Obsessed with my cat's health. Is it OCD or severe anxiety? Is it possible to beat it myself?

[apfelstrudel]

Hello everyone,

I've been diagnosed with anxiety several times but never with OCD. I've been on prozac for looong years and here it goes.

Focus of my "thing" (can't tell if it's considered OCD) is mainly my cat. About all the time I'm awake I'm observing her behaviours. How often and how much she eats, how often she poops and pees, how long she sleeps and how playful she is etc. I'm keeping a track on all these and with the slightest change I'm all down. e.g. she pooped at 13:00 one day and if she doesn't poop at 13:00 the day after, I start googling "how often should cats poop" "why doesnt my cat poop in 24 hours" etc etc. It goes the same with how much she eats, how many mililitres she pees. as if that isn't enough, I read academical veterinary articles and try to make a diagnosis.

When I'm home, I spent almost all my time observing her and find it hard to function sometimes. When I'm not home, I'm checking on her through petcam every 30 mins.

I make excuses for taking her to vet like every 3 months and ask for bloodwork. 

Anyone had the same thing? How did you manage?

 

Edited March 30, 2023 by apfelstrudel

[snowbear]

11 hours ago, apfelstrudel said:

I make excuses for taking her to vet like every 3 months and ask for bloodwork. 

Your poor cat!   All those unnecessary blood tests.

This is classical OCD.

You treat it with CBT. First off, you need to identify ALL your compulsions (monitoring, googling, asking for tests, and probably ruminating, mentally checking etc) and then resist doing any compulsions.

Easy said, not always easy to do. So you most likely also need to do some cognitive work to change your thinking around this as well.

A good self-help book will explain how to apply CBT yourself, and if that doesn't help you can ask to be referred for CBT with a therapist who will guide you through the process.

There are lots of books to choose from which you can check out and read up on here. Or you could read some forum posts to get the idea and try applying what you learn to your own specific theme. (Theme doesn't matter, the process is the same.)

[howard]

14 hours ago, apfelstrudel said:

Hello everyone,

I've been diagnosed with anxiety several times but never with OCD. I've been on prozac for looong years and here it goes.

Focus of my "thing" (can't tell if it's considered OCD) is mainly my cat. About all the time I'm awake I'm observing her behaviours. How often and how much she eats, how often she poops and pees, how long she sleeps and how playful she is etc. I'm keeping a track on all these and with the slightest change I'm all down. e.g. she pooped at 13:00 one day and if she doesn't poop at 13:00 the day after, I start googling "how often should cats poop" "why doesnt my cat poop in 24 hours" etc etc. It goes the same with how much she eats, how many mililitres she pees. as if that isn't enough, I read academical veterinary articles and try to make a diagnosis.

When I'm home, I spent almost all my time observing her and find it hard to function sometimes. When I'm not home, I'm checking on her through petcam every 30 mins.

I make excuses for taking her to vet like every 3 months and ask for bloodwork. 

Anyone had the same thing? How did you manage?

 

Is there anything that triggered this obsession with you cat's health and activities?

You said you have been diagnosed with anxiety and depression, is there any reason why you are focusing so much on your cat?

Cats are resilient and often seem to know exactly what they need to heal themselves.

[Angst]

I agree it’s OCD. Therapy and self help books will help. But the brain is a thinking machine. It needs things to think about. A crucial part of therapy is to devote less attention to your cat. I reckon it is taking many hours a day to do the checking - the monitoring, the checking of information on the internet. You need to replace the time you spend on your obsessions and compulsions by doing something else. I think a crucial part of therapy in the case of OCD is the doing of something else. Otherwise there will be a void.

In this void OCD can creep back in. So what do you enjoy doing? Work out what  will give you pleasure. Timetable in things that give you rewards. A hobby, meeting with friends, volunteering, gardening, amateur theatrics, painting, gardening. Whatever.

You time liberated from OCD needs to be planned for. Also  of course your cat will be liberated from the strictures of OCD.

