Recently Diagnosed

[Guest greekjim26]

I have suffered from symptoms of OCD my whole life. I realized when i was a teenager but came to live with the symptoms and for the most part it was never detrimental to my life. A few months ago someone pointed out a specific thing I do and dropped me into a spiral of looking back through everything thats been plaguing me my whole life. I decided to finally satisfy my curiosity and start seeing a therapist. She diagnosed me with OCD last week and thats when everything really got out of hand.

It never really bothered me until I knew for sure. Now that I do I notice every little thing that I do and its starting to make me crazy. How did everyone deal with the news when they were initially diagnosed? I really thought it would provide me with some validation for all of this nonsense but instead I just feel terrible. Anything you guys did that helped you cope?

[Guest Zorro]

I initially was pleased to be diagnosed with OCD. It was nice to put a name to what I was going through. However, over time I've changed my view on people being diagnosed. I now feel it's unhelpful.

I agree with following quote from a psychologist.

"The main problem with making a diagnosis is that it labels a person. And so that person often then feel like they've got a fixed, often biological kind of condition. That diminishes their motivation from thinking they can change it, and get better. Now within things like DSM-IV, it's all very much the framework of a medical model." - Sallee McLaren

I think it's healthier to view yourself as dealing with intrusive thoughts/images/impulses, rather than HAVING something (OCD the name being given).

Edited March 26, 2015 by Zorro

[Guest greekjim26]

Thats the thing.. On the one hand maybe having a name to it lets me get help. But I haven't been able to take my mind off of it since she said it.

[Guest Zorro]

This website helped me more than anything. http://www.ocdonline.com/#!articles-phillipson/cfvg

[Guest greekjim26]

I'll read through it. Thanks.

[PolarBear]

Perhaps your diagnoses made you take stock and realize that you did exhibit symptoms in the past. Hopefully the full on focus on every facet of your life will diminish over time. However, now you know and now you can start working on changing things for the better.

Welcome to the forum :original:

Edited March 26, 2015 by PolarBear

[BelAnna]

Hi Greekjim26,

It might be that you have mild OCD because it wasn't affecting your life until you looked into it. Remember normal people without an OCD diagnosis often have some obsessive compulsive behaviour. People only get diagnosed when their symptoms cause anxiety/distress, interference at work/school/home and take up more than an hour a day.

Most of your thoughts and behaviour will be non-obsessive, normal thoughts and behaviour. If it didn't cause problems before diagnosis then it doesn't matter now with the diagnosis either

Edited March 27, 2015 by BelAnna

[Guest greekjim26]

It's not so much that it wasn't affecting my life. I just never really looked at everything I was doing. I didn't associate driving around the block 4 times to make sure the garage door, which I knew I closed, was closed. I worked out systems to shorten the length of my little rituals like taking pictures of the door so I wouldn't have to go back and check I could just look at my phone. I don't know. I'm trying to be optimistic about all of this but I'm finding it difficult because I have no one to relate to. Thats how I ended up here on this forum.

Edited March 27, 2015 by greekjim26

[BelAnna]

Hi Greekjim26,

Sorry, it sounds like I got the wrong end of the stick/misunderstood!

It sounds like you've done well by finding ways to cope with your OCD and live a normal-ish life but maybe it's good that you've got a diagnosis now and maybe noticing how it affects your life (quite significantly?!) might be helpful in order for you to start overcoming the condition!

[Guest greekjim26]

Agreed. I suppose hitting a bottom of sorts is required before you can start going back up.