Can paranoid thoughts also be ocd or is it psychosis?

[Guest lucylia]

I had a baby last Thursday and a big fear of mine has been developing postnatal psychosis. I know that psychosis can be paranoid thoughts like people are out to get you or the devil is after you etc etc ... And all night ive been having thoughts like "maybe your new baby is really the devil in disguise" or "maybe your fiancé is out to get you" .... Because I know those sorts of thoughts can be a sign of psychosis So they are playing on my

Mind and I'm picking up on everything. If I see a shadow I think "maybe that's a ghost" and so on and so forth, but there's a part of me that knows I'm being silly but the thoughts keep coming. Do I treat this as ocd or do I recognise that its psychosis kicking in and get help immediately? I feel really scared just now. I've never had "paranoid" thoughts like this so it's terrifying x

Lucy xxx

[PolarBear]

I suspect you are more likely dealing with a case of you have what you think. You've been concerned that you could get psychosis. It's been top of mind. You've thought about it a lot. Suddenly you have symptoms that seem to suggest psychosis. Do you see what I'm getting at?

If you're deeply concerned about it, go ahead and see a psychiatrist. My inkling at this point is you've wound yourself up over this, are going over it in your mind like crazy and you're now having random thoughts along the same line that are bothering you.

[Guest lucylia]

Yeah it's like when I'm distracted and not thinking about it I don't have the thoughts but then when I have a moment where j feel overly anxious I start having paranoid thoughts and they play over and over. I'd like to assume if it were psychosis I even be questioning it, I'd have the constant belief as opposed to fleeting thoughts. At least I hope ?

Lucy xxx

[Guest nervous]

Hi lucylia, first of all congratulations on your baby! To answer you question I believe OCD can be about anything. Like PB says I think you should talk to your therapist. I asked my therapist one time how do I know if it's OCD or psychosis, he told me that because there is doubt in my mind it was an indicator that it was ocd. I am sure they look at more than that but it was enough for me to understand. Reading your post it sounds like the same ocd you had before just now with new things to think about.

Take time out from OCD to enjoy being a great mom.

[ecomum]

You said part of you knows you are being silly. I think that is the key you sbould focus on .

Ocd is worse after a baby because you are physically and mentally exhausted so not thinking clearly as you have no space to process your thoughts. It will pass.enjoy your baby.

[Guest lucylia]

I feel like maybe it is what I truly believe but I have to say I know I'm being silly so I don't get sectioned. I hate this. When I first woke this morning Id forgotten all about it then bam I remember and it won't go away now. It's so hard to enjoy my baby feeling this way x

Lucy xxx

[Guest yommy]

Hello.

Maybe in some patients with ocd and somekind of psychotic symptoms, a neurological problem like abnormal EEG,

partial seizures may be the cause of psychiatric manifestations.

Please read this:

Schizo-obsession as probable temporal lobe epilepsy phenomenon

link to pdf: http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Saddichha_Sahoo/publication/44802681_Schizo-obsession_as_probable_temporal_lobe_epilepsy_phenomenon/links/09e4150578f490f8b3000000.pdf

(please, click view in right side)

There are different forms of partial seizures, mine are simple partial seizures, with no loss of consiousness, symptoms of my attacks are:

- deja vus

- sudden random memory recall, I'm back in the past, memories are vivid like I was really there, they are quite pleasant (they are from time

period when I was healthy)

Maybe some of you with OCD can have undiagnosed epilepsy. Maybe none of you.

