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Just prescribed Sertraline for contamination OCD.


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29 minutes ago, taurean said:

An important thing to bear in mind is that the depression in OCD tends to be secondary I. e. caused by the OCD itself. 

So unless the patient is going about tackling their OCD with CBT then, without some help, it may get out of control. 

So if the drug helps with that depression - as prozac does for my sister - then even if it doesn't directly help with intrusions it may ease the anxiety/depression and help the sufferer engage with therapy. 

When you consider contamination OCD, what's going on? The brain is seeing threat where others see very little - people who may well be very intelligent, not risk-takers. 

Teaching the brain that the threats it is throwing up aren't what they seem needs cognitive behavioural therapy including exposure and response prevention. 

In conclusion, my own personal take on the meds is that they may well help the sufferer to better engage with therapy. And there just might be a reduction in the intensity of the OCD, but for whom, and with what, is unknown. 

I actually agree with this smart chap here. I think he is right that meds can be supportive measures but I think you really need to engage with CBT to see really differences. The meds for example have helped me so far as to say I feel a bit better sometimes but really I know the only way to conquer this is by changing the way I think. And that is hard but these amazing folk here have proven it can be done 

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On 26/11/2020 at 19:46, BigDave said:

is hard but these amazing folk here have proven it can be done 

Yes...I'm sticking with the CBT. However, I am now causing a nightmare with my extended family, dictating the bubble thing as want to keep everyone safe. I think I'm just going to have to let everyone do as they wish and stay home on Christmas day and boxing day myself!  Then again... if I'm not there how can I ensure they wash their hands and keep a safe distance apart. Nightmare!

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3 minutes ago, Tealight said:

Yes...I'm sticking with the CBT. However, I am now causing a nightmare with my extended family, dictating the bubble thing as want to keep everyone safe. I think I'm just going to have to let everyone do as they wish and stay home on Christmas day and boxing day myself!  Then again... if I'm not there how can I ensure they wash their hands and keep a safe distance apart. Nightmare!

I think as long as your family aren’t jumping outside and intermingling with ransoms on the street then they should be Ok. The thing is that as much as we want to enforce our rules on other people, it’s hard to because people take offence. We all have different standards don’t we. It’s a sliding scale of what is good enough!

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On 27/11/2020 at 21:56, BigDave said:

it’s hard to because people take offence.

Yes they do! I'm still unsure of what will happen. Going to decide nearer the time. My parents want myself, husband and two children for Christmas lunch as always but I'm scared one of us could pass it to them! My brother and his 10 year old daughter are planning on coming along later but we've said not his wife and two teenage children as too many for the house as can't spread out. This sounds awful but they are nurses and work in hospital/care homes so risky. They have all had covid. My brother had it so bad that he ended up in intensive care on a ventilator and now has long covid. He is back at work in a hospital but gets tested a couple of times a week as people at work dropping like flies with covid! There are cases at my children's school too. This is horrible! 

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I would think you would be wise to stay at home this year of all years. 

You can facetime or zoom them or whatever but why take any risks when it isn't necessary? 

Re them and safety in their home, you can only ask them to take reasonable Covid-19 safeguards. You can't enforce your OCD additional rules and compulsions on them, nor should they agree to them. 

Remember, OCD brings a high level of enhanced feelings of responsibility and threat, neither of which non-sufferers experience or deem necessary. 

Whether your folks decide to see your brother's family is up to them but it would be of course fine  for you to raise any reasonable covid risk concerns. It's then theirs and your brother's decision. 

 

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Just going back to your earlier posts, Tealight, I have found that exercise has had a much greater effect on my OCD and depression than any antidepressant. I know it can sound like a bit of a myth and what not, but it really, really helps me.

I don't know your personal circumstances, but should consider starting a bit of an exercise programme. It doesn't have to anything major. I started running with the couch to 5k app recently and I love it. It's made for anyone, no matter what age or fitness level, it's really good. I have an exercise bike at home too and do some other bits. I can't overstate how much it has helped me.

As for general anxiety disorders, I've been there too. I used to be crippled by panic attacks and feeling sick from nerves on even doing the slightest thing. This might sound arrogant, but I don't mean it to be. But the way that I got past it, was by accepting it. I felt the feelings and just did what I wanted to anyway. I kept focused and carried on. I don't think I have much physical anxiety these days, though it does come back from time to time. I appreciate it's much easier said than done.

Hope you're doing better.

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About that wine. First it raises serotonin so you feel better but next day it takes away the serotonin, so one begins to obsess .  This is called Alcohol Anxiety.  So you’re possibly giving yourself more anxiety with it so you need SSRIs to change that....

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