Rosie01

Is the theme ‘your attracted to your family member’ a common theme in OCD? It’s been a prominent one with myself, it’s extremely annoying.

I don’t mean to join the thread randomly I do apologise, but seeing all these amazing mothers with OCD really gives me hope and it’s extremely inspirational I hope one day to be a mother and, despite my ocd, to be an amazing one too! I can’t even think of it right now though if terrify’s me in the most ocd way possible…. All so inspirational though ladies!

Good evening Louise, I’m sorry to hear your struggling OCD really is a bully! If this helps, there’s a website called https://www.meetup.com (I’m not to sure if that link works but it’s just meetup.com and it’ll be the first one that comes up ) They do zoom call’s where you get to meet new people it’s quite fun actually. The last one I joined it was a debate on the topic of our choice it was really fun, you get to make lots of friends on their too all lovely people so I do recommend that all the zoom call topics are different so some are just for women to make friends and have a chat with a virtual tea, there’s loads of others so I thought that would be a good idea to recommend. X

I just mentioned this on another post, but the novel ‘overcoming unwanted, intrusive thoughts’ by Sally Winston helped me the most in terms of understanding the thoughts, why we get them and CBT/exposure wise. I really recommend it ! Also really recommend focusing on chapters 5 & 6 as you really do learn a lot from it …. Hope this helps !

The book overcoming unwanted, intrusive thoughts by Sally Winston is probably the book that helped me the most out of them all, it explains the sciencey brain part as to why we get intrusive thoughts. By me learning about it that way I got to understand that it really isn’t a part of me and was able to separate it a lot more than I used to. I have a note from the book that really stuck with me. “ The amygdala is triggered by even the tiniest response of danger, it’s job is to protect you not to keep you comfortable. When the amygdala is triggered you feel a whoosh of fear.” So basically the amygdala is what gives us these ‘intrusive urges.’ The amygdala is a part of your brain and from reading the book it also states it isn’t the smartest. It is triggered by false fear (so intrusive thoughts) as well as real fear. I know if you was to research the amygdala‘s part in ocd it’s actually quite interesting and it makes you see it from a different perspective - well it did for me too I’m sorry if it didn’t really help, I have a lot more of word for word notes on that book on my phone if you’d like any more info. But that was Chapter 5 & 6 of the novel it explains why we get these urges (so the gronial response or the urge to actually hurt somebody) a lot better and what parts of our brain causes it.

Really struggling to sleep, I just feel like I even dream about my urges and fears

I don’t think I can do it anymore. My harm thoughts and urges are so bad I feel like I’m going to hurt somebody but I really don’t want to I’m so scared, what if I do hurt somebody? What if I loose control? I’m sorry I’m just really panicking and I’m so scared

Thank you Snowbear I’m a little worried you mentioned Hypomania would that mean I’d have to come off the antidepressant? I’m only experiencing high libido I know me being hungry is due to my mini pill, but i’m only on escitalopram 15mg which is a really small dose to cause that I would’ve thought? I’ll have a conversation with a 111 doctor as it has been so distracting I’ve been unable to sleep. At 10mg I seemed to be fine but I increased to 15mg and began the mini pill at the same time then it sort of happened but I know my ocd is playing a big part in this. When I’m worried about something else I don’t get this high libido thought at all and no physical symptoms but when I’m on my own in silence so before going to bed it all comes back and makes me worry, that’s why I have a feeling it generally is the ocd.

I can’t sleep because of this issue it’s really effecting my life big time I’m doubting if it’s even ocd I’ve been researching on pgad and I have all of the symptoms they said there’s no treatment for it and I’m already on antidepressants to try to lower the drive and its gotten worse, I really hope it goes away soon its making me feel so poorly even when I try to get relief after a couple of seconds it comes straight back its not fair I’m going to talk to my gp and say this is urgent.

If you don’t mind me asking was it also an SSRI that caused this? Lexapro is really helping me so I wouldn’t want to come off it however if this is a side effect of the increased dosage it’s extremely uncomfortable and actually a little painful It completely came out of nowhere too so that’s why I’m going to speak with my GP about this. I’m on a few medications that all cause a low sex drive so I’m confused as to why it would cause the complete adverse effect?

I agree with you, it killed my libido when I first started it. However since then I have been on the mini pill but that has low libido as a side effect too and only has progesterone which causes extremely low libido so I don’t think it could be medication? If anything it really should be non-existent. It does feel like it’s in hyperdrive which is making me feel extremely embarrassed. I think because not a lot of people speak about it, it can sometimes be taken the wrong way but if anything it’s been extremely distressing and uncomfortable. My partner made me feel pressured with his comments too, he’s a fully grown man too, so I don’t know why he’s making comments a 13 year old boy would most likely make but I guess we can’t control that. I think that’s why I’ve been ruminating on it also because I do feel that guilt alongside this. I do feel like the ocd is playing a big part in it as when I’m fully distracted it’s absolutely fine, but I’ll definitely follow this up with my gp as soon as possible just to make sure it isn’t actually my medication causing this.

I agree waiting for your next therapy session can feel like years away especially when you are in the more of the much darker days, I’ve been getting gronial responses too without warning and without context sometimes with context but my therapist mentioned if we could control thoughts and situations we’d all be happy millionaires. We of course know this but ocd still manages to squeeze in that tiny tiny ‘what if’, your making an incredibly tough and brave first step with therapy though please be proud and remember to be kind to yourself you seem so lovely, gentle and kind. Keep us updated with how the therapy goes!

Congratulations summer! I know what it’s like not telling your partner about your ocd however your still young please don’t pressure yourself I had a similar situation in a past work place, I didn’t find him attractive at all but of course my ocd persuaded me I did…. He was a lot younger too so I felt immense guilt. But overtime I knew it was the ocd talking and finding other people attractive most certainly isn’t cheating!!

Really struggling this evening with this i just feel so awfully embarrassed I went for more advice on The ‘mind side by side’ forum page and just had a load of weird clearly aroused men thinking it was a joke and taking advantage of me and the situation

Thank you for your reply I've really been struggling with this, when I’m distracted it’s not to bad even when I’m with my partner it’s actually fine that’s why I’m not to sure if it is The somatic ocd part, I haven’t actually heard it being an example of somatic ocd? I even asked my therapist and she wasn’t to sure which made me feel quite anxious in itself. I’m worried about having a high sex drive will cause to later issues like I’m struggling to work too (concentrate) that’s why I wasn’t sure whether to go to my gp about it, it’s all unwanted and making me feel distressed.