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hi everyone i was managing my ocd on natural supplements and it seemed ok for a while. maybe the ocd was just foring me into a false sense of security as all of a sudden bang a obsession that i couldnt control and my anxiety and ocd went through the roof.   i was placed on mitazapine which i had tried previously alongside prozac , it didnt really do much then so i wasnt overly confident it would work along.   reviews online were quite negative for mitazapine alone for the treatment of ocd. nevertheless i thought id see what happened.  was just wondering if anyone had gained any success with mitazapine or whether they thought other ssri were more suitable?    i may get some cbt in the new year also hopefully could further improve the chances of the meds seemingly being benificial.    been on the waiting list for 8/9 months and was told that january would be likely. would love to hear whether their is hope on this drug?  atm the anxiety isnt as bad as ive hit 3.5 weeks but thoughts are still the same. maybe the magic4-6 weeks will see some more improvements.?

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On 29/12/2020 at 12:45, dayb23 said:

 atm the anxiety isnt as bad as ive hit 3.5 weeks but thoughts are still the same. maybe the magic4-6 weeks will see some more improvements.?

Hi dayb23,

SSRI's (or any drug) won't change the thoughts; drugs only ease the anxiety your thoughts produce.

It's good that you'll be going for more CBT soon as that's the treatment which changes the thoughts and breaks the cycle of thought>anxiety> more thoughts...

You may have some further reduction in anxiety up to 6 weeks after starting a new drug so hang in there and fingers crossed it will tide you over until the CBT begins.

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Hi dayb23,

I have to respectfully disagree with opinions on medication not helping with intrusive thoughts.

I've been treated with both medication and CBT and found that CBT only helped once medication had reduced my symptoms sufficiently.

I'm on a combination of Mirtazapine, Fluoxetine and a low dose anti-psychotic and it reduced my anxiety and intrusive thoughts by about 90%. My symptoms were quite severe though; I couldn't function without medication.

Chrissie Hodges also writes that her intrusive thoughts are treated successfully with medication, in her book Pure OCD. She comes of them eventually though, due to the side effects.

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Brainwaffle, I am one who saw the sheer volume of obsessions decrease due to meds. However, that does not happen in the vast majority of cases.

Most sufferers see a reduction in overall anxiety, which allows them to more easily engage with CBT.

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2 hours ago, PolarBear said:

Brainwaffle, I am one who saw the sheer volume of obsessions decrease due to meds. However, that does not happen in the vast majority of cases.

Most sufferers see a reduction in overall anxiety, which allows them to more easily engage with CBT.

I agree. Everyone is different and it could be that the vast majority of people respond better to CBT than medication. I could well be an exception - my symtoms were unusually severe but also treated surprisingly well with medication.

I only highlight it because I tried coming off my meds, convinced that I could manage my symtoms with CBT alone. It ended badly for me, even with good support from my psychiatrist and psychologist. I wouldn't want anyone to repeat my mistakes because they thought that medication didn't work.

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On 01/01/2021 at 13:25, brainwaffle said:

I've been treated with both medication and CBT and found that CBT only helped once medication had reduced my symptoms sufficiently.

You made a useful distinction there brainwaffle.

Medications can slow your thinking. If you're experiencing fast and repetitive thoughts this can reduce the symptom of feeling bombarded which can bring some relief.

Antidepressants (SSRIs) lift your mood which can enable you to think more positively and problem solve more efficiently - both useful in the fight to overcome OCD.

Aintipsychotics reduce random and unfounded ('crazy') connections made between thoughts that can lead to psychosis. If your brain is racing with 'crazy' ideas it can help to have those reduced.

What medication can't do is help you understand how the interpretation you put on your thoughts locks you into a cycle of fear, obsession and anxiety reducing behaviours (compulsions). CBT teaches you to allow for alternative interpretations with different outcomes (puts the obsession in perspective) and helps you practice alternative responses to anxiety provoking thoughts (change your behaviour, stop compulsions.)

I probably jump in too quickly to say medication doesn't solve OCD and that it only reduces anxiety so you can better engage with CBT. It certainly works differently for individuals with some people getting only bad side-effects and no benefit while others feel markedly better on their drugs. What I'm really saying is the decision to take or pass on medication is for each person to make for themselves, but people should be aware that drugs are a passive treatment and overcoming OCD requires active participation by the sufferer (CBT.) I'm not anti-drugs. Just pro-CBT. :)

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Use everything which can help as recommended by a professional I say. Meds have a place and for me seem to reduce the anxiety response and improve well being which I think puts you back in touch with identity and further from the dreaded ocd identity. Have to have combination of CBT or something and knowing tour triggers and reflecting on where you are during a spiral is also useful. I have benefit of a caring wife who recognises mostly where and when I'm starting a bad episode.

Its a multi pronged defence !

Edited by njb
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Hi ?

So after a horrendous year my under control OCD spiralled and for the last few months I've been battling it.

Personally I upped my meds gradually over 10 days to minimise side effects. I take 100mg of sertraline and although I do still get the thoughts I'm not as anxious and it is much easier to sit with it and refrain from engaging in behaviours. I also referred back through my local IAPT and am currently accessing therapy through them centered around exposure and response prevention. 

Hang in there, you've got this!

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8 hours ago, snowbear said:

You made a useful distinction there brainwaffle.

Medications can slow your thinking. If you're experiencing fast and repetitive thoughts this can reduce the symptom of feeling bombarded which can bring some relief.

Antidepressants (SSRIs) lift your mood which can enable you to think more positively and problem solve more efficiently - both useful in the fight to overcome OCD.

Aintipsychotics reduce random and unfounded ('crazy') connections made between thoughts that can lead to psychosis. If your brain is racing with 'crazy' ideas it can help to have those reduced.

 

If people on the forum took the advice they gave other forum members they would not need medication. Besides, medication  meant to be for a short time, a few months, not decades. Yes, I take forum advice & no, I don’t take medication.

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1 minute ago, Handy said:

If people on the forum took the advice they gave other forum members they would not need medication. Besides, medication  meant to be for a short time, a few months, not decades. Yes, I take forum advice & no, I don’t take medication.

That's your opinion, only. And it comes from a biased, uneducated worldview.

If you read carefully on this forum, you will discover that the regular helpers may suggest meds but they do not push them. Kindly refrain from doing the opposite.

It is moronic to suggest that SSRIs are meant only for a few months, since it can take a few months to see the benefit of them.

I suggest that some of the best advice in the world on OCD can be found here. But some people simply cannot do the work without the help of meds. It is not ours to judge.

Personally, meds and CBT were my saviors. After a lifetime of crushing anxiety, depression and OCD, meds allowed me to become stable for the first time in nearly forty years. CBT killed the OCD.

I still take meds, seven years on. For me, they work fantastically. I have no qualms taking them and will continue to do so. The one thing that does irk me to no end about meds is when an ill-informed person judges my decision and preaches. That I can't stand.

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