-helped-me-for-25-years

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgh08mZ355Q

TonyWK

[Petal22]

Hi WorrierMum,

As previously mentioned in another thread I have a lived experience of severe anxiety OCD.

I was put on a antidepressant to help me to manage my anxiety that I was experiencing at the time, in the long run yes I believe it has helped me.

In my initial diagnosis my anxiety level was very severe I believe that by taking my antidepressant it helped me to bring my anxiety level down to a level that I could manage.

I also did an 8 week group therapy this was an intervention into the OCD… I believe if I hadn’t had my antidepressant my anxiety would have been too high for me to be able to concentrate on what I needed to learn in therapy.

When I initially started my antidepressant things did get worse before they got better….. but things are great now…. Antidepressants can take up to 6 weeks to work to their full capacity.

I believe also that it’s very important for you to learn what keeps you in your OCD cycle and how to disengage from it.

Have you been taught what keeps you in your OCD cycle?…… this is something you need to be taught….

here to chat 😊

[geoff]

Hello WorrierMum, I take SSRI for anxiety and OCD and have done a course online for helping with this illness, which did help while doing the course but didn't allow me to stop these obsessions/compulsions, may be it slowed them down, but when the course had finished my lack of concentration faded away so I was back to square one.

I'm not brave enough to stop taking the SSRI only because there have been times when I needed another script and didn't take them for a couple of days, that's when I fell back straight away, so I'm still taking them.

I can not say whether or not they help me, but they might have been able to reduce the symptoms, and after having this for 60 odd years, I know that intrusive thoughts I have don't come true, may be the medication has enabled this.

I'm only talking about myself here as I'm not a doctor.

As your doctor has suggested a 3 month trial in taking this medication is a good start but if I can suggest that a psychologist can help you and your doctor can enable you to have 'the mental health plan', which entitles to 10 Medicare paid sessions.

Please ask any question you like.

Geoff. x