This timetabling of rewarding things was a crucial part of my therapy. But I was reticent to do this but with Covid on the back foot I am implementing the strategy.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 30, 2023 by Angst

[howard]

2 hours ago, Angst said:

I agree it’s OCD.

 

 

 

 

 

Thankfully I'm not qualified to give an online diagnosis as to whether it's OCD.

[apfelstrudel]

2 hours ago, howard said:

Is there anything that triggered this obsession with you cat's health and activities?

You said you have been diagnosed with anxiety and depression, is there any reason why you are focusing so much on your cat?

Cats are resilient and often seem to know exactly what they need to heal themselves.

I've always been significantly more attentive to my cats than most of the people, but it feels like it's climbed up to top after my husband went abroad to work 3 mpnths ago. We are currently in the process of moving abroad. I currently dont work. maybe I have too much time to think? 

[apfelstrudel]

1 hour ago, howard said:

Thankfully I'm not qualified to give an online diagnosis as to whether it's OCD.

Hey! I think we all agree that this discussion here is no diagnosing. Just sharing thoughts

[apfelstrudel]

9 hours ago, snowbear said:

Your poor cat!   All those unnecessary blood tests.

This is classical OCD.

You treat it with CBT. First off, you need to identify ALL your compulsions (monitoring, googling, asking for tests, and probably ruminating, mentally checking etc) and then resist doing any compulsions.

Easy said, not always easy to do. So you most likely also need to do some cognitive work to change your thinking around this as well.

A good self-help book will explain how to apply CBT yourself, and if that doesn't help you can ask to be referred for CBT with a therapist who will guide you through the process.

There are lots of books to choose from which you can check out and read up on here. Or you could read some forum posts to get the idea and try applying what you learn to your own specific theme. (Theme doesn't matter, the process is the same.)

If only I could control my thinking and behaviour

[apfelstrudel]

3 hours ago, Angst said:

I agree it’s OCD. Therapy and self help books will help. But the brain is a thinking machine. It needs things to think about. A crucial part of therapy is to devote less attention to your cat. I reckon it is taking many hours a day to do the checking - the monitoring, the checking of information on the internet. You need to replace the time you spend on your obsessions and compulsions by doing something else. I think a crucial part of therapy in the case of OCD is the doing of something else. Otherwise there will be a void.

In this void OCD can creep back in. So what do you enjoy doing? Work out what  will give you pleasure. Timetable in things that give you rewards. A hobby, meeting with friends, volunteering, gardening, amateur theatrics, painting, gardening. Whatever.

You time liberated from OCD needs to be planned for. Also  of course your cat will be liberated from the strictures of OCD.

This timetabling of rewarding things was a crucial part of my therapy. But I was reticent to do this but with Covid on the back foot I am implementing the strategy.

 

 

 

 

actually I have numerous hobbies - I'm into resin art, painting, crafting etc but sometimes OCD beats my ambition to do anything. 

[howard]

9 minutes ago, apfelstrudel said:

I've always been significantly more attentive to my cats than most of the people, but it feels like it's climbed up to top after my husband went abroad to work 3 mpnths ago. We are currently in the process of moving abroad. I currently dont work. maybe I have too much time to think? 

That makes sense. Moving abroad and all that entails is stressful. When you add in your anxiety and concern for your cats, also them being your focus while your husband is away.

I'm just wary of people accepting a diagnosis too quickly. A professional would look into other factors as well as the ones you've mentioned.

Edited March 30, 2023 by howard

[howard]

11 minutes ago, apfelstrudel said:

actually I have numerous hobbies - I'm into resin art, painting, crafting etc but sometimes OCD beats my ambition to do anything. 

I have similar hobbies(got a degree in Conceptual art), but I'm just lazy

One thing I like about cats is their independence and ability to look after themselves. I remember one of our cats came home one day and it looked very unwell. But just rested for a few weeks and was back bouncing around again.

