Without Medication

[Guest marah]

Hi Everyone,

I was just wondering how many people on the Board are dealing with OCD without medication and do you think it is possible? I have recently come off medication (suffer mainly from pure 'O' and was wondering what people's thoughts were on this.

Thanks

Marah xxxxx

[Guest marah]

Sorry - I hit the post message button before checking my post - which has loads of spelling mistakes. Sorry.

Marah xxxxx

[Guest han]

hey Marah,

i think as long as you are getting the support you need elsewhere (e.g. from a psychologist, therapist or anyone really who understands ocd and how to help someone with it) then i think that there is a good chance that you will be fine without the meds. obviously, only you can know how badly you are suffering, and whether you are coping without the medication (hopefully you will do fine ). i think a lot of people benefit greatly from medication (myself included) but if you can learn to deal with ocd without medication then i think most people would agree thats a great thing. certainly i don't think medication on its own is ever a good thing because it basically covers up a persons problems, but they are still there, just hidden for the time being (thats just my own personal opinion).

not entirely sure if any of that was useful to you ( ) but basically, i hope everthing works out for you without the meds

by the way, i take it you stopped taking the medication after discussing it with your doctor?!

take care,

Han xxx

[Guest traze]

I'm not on antidepressant medication and have never been. I took the alternative route, I use homeopathy and flower remedies, occasionally herbal remedies. Also I have attended relaxation classes and had reflexology and massage and counselling. All of which I think helped me. OCD comes for me in times of high anxiety, so I try to tackle the source of anxiety and manage the anxiety.

Counselling helped me to identify where the anxiety was coming from, homeopathy helped me move through it and deal with the causes. Flower remedies are used for acute situations. Reflexology and Massage I have used as general de-stressors and very useful they are too!

It doesn't have to be expensive, you might find a local college looking for volunteers. Others have cost about £30 per month, which is what many people spend on their mobile phone bill! Some people spend far more at the hairdressers!

I have learned an immense amount about myself and other people and I would recommend alternative /complementary therapies to anyone. Yes, you have to be careful and find a suitably qualified professional who is a member of a recognised professional body with a Code of Ethics, but there are lots of them about. It's perfectly OK to ring up a therapist for a 'chat' to see if you feel comfortable with them before deciding what you would like to do next. Also loads of information available on the internet, so you can do the research on the therapy before you call.

Best wishes

Traze

[Guest Kitty]

Hi Marah

I don't take any meds for my OCD - though I have been prescribed them. I just couldn't take them (but that's me personally - I've got some probs relating to contamination/emetophobia with taking medicines).

Like Traze, I've been known to take herbal things for it - stuff like Valerian, Lemon Balm, Passiflora etc. I recently was taking a herbal hormone supplement called Agnus Castus - which did help sort my hormones out and reduce the OCD while I was taking it - now I've come off it my OCD is creeping back in more. I swear by Rescue Remedy, too. It's fab for a quick pick-me-up.

I think it is possible to deal with the OCD without meds - but that said anti-depressants and SSRI's are very very effective in helping you deal with the symptoms too . I think each person is different and what works for one might not work for another.

Love K

xx

[Guest marah]

Hi han, traze and Quennie,

Thanks for your replies. I have discussed this with my doctor and cab off my medication (Seroxat) very slowly - 1mg a week. Unfortunately withdrawal from this tablet can cause side effects similar to when you were on it - which means I am not sure if I am going through withdrawal or am going to be like this indefinately.

I have used some Rescue Remedy today and the doctor has prescribed me a homeopathic treatment Carb something I think. Ohave also been prescribed propanol (beta blockers) which I gave into last night and took one - it is really hard at the moment - the panic attacjs are terrifying.

I will look into other therapies and see what support I can get.

Thanks again for all your help.

Take care.

Love Marah xxxxx

[Caramoole]

Hi Marah

I've done it without medication and it can be done. Don't worry about the beta-blockers, they aren't a mind/mood altering drug, they work on blocking adrenalin which helps with panics.

The panics are probably a withdrawal symptom. Nearly 30 years ago I was prescribed Ativan (a benzodiazipene drug) and was repeat prescribed it for years, getting off it was horrendous...I couldn't begin to describe it...but I did.

SSRI's don't cure OCD, as Jeffery Schwarz describes, they should be used as water wings while you're learning to deal with it.

Hope you're feeling better soon

[Guest marah]

Thanks Camaroole,

Your positive posting has come when I needed it most - Thank you so much.

Love Marah xxxxx

[Guest patsy]

Hi Marah,

Just wanted to say good luck to you. I have never been able to get my OCD under control without medication but I know many people here have been able to. It really just depends on the infdividual. I hope it goes well for you , whatever,

Love Patsy xxx

[Guest traze]

The seroxat users web site says that fish oil supplement is also useful in coming off

seroxat. Available from health food shops Not Cod Liver Oil -fish oil. It's to do with the type of fatty acids and improvement of brain functioning. (Has also been used with ADHD children etc).

It seems like you are doing really well in coping with seroxat withdrawal and well done to your GP for supporting you.

Keep posting if you need to,

Traze

[Adamski]

Hi,

Just wanted to mention how i feel about the whole meds/none meds debate re: coping with ocd. I must admit that i feel like a prisoner to my tablets somew time. I have taken a boat load of pills over the last ten years or so with varying degrees of success. But i am slowly coming to terms with the fact that medicatio0n is not the cure we all want it to so badly be. That said i also wonder how i would cope with not being on meds. The last time i was med free was in 2002 and within about 3 months of coming off them the doctors put me back on them...

Hats off to anyone who can get through this without taking some of the truly awful meds out there in terms of side effects. Maybe non medication users could keep us regularly informed of their progress and what worked for them.

See y'all

Adam

[Guest twoshoes]

Hi Marah

I don't take any meds for my OCD - though I have been prescribed them.  I just couldn't take them (but that's me personally - I've got some probs relating to contamination/emetophobia with taking medicines). 

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Same here! but everytime I have a panic attack I think why not just thake the meds and see?

I have had OCD for aslong as I can remember but people just thought I was quirky as a child, when I was "old enough to know better" My parents realised that my quirks were a problem and when I started to damage myself due to my complusive washing and became aggressive if interrupted I was dragged of to the docs. I was diagnosed at 19 but it wasn't until a recent setback that meds were ever offered to me. i wonder if my life would have been better/easier if I had started on meds 8 years ago?

I have coped without meds but who wants to just cope :crybaby:

I have had alot of professional support and this has been brilliant, I have found that hypnotherapy has worked for my anxiety and I will restart CBT soon and get the OCD licked.

I have managed to control my OCD without meds but I not 100% sure that this was the right thing because it has taken me so long to get the balance and the treatment right.

I think you have to experiment and be prepared to fail every once in a while.

Take care

twoshoes

[Guest Sammyhostie]

Hi hun,

I havent taken any meds, the only thing i take is Kalms and they are excellent!

I got some meds off my GP when i was very bad last month, but i havent taken them, instead ive trusted my own strength of mind to get me through it, and its started to pay off now.

Although I had a strange one today, me and wayne went to Beachy Head bcos its beautiful there on a nice day, and when i was near the edge my OCD kept telling me that I would throw myself off the edge, which was really scary. But I told it where to go and enjoyed the views!

I think it depends on your own individual circumstancesif you can cope without meds or not, you know yourseld better than anyone.