help

[Guest daz]

hello, my name is darren, i'm 34 years old and live in brighton, i was diagnosed with ocd two and a half years ago, with just intrusive thoughts, the thoughts are disturbing, one for example, my eye falling out. I have been prescribed with different anti depressants, to help the ocd.I am currently taking sertraline, and can't feel any effect yet. I see my psychiatrist once a month, and will soon be put on the waiting list for cognitive behavioural therapy, to learn how to deal with the intrusive thoughts, and how to manage them. The waiting list is a damned 19 months!!! I feel like i am struggling on my own all of the time, i try to distract from the thoughts by being creative, but still find it difficult to even distract from them.If anyone that reads this that has a similar condition with just intrusive thoughts, and knows how to manage them, is there anyone that could give me any positive advice to make things a bit easier? as i wait to have therapy. I have just found this website,and this is my first time to be able to connect with people that have a similar illness. :lol: :help:

[whitebeam]

Hi Darren,

Welcome :lol: . Glad that you have found the board; I know for a lot of people it is such a relief to 'meet' others with similar problems. I know it was for me.

I suffer from contamination fears so haven't had to deal with bad thoughts but I know there are a lot of people who use this board who do have the same problem.

Again, welcome :lol:

whitebeam

[Guest tangoblu]

Hi Darren,

Welcome to the board :lol:

Sorry to hear how difficult things are for you at the moment.

Glad to hear though that you have started the process of getting help.

Unfortunately it is often the case that there is a waiting list for CBT - perhaps if you go back to your GP and explain how difficult things are for you they might be able to arrange for you to see someone sooner? - just a thought.

Our teenage son suffers from intrusive thoughts and I don't know if you have read any books on OCD but I would recommend a book by Lee Baer called The Imp of the Mind - you can get it form Amazon : http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search...5540288-3233456

I found it particularly informative and helpful. There is a comprehensive list of recemmended books on the main website: http://www.ocduk.org/ocd/resources.htm

Our son is very active and sport always seems to be a good way to help him try not to react to his intrusive thoughts.

He is also on Lustral/sertraline - it does take quite a while to kick in and if it doesn't help you should go back to your GP - sometimes one medication isn't as effective as another...

One other thing you could try which did help our son when his thoughts took over his whole day - he closed his eyes and listened to relaxing music - this seemed to help him.

I am sure others will offer some more practical tips but in the meantime take care and feel free to post any time!

Pam

[Guest curt]

hello, my name is darren, i'm 34 years old and live in brighton, i was diagnosed with ocd two and a half years ago, with just intrusive thoughts, the thoughts are disturbing, one for example, my eye falling out. I have been prescribed with different anti depressants, to help the ocd.I am currently taking sertraline, and can't feel any effect yet. I see my psychiatrist once a month, and will soon be put on the waiting list for cognitive behavioural therapy, to learn how to deal with the intrusive thoughts, and how to manage them. The waiting list is a damned 19 months!!! I feel like i am struggling on my own all of the time, i try to distract from the thoughts by being creative, but still find it difficult to even distract from them.If anyone that reads this that has a similar condition with just intrusive thoughts, and knows how to manage them, is there anyone that could give me any positive advice to make things a bit easier? as i wait to have therapy. I have just found this website,and this is my first time to be able to connect with people that have a similar illness. :dry:  :help:

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hey Daz and welcome friend. I too am 34 about to turn 35 and am having trouble with intrusuve thoughts as well. All I can say is stay tough and keep on working and doing things you enjoy even if you don't want to. It will soon pass with some help with meds and cbt.. You will get better

[Guest daz]

hi pam, hope your sons ok, how long has your son had this illness? its not a very nice situation is it? it seems to be a very hard fight, you know battling on all the time, going to the doctors and seeing my psychiatrist is quite a regular thing. I`ve just found the book `the imp of the mind`, did you find it useful? its quite relieving to know that i am not alone with this, doing some sport might be a helpful hint, i`ve thought about joining a gym, which may distract from the thoughts.Thankyou for your reply and i hope your son will recover in time. :dry:

[Guest cerenbrackston]

Dear Daz

I have been suffering obsessive thoughts since october and i am finding so though to suffer really..

The medication side is though as well.Sometimes one medication work for you and it might not work for me..so it takes 6 weeks to kick in basicly..if it is for a long time go to gp and tell about how you feeling..

I am reading Brain Lock Jeffrey Schwartz thats very helpfull..and when the thoughts come to your mind its OCD THATS NOT ME..Chemical imblance in mybrain and try to refocus something else even 10 min..thats help as well..do that each day..making the refocus time longer and longer day by day..

Gym is a great idea..it pumps the enforfins..

I would like to share this article with you:

Exercise is good for your body, but did you know that exercise is also good for your mind?

Research has shown that regular exercise delivers a mental and emotional boost. It improves your mood, bolsters your self-esteem and gives you the confidence to handle whatever comes your way. Some studies hint that it also enhances the functioning of your brain.

