Growing out of it...

[Guest Kitty]

I'm starting to come out of the closet a bit more with my folks about the OCD. I still haven't told my Dad outright what's wrong with me - me and my Mum are talking about it a bit more, though it's still not very easy at all.

Last night, however - I was talking to my Dad about the constant intrusive music I have in my head. It came up in conversation quite innocently. It turns out that in his twenties/thirties he suffered dreadfully with this - it seems almost as badly as I do. After talking about it for a while he said 'Don't worry, it will pass - you'll get to my age (58) and you won't suffer anymore'.

Then earlier on this afternoon was chatting to my Mum about the OCD after a particularly rubbish morning at college (concentration zero, intrusive thoughts mental yadda yadda yadda). She didn't know about the conversation with my Dad last night, and she said exactly the same thing 'You'll eventually mellow out and all the bad thoughts etc will go - I was the same at your age and now I'm fine'. In other words - I'll grow out of it...

My question is - do you think you can grow out of OCD? Do you think you can get to an age were it just doesn't affect you anymore?

Thanks in advance, peeps.

Love from Kathryn

xx

[Adamski]

Certainly an interesting question Queens....

I do remember a cpn saying to me once that it is quite possible for anxieties to eventually stop hassling you. But i guess my own personal opinion on the matter is pretty much what i say about the effects of medication and cbt etc.....it's all about horses for courses if you like. I'm sure in time some people do get a grip on their ocd - consciously or sub-consciously. But as we have also witnessed on here there are a lot of older people who have been suffering these thoughts for most of their life. On top of that there have also been many threads talking about how when one particular flavour of ocd is resolved with, the imp of the mind if allowed moves onto to torment its sufferer in another way.

It's my honest opinion that we should take a positive away from the fact that ocd can go away. But the important thing to remember for us all is that wishing wont make it go away. Therefore we all gotta keep on keeping on....

Adam

[Guest harmony]

I have experiences of what you speak about, I think coming out of the closet now :blushing:

Has a teenage between the age of 15 to about 17 I suffered with intrusive thoughts pretty bad looking back, and never sort help or gained an opinion of a doctor so have never been diagnosed with OCD, I also self harmed on and off during this time, pretty mixed up time in my life. My intrusive thoughts revolved around the harm of others and myself and experienced only what I could describe has looped movies with the same kind of themes, thoughts of harming others, disasters, accidents, thoughts and feelings were horrible, and has a child I was always very anxious.

Still sometimes get movie playing, sometimes feel that I cant walk behind a female, and check doors, windows, cooker, but not to the point where its out of control, to the point it interferes with everyday life.

Maybe it wasnt OCD, maybe its in remission, maybe its just less severe in my case, I think the term growing out of is a very simple term that shouldnt used really because its very vague and may give you a false reason to just sit and wait to grow out of OCD.

Like adam said

Therefore we all gotta keep on keeping on

Take care

Alan

[Guest Dimphy]

I personally found I grew out of some of the OCD traits. But others replaced them. So I don't know if it's possible to actually grow out of OCD?

All the best.

Dimphy.

[Guest Kitty]

Cheers for the input guys - it's something I'm gonna chat to my therapist about next time I see her.

Spoke to my mum again since my last post on the thread and she's still convinced it's just a 'phase' and it will pass. Trouble is is that it's a phase thats lasted 21 years...

Cheers again folks - much appreciated

Love Kathryn

xx

Edited October 5, 2005 by Guest

[Guest twoshoes]

Prof Paul said we all have OCDish tendancies but thats not OCD. I tell people about my OCD and they say Oh I have OCD I always have to go back and check the Iron...I eish thst was all it was.

Do we grow out of it???

I think if the OCD doesn't morph into a different flavour we don't gow out of it we just learn to cope better.

Just an opinion...I would love to imagine growing out of this and one day, using a loo out, eating a paket of crisp with my hands etc etc

[Guest Kitty]

Prof Paul said we all have OCDish tendancies but thats not OCD. I tell people about my OCD and they say Oh I have OCD I always have to go back and check the Iron...I eish thst was all it was.

Do we grow out of it???

I think if the OCD doesn't morph into a different flavour we don't gow out of it we just learn to cope better.

Just an opinion...I would love to imagine growing out of this and one day, using a loo out, eating a paket of crisp with my hands etc etc

Cheers Twoshoes

My therapist said that everyone has OCD to an extent - it's just that in 2-3% of the population it's worse/more extreme. I think you could be right about the learning to cope better with it - my mother is convinced it's something hormonal with me and if I take the BCP or something it will go. I'd love there to come a time when I could eat without fear, not worry about germs, have a normal social life, not let people down because of my stupid fears.

[Bobby Chariot]

i think we all change over time, sometimes slowly, sometimes suddenly, given particular triggers. sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.

i also think it's very hard to consciously direct a change, especially if behaviours are so established that they are almost conditioned reflexes rather than a cognitive response. but i do think that it IS possible. 'just' far from easy.

i think everyone has 'tendencies' and maybe other life events refocus your OCD into different behaviours, so that, for example, perhaps predominantly checking compulsions might change over time into obsessive thinking (or even suddenly given a traumatic/significant event) - it's possible to look back and say you've 'grown out' of checking, but that doesn't necessarily mean you're free of the suffering that can come with OCD...

and it's all very well thinking that you may 'grow out of it' - but what really matters is here and now, and if you're suffering, you're suffering - and it is having a major impact on your life right now... which is bound to be disruptive to your social life as well as many other areas...

sending you tons and tons of ((hugs)) and positive thoughts - you're a truly lovely person :hug:

hope you start to feel a bit better soon, honey.

David xx