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can ocd be seasonal?


Guest Lovetopaint07

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Guest Lovetopaint07

Hi all, just wondering if anyone is noticing a spike in symptoms due to the holidays? And does anyone else struggle with ocd centering around relationships?

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When you say holidays do you mean when you are going away on holiday? or do you mean seasonal as in winter time? A lot of people do find their OCD seems to get worse when the nights start to draw in around September/October time as we approach winter.

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I find anything that creates extra stress worsens my OCD. Christmas is certainly stressful for most people!

However, the fact many feel worse in the winter is possibly also due to a lack of sunshine and vitamin D.

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Guest Habibmilan21

I find anything that creates extra stress worsens my OCD. Christmas is certainly stressful for most people!

However, the fact many feel worse in the winter is possibly also due to a lack of sunshine and vitamin D.

Hey Tricia, you're spot on. For me, when i am off from University and back home with my family, i don't suffer as much. OBVIOUSLY i still have OCD but I'm sooooo much better at lettings things go and not performing compulsions and not even realising i have OCD.

Also, i was diagnosed with Vitamin D deficiency due to lack of sunshine and that caused symptoms like tremors and twitching in my body, however i don't think there is a scientific study to prove that there is a correlation between lack of Vit D and OCD spike, unless you have one?

I guess most of it just has to do with stress and when you're feeling down and even happy at times.

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I was vulnerable to relapse when taking a holiday from work - the OCD would see its opportunity and move in.

We mixed things up stayed with our familysa lot, took long weekends - steps to keep busy not just flop around, and they helped.

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A lot of the time if you expect your OCD to get worse, it will. I avoid generalisations now for that reason.

I've often struggled in winter, but now it only makes my OCD worse if I allow my mood to drop. Work on staying cheerful and positive despite the darker days and I'm fine.

I can get bad OCD when I'm stressed, but become aware of the signs I'm a bit on edge and nip it in the bud - no OCD spike. Plan a little extra chill out time when I know I'm likely to face stressful situations and the OCD doesn't flare up when the stress hits after all.

It's amazing how we can talk ourselves into having an OCD spike at certain times, almost as if we feel we ought to be bad around that time so we are. :unsure:

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Guest PalaeontologyLover

A lot of the time if you expect your OCD to get worse, it will. I avoid generalisations now for that reason.

I've often struggled in winter, but now it only makes my OCD worse if I allow my mood to drop. Work on staying cheerful and positive despite the darker days and I'm fine.

I can get bad OCD when I'm stressed, but become aware of the signs I'm a bit on edge and nip it in the bud - no OCD spike. Plan a little extra chill out time when I know I'm likely to face stressful situations and the OCD doesn't flare up when the stress hits after all.

It's amazing how we can talk ourselves into having an OCD spike at certain times, almost as if we feel we ought to be bad around that time so we are. :unsure:

Very good point

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Hey Tricia, you're spot on. For me, when i am off from University and back home with my family, i don't suffer as much. OBVIOUSLY i still have OCD but I'm sooooo much better at lettings things go and not performing compulsions and not even realising i have OCD.

Also, i was diagnosed with Vitamin D deficiency due to lack of sunshine and that caused symptoms like tremors and twitching in my body, however i don't think there is a scientific study to prove that there is a correlation between lack of Vit D and OCD spike, unless you have one?

I guess most of it just has to do with stress and when you're feeling down and even happy at times.

I doubt there's been any studies into OCD spikes and vitamin D deficiency, but it's well known that the deficiency can cause depression and heightened anxiety, so I don't see why it can't make OCD worse.

Many people also eat differently in winter. A book I have on blood pressure lists that as one reason why typically people have higher blood pressure in the winter. There are so many possible factors involved.

Edited by Tricia
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Guest yinyang

Winter months for me mean doing less.

Doing less means more time for rumination.

Rumination means more time for OCD.

Like others have suggested keeping busy and not dwelling on the british summer we didn't have are often the best ways to avoid possible spikes.

There's no doubt that my depression takes a nose dive during winter time and I'm not 100% sure why that really is. Probably vit D and sunlight plays a part but I think mainly it's because it leads to more thinking time, or should I say - negative thinking time - which is something I need to work on.

I suffer from social anxiety also, so during this time of year when your often 'forced' to be social, it's a time when I struggle and my anxiety peaks.