Your Body's Medicine Cabinet

When you are physically active your body releases chemicals known as endorphins. These are your body's natural painkillers and stress reducers. They diminish anxiety and depression and produce a sense of well being known as the exercise "high."

Just one workout can release another cache of natural antidepressant chemicals from your body's medicine cabinet, such as dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine.

A study at Duke University found that intense bouts of exercise are every effective in reducing feelings of depression, tension, anger and confusion.

Meanwhile, a host of other studies have shown that even short spurts of moderate exercise can improve your outlook on life and make you less anxious. Whether you take a brisk ten-minute walk, do a few jumping jacks, or bicycle around the block, you will feel the benefit both physically and emotionally.

Stress Buster

Chronic stress releases a number of different chemicals and hormones into your body that raise blood pressure, weaken your immunity to colds and illness, impair your memory, increase fat cell storage, and lead to depression.

Regular physical activity has been shown to be an effective stress buster and successful weapon against its debilitating effects. The set of beneficial chemicals and hormones released during exercise are an important arsenal that can defeat the negative chemicals created by stress.

Canadian researchers discovered that depressed people experienced significantly less depression after exercising for anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, three times a week for five weeks. In some cases the benefits lasted up to one year. It is important to note however, that severe cases of depression require medical review and a combination of treatments.

In another study, a team of Australian researchers compared people who practiced progressive-relaxation techniques with a group who did 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week. It was the exercise group that had lower blood pressure and responded best to acute stress.

A Boost to Self-esteem

How we feel directly affects how we use our bodies and how we look. Feelings of distress or doubt can cause us to hunch our bodies in an effort at self-protection. As a result our spines are compressed and our breathing is shallow. We limit ourselves to small movements leading our muscles and joints to stiffen and weaken. It is no wonder that our spirits might sag and our sense of self-esteem drop through the floor.

Often just starting out on a new exercise program can boost your sense of self-worth. As you find yourself progressing, you'll also find your confidence growing. Choose physical activities that stretch and strengthen. They will help you to physically stand taller, feel better, and face the world with a positive outlook.

Yoga poses such as the Sun Breath, Mountain, and Warrior One, can help build confidence and self-esteem. They strengthen your legs, joints, and spine so that you can feel grounded and stable. The postures create good spinal alignment to help you stand tall and increase your range of movement. They open your chest for deep regular breathing that can calm your nerves and mind.

Time Out

Like many leisure activities such as meditation or your favorite hobby, exercise gives your mind needed time out from everyday thoughts, worries and responsibilities. You return to your life refreshed, invigorated, and perhaps even mentally sharper.

By improving the flow of blood and consequently of oxygen and nutrients to your brain, it may be that aerobic exercise helps you to think better.

Regular weight training and aerobic exercise have been shown in several studies to impart an additional benefit. They can improve the quality and duration of sleep. A good night's rest can make you less fatigued and better able to function in your daily life.

A Little Bit Can Go a Long Way

A great deal of research continues to be done on the mental and emotional effects of physical activity. A recent study found that after several subjects spent 30 minutes on a treadmill, they scored 25 percent lower on tests that measure anxiety as well as demonstrated positive changes in their brain activity.

A brisk walk, a short jog, or even just several stretches during your day can help relieve stress and improve your outlook on life. Regular physical exercise releases a host of beneficial chemicals that can help you feel physically fit, mentally sharp, and emotionally positive. Find a physical activity you enjoy and give yourself a dose of good health every day. Stay fit and stay happy.

take care,keep posting u will find this form is very helpful and suporttive friends

stay strong my friend we will get there..

[Guest potatosalad]

Hi Darren,

I suffer from intrusive thoughts and have the pure-o version of ocd (no compulsions) which can be really hard at times. I know what your talking about with the eye thing, I used to imagine stabbing a pen into my eye when sitting in class, not very pleasant. :dry:

I found out I had ocd about 18 months ago (im 23) although I have had it since I was about 14 and possibly earlier. After having fairly mild ocd for much of my life something happened that increased it dramatically, forcing me to drop out of university and move back with my parents. My ocd and fear of it got so bad I felt like I had no reason to live and seriously felt like my life was over.

The only things keeping me going at that point were my family and my girlfriend.

For about 6 months I had a really hard time of it but eventually made improvements and was able to get back a degree of normality in my life.

After seeing many different people, doctors, psychiatrists, cbt'ists, etc, I finally found someone who really understood what I was going through and this made all the difference in the world.

Having pure-o is the most difficult form of ocd to deal with a you have not choice in weather you have the thought or not. Having said that you can improve and get better, it just takes a lot of hard work. I am a huge skeptic and really felt I was doomed to a life of misery and suffering.

Take it from me that you can get better and with hard work you will do so. I am now at a point where although I still have obsessive thoughts every day they dont bother me anyway near as much as they used to and im able to go about my day in a reasonably normal way.

The first thing I would suggest is to read up on ocd as much as possible. A good starting point is http://www.ocdonline.com (read the articles on pure obsessional, they are very good) Also get the books mentioned in the above posts, brain lock and imp of the mind (I havent read imp of the mind but it comes highly recommended for pure-o). Another good one is called, tormenting thoughts and secret rituals, which is written by a doctor who has ocd himself.

