Mike_Check

You may have read/heard that something becomes an issue mentally when "It causes distress and interferes in your life on a regular basis" (or a variation of that.) They word it in such an open way is because a diagnosis is secondary to helping someone in distress. If this is stopping you living the life you want and causes distress definitely talk to your GP about it.

It sounds like your mom isn't the right person to be talking to about OCD at the moment, I'm not saying she's a bad person but at the moment it doesn't sound like she's a going to be of help. I'd say try and find some counciling away from your mother, try and let things cool down between you and your mom. Can you see your GP/family doctor and ask about getting referred to a councilor or psychologist?

It's a closed group so someone I know would have to coincidentally be a member, or someone I don't know would have to be nasty (for no reason I can think of.) I thought I was just being paranoid.

Does anyone ever feel that when they have OCD around a certain object, like re-checking, or something repetitive that that object will set off there anxiety and they need to get rid of it? For example a book or a video game. It's difficult for me to keep anything for long periods.

I recently joined a Facebook group, it's my real Facebook account so is attached to a lot of people. I'm extremely embarrassed about my OCD and haven't told 99% of the people I know about it. Has anyone on here had any issues with using a mental health group on Facebook? Friends receiving OCD/mental health related stories, unwanted messages etc?

He gets a fare few complaints. He doesn't have (and has never had) OCD. He give's advice that goes against a lot of things that are considered established facts by experts. He should be banned, very destructive.

Yup I've already agreed with Hal about it being a cycle. I'm sure you do a lot of good on this forum but it seems like you haven't read anything I've written. No offense intended. Yes I have tried various other medications including Fluoxetine.

@Hal I think your right about exercise for a few reasons. It increases sleep quality, that "boost" you talked about and the fact it just makes people feel better is good for motivation and lessens the need for caffeine to provide that extra nudge. Exercise and mental health is just such a difficult combination, I know I need to do more.

@PolarBear Yeah I realized that, hence "sedating medication" being in the title of the thread, also mentioned it a couple of times within the posts and mentioned I've had 3 blood tests in the last 10 years after telling various doctors about low energy levels.

@PolarBear I take 150mg of Clomipramine. (Nothing else.) @Hal It's definitely a cycle just one that I don't really have an answer for. If I stopped drinking coffee I wouldn't get anything done and would spend even more time in bed. I'm better than I used to be, I've replaced maybe on third of my coffees for decaf. @Isthisreality @Bodger I've had 3 blood tests over the last 10 or so years after complaining to various doctor's about energy levels and never had anything outside the norm. Iron tablets are pretty small financial commitment though so I'll give them a shot anyway. Thanks.

I understand this may seem a bit petty in comparison to how emotionally other posts are written. I'm just trying to keep things practical. My energy levels and the often negative effects of caffeine (which I can't get through the day without) has a significant effect on my anxiety, ADHD and OCD, (all diagnosed) which are pretty unbearable at times.

My medication can be quite sedating and my energy levels are generally bad, my work can also be quite un-eventful and boring (delivery driver.) In turn I drink quite a lot of coffee/caffeinated drinks which is bad for my anxiety and can make me irritable and short tempered. Sedating medication is a pretty common complaint (with mental health medication) how have people in this forums delt with that?

Sorry that looked more like a rant than "advice" on my part haha. In terms of dealing with OCD when some has attention, hyper activity issues I'd say exercise (cardio) is a big help, limit caffeine, guided mediation can be great but takes a lil practice (trying straight up sitting still for 15 minutes can be counter productive), it might sound corny but also just being in nature, bush walks etc, reading is great for getting to sleep but again is a bit of a double edged sword in terms of possibly getting into rereading obsessions etc.

The reason it took decades to recognize it as a problem is because it takes significant exposure over long periods to do any damage. It sounds like your safer than 99% of the population.

not black/white* not perfect/horrific*

I understand your not meant to reassure sufferers but not catastrophizing and seeing things in a black and white, perfect or horrific way is also a big part of CBT. I lived in a room with asbestos in the roof for about 8 months and didn't feel anything in terms of negative health effects. Professionals knew it was there but it was the solid version that isn't generally an issue and they didn't need to remove it. If there is a teeny, tiny, chance of asbestos, it's not like plutonium or cyanide. It takes years of obvious exposure to be harmful.

Deleted.

If a professional who has spoken to you in person has told you you have OCD don't let someone on an internet forum make you doubt that diagnosis. OCD based entirely on mental obsessions is very common. If you read anything that refers to "Pure O" there talking about OCD based on mental obsessions, ruminations.

I find purely mental stuff much harder, I started with common OCD stuff when I was 15 (washing, repetitive actions related to certain numbers) and had stopped all of that while around other people after about 6 years and almost all of it in general. Mental obsessionsis, ruminations are just fundamentally harder (in my opinion.) Even a well balanced person without a mental disorder can't control there thoughts 24/7. Mental obsessions feel outside of my control a fare bit of the time, when looking at them in the short term. I think taking a broad view of it is a good approach to minimizing them and being happier. Same goes with social anxiety (which I also have a problem with.) Fill your life with meaningful things, interesting people, interesting activities, healthy food and regular exercise .

This reminds me a lot of me. The memory, fidgeting, one extreme to another, bad time management. My psychiatrist asked me to a big ADD test (I don't think it was AD"H"D) after seeing me for about a month. He said I maxed out three areas of the test and do have ADD. I don't think it's silly to ask your counselor about it. About 5 years ago I had a psychiatrist tell me she thought I had ADD but she didn't think it was helpful to give me another diagnosed disorder (in addition to OCD.) I don't know if that's common or relevant tho.

From watching doco's etc. it seems a lot of people with substance addiction have mental health issues, lots have been abused at some point. I see a lot similarities in myself and drug addicts (not the abuse part.) I think it's also fundamentally different in a very important way tho, removing the drug for a significant period almost always leads to a dramatic improvement. "Normal" OCD, anxiety, depression sufferers don't have that choice.

I just felt a little bit guilty for being so negative that's all. Don't worry about it, on the scale of the emotions I feel everyday it was pretty tiny. When your discussing things people are going to have opinions, your not responsible if someone overreacts to something you write. And if by accident someone is a little annoyed (or upset or whatever) from something you write it's not a big deal for them or you, it's a small part of the day.

Yeah that could be why. Medication isn't always a lot of fun (to say the least) but I think situations like getting a huge dose to start with are pretty rare.

Thanks for that. In regards to lostintime being unhappy about the possibility some people may not find her advice helpful; no advice applies to everyone, if you help some people that means it was worth posting. I just need to be less confrontational and pick and choose which threads I respond to.

I really don't want to discourage lostintime or anyone from posting. Like I said the original post will be helpul to some people, positivity is a good thing and I just shouldn't have responded to this particular thread. At no time did I think it had malicious intent.