Some might say that's a good thing but over the years it's something which has never gotten easier for me, and it's another in my long list of issues that needs addressing!

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Guest Habibmilan21

Winter months for me mean doing less.

Doing less means more time for rumination.

Rumination means more time for OCD.

Like others have suggested keeping busy and not dwelling on the british summer we didn't have are often the best ways to avoid possible spikes.

There's no doubt that my depression takes a nose dive during winter time and I'm not 100% sure why that really is. Probably vit D and sunlight plays a part but I think mainly it's because it leads to more thinking time, or should I say - negative thinking time - which is something I need to work on.

I suffer from social anxiety also, so during this time of year when your often 'forced' to be social, it's a time when I struggle and my anxiety peaks.

Some might say that's a good thing but over the years it's something which has never gotten easier for me, and it's another in my long list of issues that needs addressing!

Very well said. I agree with Snowbear that it all depends on how you look at a situation. Its true that since i figured out my OCD gets worse when I'm back at uni and stressed for exams, because i made that mindset, it is bound to happen. Therefore from now on tell yourself that you won't get an OCD spike if you're optimistic and look forward to the day. Obviously if you keep telling yourself "oh here we go, next week is winter, my OCD is going to start spiking" then there is no doubt that it will.

I doubt there's been any studies into OCD spikes and vitamin D deficiency, but it's well known that the deficiency can cause depression and heightened anxiety, so I don't see why it can't make OCD worse.

Many people also eat differently in winter. A book I have on blood pressure lists that as one reason why typically people have higher blood pressure in the winter. There are so many possible factors involved.

True, there are many factors involved, depression can be one too. However, Vitamin D deficient means that the person becomes tired quicker and just can't be bothered to do things at times, i find myself not ruminating when I'm exhausted and tired so in a way Vitamin D can be both an inducer of OCD and at the same time can be the reason to why we stop performing compulsions and ruminations.

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Guest Habibmilan21

Also, as a medical student i think its my place to say that its not good for anyone to assume they are vitamin D deficient without getting an actual blood result back that confirms it. Vitamin D deficiency usually leads to twitches and tremors and a fatigue body.

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Also, as a medical student i think its my place to say that its not good for anyone to assume they are vitamin D deficient without getting an actual blood result back that confirms it. Vitamin D deficiency usually leads to twitches and tremors and a fatigue body.

As a medical student you'll also be wanting to point out that not everybody with twitches, tremors and fatigue should assume Vit D deficiency is the cause. (Hence the need for the blood test folks!)

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Guest Habibmilan21

As a medical student you'll also be wanting to point out that not everybody with twitches, tremors and fatigue should assume Vit D deficiency is the cause. (Hence the need for the blood test folks!)

Yes SnowBear, you're right. I had just assumed that they had no symptoms. Do not assume anything until confirmed by your GP :)

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Also, as a medical student i think its my place to say that its not good for anyone to assume they are vitamin D deficient without getting an actual blood result back that confirms it. Vitamin D deficiency usually leads to twitches and tremors and a fatigue body.

Yes SnowBear, you're right. I had just assumed that they had no symptoms. Do not assume anything until confirmed by your GP :)

Vitamin D deficiency often has no obvious symptoms. I was seriously deficient but had no twitches or tremor (although admittedly I was weaker than I used to be, but assumed it was my age).

Deficiency and insufficiency now affects so many of us in Europe and North America. Most doctors, and certainly the experts on the 'vitamin' (hormone), say that we should all take 1,000 IU anyway to be on the safe side.

As for not assuming anything unless a GP confirms it. My daughter would probably be dead if we had relied on GPs. We need to do our own research as well. GPs are not experts.

It's alarming that many doctors don't even know what D test to use and they are therefore telling people they are fine when they are not! Always make sure your GP is testing 25(OH)D and NOT 1,25(OH)2D.

My own doctor is a lovely man and he once told me he left medical school believing he 'knew it all'. He admitted at 64 he is still learning and much of it is by listening to his patients!

P.S. If anyone has ME or fibromyalgia, make sure you have your D tested, as up to 60 percent of us are diagnosed with these conditions when all that is wrong is a lack of D. Shame on GPs who don't test! I probably suffered needlessly for 25 years! As you may have gathered, I am angry!

Edited by Tricia
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