But I feel that it would be not fair if I didn't post it here.

greetings and best luck

(if somebody find out that he has undiagnosed epilepsy and assiociated psychiatric manifestations associated, please let us know)

Edited May 24, 2015 by yommy

[Guest lucylia]

I'm to scared to read that Incase I get triggered. Sorry. I just called the crisis team though and they aren't worried. They said if I had psychosis I wouldn't be calling them and asking them. Usually it's the family members or midwives of new mums who develop this that call for help because the mums aren't aware that they are unwell and have a genuine belief in their thoughts. They aren't questioning if it's psychosis. They can't sit and debate is this psychosis or ocd ..,, apparently it doesn't work like that. I know I'm not going to hurt my baby girl because she has been "sent by the devil" I don't know why that thought keeps comin into my head but it's really bugging me. And wat if I think it so much I end up believing it???

Lucy xxx

[Guest yommy]

Lucylia, I'd like to apologize you.

I have read only a title of your topic:

Can paranoid thoughts also be ocd or is it psychosis?

I didn't read your post so I didn't know that you have a baby.

You must be right. The crisis team must be right.

I'm sorry again.

[Guest lucylia]

That's ok yommy. I'm just easily triggered so I avoid. Probably wrong thing to do but that's how I am when I'm bad x

Lucy xxx

[Dave]

I occasionally have what I consider to be paranoid thoughts, even before - in fact years before - the film the Truman Show was produced I have wondered if everybody watches my life on TV. They don't cause me severe anxiety, although when I was hungover once, and couldn't remember what I'd done the night before, I scrutinised every look I got and imagined the possibility of a YouTube video featuring some of my (imagined) outrageous antics was going viral!

I'd suggest that most people have bizarre thoughts, and that OCD magnifies any that you might find a little disturbing. Given that you've just had a baby (congratulations, btw), I would think that this would now be the focus of any unwelcome thoughts. Best of luck.

[Guest MissValenta23]

I had post natal physcosis trust me you wouldn't know if you had it your brain is completely gone I can not remember much of it.

I myself have just had a baby and I have OCD thoughts that my baby might of been swapped, I know this is my OCD but like you I was terrifed on getting post natal physcosis ( again) so I told myself I musn't get those thoughts which has caused them then I get into a state that I need to be in hospital and I check baby and my memory to reassure myself.

If you ever need to message me feel free to it would be nice to speak to someone else who is suffering post natally also as it really is hard when all you want to do is enjoy baby but your ocd is there.

[Guest Lyn77]

I had exactly the same thoughts. I contacted crisis team and referred myself to hospital to b assessed. I was so scared I was developing phycosis. I had read in a book about a woman who had post natal psychosis and she believed her baby was the devil...so guess what my OCD latched on to!! I couldn't stop thinking about it and like u thought ...what i f I keep thinking this for so long that I actually start to believe this. Anyway I was told by everyone that I did not have phycosis and indeed had pnd and OCD. I told a volunteer on the phone at the crisis team and she made an immediate referral to social services and I had to go through a process with them also with all the health professionals around me trying to assure them that I was not a danger to my children because I have intrusive thoughts! It was hell and I am so glad to be at the other side. As if trying to deal with OCD wasn't enough. I now still get the thoughts and get a whole host of flavours of OCD thoughts but just wanted to let u know I have had the same thoughts as those u are describing.

As a side not the volunteer who took my call received training in OCD following what happened as my psychologists manager felt it was totally innapropriate that she referred me and as I believe this is not common practice.

[Guest lucylia]

Thankyou both Lyn and missvalenta for your replies. I'm so sorry you went through that with social services lyn. I'm shocked that they done that. When I had my son nearly 11 years ago, I was awful with ocd and I told my mid wife and everything and she was really good about it. My psychiatrist and everyone involved with me knew but they weren't worries Id harm him. They knew it was ocd. My ocd theme at that time was abusing him Aswell so it was a bad one. This time round it's the whole psychosis thing. I'm so sorry you actually experienced that miss. Thatbwouls put me off having kids for life. I'm glad to hear you think its ocd I have and not psychosis. My abuse ocd is also back with a memory of when I rubbed his nappy. It's strange I'm not having these tjoufhts about my wee girl though. I'm demented trying to enjoy my baby AND deal with this ?

Lucy xxx