Secondly I would say try not to analyse your thoughts too much as ocd is much like an itch, the more you scratch it the worse it gets. The best way to deal with it is to try and recognise the difference between ocd thoughts and 'real' thoughs, and not give the ocd ocd ones too much airtime.

I have a bit of experience with meds and for me the most important thing to realise was that they take time to work. You need to give it 6 weeks minimum to see the effects for ocd and maybe up to 3 months to get the full effect. Much like with the ocd, try not to give it too much attention, just take them and dont try and analyse if they are working or not.

Lastly if your feeling bad or having a hard time of it be sure to post on here, there are lots of friendly people here who are going through the same thing and with ocd support is number one when dealing with it in the beggining. This board helped me a lot when I was going through a bad time and I think it really helps to know that others are looking out for you.

Oh and by the way I am moving back to brighton in a few months, I dropped out of uni there when I was having a hard time. Brighton rocks!

Jules

[Guest daz]

Hi Darren,

I suffer from intrusive thoughts and have the pure-o version of ocd (no compulsions) which can be really hard at times. I know what your talking about with the eye thing, I used to imagine stabbing a pen into my eye when sitting in class, not very pleasant.  :lol:

I found out I had ocd about 18 months ago (im 23) although I have had it since I was about 14 and possibly earlier. After having fairly mild ocd for much of my life something happened that increased it dramatically, forcing me to drop out of university and move back with my parents. My ocd and fear of it got so bad I felt like I had no reason to live and seriously felt like my life was over.

The only things keeping me going at that point were my family and my girlfriend.

For about 6 months I had a really hard time of it but eventually made improvements and was able to get back a degree of normality in my life.

After seeing many different people, doctors, psychiatrists, cbt'ists, etc, I finally found someone who really understood what I was going through and this made all the difference in the world.

Having pure-o is the most difficult form of ocd to deal with a you have not choice in weather you have the thought or not. Having said that you can improve and get better, it just takes a lot of hard work.  I am a huge skeptic and really felt I was doomed to a life of misery and suffering.

Take it from me that you can get better and with hard work you will do so. I am now at a point where although I still have obsessive thoughts every day they dont bother me anyway near as much as they used to and im able to go about my day in a reasonably normal way.

The first thing I would suggest is to read up on ocd as much as possible. A good starting point is  http://www.ocdonline.com (read the articles on pure obsessional, they are very good) Also get the books mentioned in the above posts, brain lock and imp of the mind (I havent read imp of the mind but it comes highly recommended for pure-o). Another good one is called, tormenting thoughts and secret rituals, which is written by a doctor who has ocd himself.

Secondly I would say try not to analyse your thoughts too much as ocd is much like an itch, the more you scratch it the worse it gets. The best way to deal with it is to try and recognise the difference between ocd thoughts and 'real' thoughs, and not give the ocd ocd ones too much airtime.

I have a bit of experience with meds and for me the most important thing to realise was that they take time to work. You need to give it 6 weeks minimum to see the effects for ocd and maybe up to 3 months to get the full effect. Much like with the ocd, try not to give it too much attention, just take them and dont try and analyse if they are working or not.   

Lastly if your feeling bad or having a hard time of it be sure to post on here, there are lots of friendly people here who are going through the same thing and with ocd support is number one when dealing with it in the beggining. This board helped me a lot when I was going through a bad time and I think it really helps to know that others are looking out for you.

Oh and by the way I am moving back to brighton in a few months, I dropped out of uni there when I was having a hard time. Brighton rocks!

Jules

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[Guest hayley73]

Hi Darren I would thoughly recommend the book 'Brain Lock' by Jeffrey Schwartz its excellent. It has plenty of coping skills and also stories of other suffers (it helps to know you are not alone). The intrusive thoughts can be a nightmare!!!!!!!!!!! I get them at times and I think I'm going nuts. My brian feels so busy, I can't concentrate on the normal everyday things. I know you have probably been given the advice of distraction, but try to do it if possible it can work. If you feel you need more help sooner go back to your GP. If you find your GP unsympathic could you see a different one? Use this site as often as you need to. Just knowing that someone else understands can be reassuring. :lol:

[Guest daz]

hi jules, thankyou for your reply, its really helpful to hear someone has a similar illness. I find it really difficult to cope with, and whats worse telling the people you know don`t understand what you are dealing with, and its difficult to know how to support you. getting information from the internet is quite helpful, and the book`the imp of the mind` sounds quite helpful. The sad thing is that i can`t get a life, and socialising is difficult, i have only one friend and aquaintances who don`t know how to support me. its just such a relief that there are other people with the same condition. It tends to come and go, i could be feeling ok for a few weeks, and then it will creep back, and last for five days or so. I`m going away on the 11th march to see relatives and family, so i hope things run smoothly,you know how it is. anyway thankyou again for your reply. Darren.