Veryblue

So OCD sufferers don’t have low serotonin?

Yeah - it started in 1995 and continues to this day.

Are you a doctor?

Really? How come there’s plenty of research suggesting OCD sufferers have low serotonin? Is this part of your anti-medication agenda?

I worked for a publishing company for years with OCD. No-one knew and it was very challenging and anxiety provoking. Despite this I got promoted several times. On the other hand I had to go to a lot of functions and on trips abroad and unfortunately developed a dependency on benzodiazepines and later alcohol which nearly killed me. At some point I started having extremely violent intrusive thoughts about people sat near me. That was the final straw. I went on sick leave and never went back.

What you describe seems different to the comment about “fishnet pictures”.

People with nothing to hide don’t need a browser that doesn’t track.

Thank you. Interestingly April 10 is the day of my meeting with the health trust. Yes it does sound like it could be helpful.

Ashley will be attending the meeting in April via zoom.

52 today and still debilitated by this horrible condition. It’s sometimes unreal to me that’s it’s been almost 29 years since that one thought came into my mind leading to decades of crippling anxiety. A meeting in April with senior managers of the NHS Trust to discuss access or rather lack of access to intensive treatment but I’m not feeling hopeful. I’m actually exhausted by what I’ve been through with mental health “professionals” in the last three years. I also have liver disease and am supposed to avoid unnecessary stress. Ha!

Is it? I’m pretty sure for many a combination of medication and appropriate therapy is beneficial. You have an anti-medication stance from what I recall - no?

I can’t stand it. It really affects my mood.

Thank you

Hi, in the absence of therapy I’m trying very hard for a couple of hours a day to deal with the noise of kids outside. So no “white noise” from YouTube, quieter or no music, windows open and going outside at times of day I was reluctant to previously. I suppose this is a bit like of ERP? It’s still very distressing.

Thank you Angst.

It helps to talk with other sufferers - not so much with mental health professionals! Maybe I’ll get lucky ….

It’s possible Ashley might be able to attend via zoom. I hope he doesn’t mind me mentioning this. I hope so but if not I’ll have an advocate with me. Thanks again .

I’ve had these thoughts with varying degrees of severity for 28 years. As for the cause the suggestions have been varied and some bizarre. I remember one psychiatrist asking me if I’d been breast fed. More up to date mental health professionals supposedly knowledgeable about OCD were/are fully aware it’s not just noise but a range of other triggers and anticipatory symptoms to do with children. The school near our house has several caged off five a side pitches so not only is it noisy at specific times of day but most evenings with kids (and adults) playing football and also on Saturday morning.

Thank you. The forthcoming appointment with people from the health trust is to discuss concerns about lack of treatment not a complaint per se and I hope the outcome will be treatment not just them papering over cracks. I’m hoping the presence of an advocate will help. I’ve actually got a nice GP but he’s reluctant to make any independent decisions. He’s sympathetic to my situation but he’s never offered to do anything to help.

I have been completely honest which led to safeguarding “concerns” because I’ve talked over and over with mental health professionals ignorant about the reality of OCD. The “battle” I had was a complaint after accessing my mental health records and the horror of what had been written about me. I’ve pleaded with this psychiatrist to make a referral and it’s like talking to a brick wall. I honestly cannot see how more pro-active I could have been taking into account I not only have OCD but chronic liver disease. The loneliness and sense of isolation at times is overwhelming. I was at one time an award winning journalist who travelled frequently despite the condition. Now my life is extremely restricted.

I saw mental health professionals on and off from 1994 onwards. I had a ton of psychodynamic therapy but didn’t know it was unhelpful for OCD until about 2010. I see a psychiatrist every few months but there’s no sense whatsoever that he’s fighting my corner or feels any sense of urgency. My wife will attend the next appointment as she is very angry about his attitude and behaviour.

I was misled by the only therapist in the city and surrounding area where I reside available and affordable claiming to practice CBT-ERP who after a number of sessions started going on about Schema Therapy. I tried to engage in it with her but I could see it was - for me - a waste of time. I have tried to challenge the thoughts by going outside at specific times of day and so on but I have found it impossible to stop the mantras and mental statements. I don’t feel I can do it alone which is why I’ve fought my butt off to access treatment despite feeling wretched. A meeting is meant to be taking place shortly - no date yet - with the health trust to discuss my concerns about the refusal to offer me treatment and a referral for an assessment at least at one of the few inpatient centres for anxiety disorders around the country. There are none in Wales.

Yes you’re correct but accessing appropriate treatment has been a ******* nightmare as Ashley from the charity knows and has been helping me with.

Well I was hoping for some feedback as I feel very isolated as I’ve said before. Schema Therapy is ridiculous and I sold half my record collection to fund those sessions. Even if I wanted to I couldn’t afford it now. I agree it’d be helpful to react differently to the noise other than fearfully but I’ve got numerous massive triggers from the noise of kids walking to and from school, playing sports during school hours, playing football after school and on the weekend.

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