OCD Compulsions? Tics? Habits?

[KTOCD]

Hi All,

I have suffered from OCD for some time now and generally manage well. I have recently reduced my medication and my repetitive behaviours are coming back. I am finding that not all of my compulsions are related to obsessions and I find myself engaging in these repetitive behaviours unconsciously. I have sought out some info on tics, however these seem to be involuntary. I don't know if my behaviours are involuntary. I certainly don't need to think about doing them...they just start themselves. I'm thinking they could just be a habit. I occasionally experienced a head jerk that I need to do and feel it coming on. It generally doesn't keep happening though. Only every now and then. My speech has been slightly off occasionally too - words coming out wrong mainly...not pronounced properly.

Has anyone had any experience with this? I have tried to do a bit of research on it but can't find much out there.

Thanks

KT

[JellicoeGirl99]

Hi KT

I've had OCD for some years myself and am also on medication which has really helped me. Is there a reason you're reducing your dosage now and would it be possible to increase again or give yourself some time to adjust with additional consultation?

Compulsions for me have just been repetitive behaviours so hopefully someone can help you more with this, but in the mean time, I've had the same involuntary habits that I begin doing before an intrusive thought even compels me to do so. However, it's important to stop the habit as soon as you do notice it. Once you attempt to stop it you may end up realising there is some sort of obsession attatched to it, one that you should challenge straight away by identifying it simply as your OCD. This has helped me a lot to break the automatic compulsions. Perhaps once you break these compulsions the tics and speech will settle too.

Best of luck, and hope this helps a little

JellicoeGirl99

[geoff]

hello KT, I think we're spoken before and if it involves OCD then it's quite possible.
Firstly I would suggest you go back to your doctor and discuss what has now happened, and although I'm not qualified, I've had it for what seems to be a life time, 57 years.
Compulsions, habits and/or rituals can just start up at any time over anything, they're not planned to begin with, but just come to mind out of the blue, out of nowhere and once you start doing it then it eases your mind which then diminishes your anxiety.
You may not necessarily need to think that you have to do them, it's part of your routine, and if for some reason you don't do them then that's when your anxiety level increases when you realise that you were somehow distracted, so you make up an excuse so that you can go and do it.
Now that you have started doing a head jerk and it's just early on this can be stopped, compared to a habit/ritual/obsession that you have been doing for a long time, then that's extremely difficult if not impossible to stop, but you have to remember that all of these will change over time, in other words, what I used to do as a kid I don't do now, but it's been replaced by something else.
Mumbling can be OCD as well, I've been told many many times that I mumble, but it doesn't stop me from talking my usual way.
A text book won't tell you everything, you only learn by talking with other people who have it, although it will say that people with OCD have repetitive thoughts, true, but everyone has different anomalies, but it's still worthwhile trying to research it, but please come back and ask me anything. Geoff.

[geoff]

hi KT, I forgot to say that someone who suffers from OCD there can always be a trap, can I make an example here, if for some reason you accidentally tap a door and then something goes extremely well for you, then this is going to create a habit, the need to tap that door hoping it will then make everything go well, just as it did before, this is definitely why a habit starts for those of us who suffer from OCD. Geoff.

[KTOCD]

Thanks Jellicoe and Geoff. I appreciate your replies. I very much agree that talking to other sufferers helps work things out. Text books don't know everything.

I am a bit worried that things have turned into tics because I can't find any anxiety or obsession linked with the movement. On the other hand, it's not involuntary and comes and goes. I don't do the movements all the time. It's a hard one to work out because they do not fit strictly into compulsions or tics. I often squeeze the muscles in my nose together. I may do this hundreds of times a day. The movement is minimal and goes unnoticed most times. I can not think of an obsession or anxiety related thing that may be driving this. I suppose it doesn't really matter what it is in the long run. It just is 🙂

I am so glad I'm not alone on the speech thing Geoff. I don't mumble though. I swap letters around or substitute letters. Usually happens when I'm busy at work, during conversations or when I'm telling people things. One of my psychologists pointed out once that I may often see things visually first. This is true for me. I think the speech part of my brain is on delay sometimes. I know what I'm on about but I can't communicate it with clear speech. Words just get mumbled up. I actually find this pretty embarrassing at times, especially at work. I feel like I come across really silly. I want to say to people when it happens ....'I'm not stupid, I'm actually quite switched on, don't get hung up on the speech thing, u can pick up what I'm on about from what I am managing to get out'. I feel like people are judging me when it happens. I work in a field with some pretty intelligent and capable people. Feel a bit inferior when it happens.

Im also feeling the urge to do these tics/compulsions during meetings (when I'm not otherwise occupied and am just sitting there). Super embarrassing!!! Again, I feel like saying to everyone - I've got urges to do these behaviours...just ignore them!! Don't look!

Hmmmmm maybe I have just put a puzzle piece together. Maybe these tics/compulsions are happening when the brain is not occupied. Is that it?!?

Have either of you ever had trouble with reading e.g. Having to read a line or word on a page x amount of times? I used to have this as a teenager. Not anymore but it caused havoc for a while. Would love to know if this is a common thing.

Cheers!

hope everyone has a good week!!!

KT

[Guest_1055]

Hey KT,

I do not have any advice or anything like that, however I remember you. So just saying a cheery hello to you is all!!

Hugs

Shelley xx

[geoff]

hi KT, yes, yes and yes and that's what happens with me, I may often see things visually first or I think that I've already said something and then make a comment expecting the person to know what I've said in the first case, so I'm two passes ahead of them until they pull me up then I have to go back and start again, hard to explain.
Yes I also have to read a line several times but it depends plus my head injury hasn't helped either, but yes yes yes. Geoff.

[KTOCD]

Hello Shelley,

yes I have not been on here in a little while. Sending a cheery hello back to you!!

KT

[KTOCD]

Hi Geoff,

Im so not alone in the world!! Thank you!!!

I'll see what comes out of my mouth today 🙂

KT

[geoff]

hi KT, you're certainly not alone at all. Geoff.