[Angst]

9 hours ago, apfelstrudel said:

Hey! I think we all agree that this discussion here is no diagnosing. Just sharing thoughts

But the title of your thread …..Is it OCD or severe anxiety? does rather presume that you wanted an opinion from us experiencers! Thus my statement ‘I agree it’s OCD’ concurring with snowbears statement ‘This is classical OCD’. Neither I nor snowbear used the term diagnosis which in a strict sense can only be determined by a clinical interview. Lots of people do the self help strategy. It is pretty standard on the forum to state or imply that in the opinion that something is a compulsion or something is OCD.

A rather defensive reply. I certainly won’t reply to any further of your posts!

[apfelstrudel]

11 hours ago, howard said:

I have similar hobbies(got a degree in Conceptual art), but I'm just lazy

One thing I like about cats is their independence and ability to look after themselves. I remember one of our cats came home one day and it looked very unwell. But just rested for a few weeks and was back bouncing around again.

I would nevet wait for more than a day for a trip to vet if they look unwell lol

[howard]

1 hour ago, apfelstrudel said:

I would nevet wait for more than a day for a trip to vet if they look unwell lol

I think cats are great for soothing us. Just their whole laid back attitude, or playfulness, and their purring. So I imagine they help you a lot and your concern is understandable. They aren't just pets.

I was also thinking about this moving thing. I'm planning to move home soon, and it is affecting me in different ways. It depends how long you've lived somewhere, what sort of network of support and friends/family you have, how comfortable you are there. Any number of anxiety raising reasons, plus all the stress of packing, moving into a new home, and in your case a new country.

Also depression can be so debilitating. I think I don't want to be bothered going for that walk in the countryside, or be creative, but when I do those sorts of things I feel so much better. (Also trying to convince myself here).

 

[howard]

4 hours ago, Angst said:

But the title of your thread …..Is it OCD or severe anxiety? does rather presume that you wanted an opinion from us experiencers! Thus my statement ‘I agree it’s OCD’ concurring with snowbears statement ‘This is classical OCD’. Neither I nor snowbear used the term diagnosis which in a strict sense can only be determined by a clinical interview. Lots of people do the self help strategy. It is pretty standard on the forum to state or imply that in the opinion that something is a compulsion or something is OCD.

A rather defensive reply. I certainly won’t reply to any further of your posts!

I think part of this is that, people on an OCD forum tend to see things through OCD goggles(for obvious reasons).

I just think dealing with mental health concerns like high functioning anxiety and depression can be challenging enough. I'm not sure a professional would attempt to make a diagnosis or decision on whether it's OCD based on a post on a forum.

Also I'm wary of what adding another label, another condition, and what that might mean for someone(think of the 'prison' analogy). So I think all we can do is offer support, maybe a different perspective, or an objective view.

I suppose we could say, 'it sounds like OCD', and recommend they get a professional diagnosis. (But again as always this is just my personal opinion).

[Angst]

9 minutes ago, howard said:

I think part of this is that, people on an OCD forum tend to see things through OCD goggles(for obvious reasons).

I just think dealing with mental health concerns like high functioning anxiety and depression can be challenging enough. I'm not sure a professional would attempt to make a diagnosis or decision on whether it's OCD based on a post on a forum.

Also I'm wary of what adding another label, another condition, and what that might mean for someone(think of the 'prison' analogy). So I think all we can do is offer support, maybe a different perspective, or an objective view.

I suppose we could say, 'it sounds like OCD', and recommend they get a professional diagnosis. (But again as always this is just my personal opinion).

Interesting comment but the thread title also said ‘is it possible to beat it myself’ which rather directs discussion to the self help tradition. The recommended books tend to include ‘Break Free from OCD’  I quote ‘This guide is to self help who already know or think they have obsessive compulsive disorder.’ I have a professional diagnosis from two clinical interviews. Because my OCD was so severe. But how many on the forum have such interviews. I read self help books before a clinical diagnosis. What is wrong with snowbear’s recommendation to get hold of some self help books. I apologise for my language and not hedging by saying ‘it sounds like’ or ‘I think it might be’. Remind me: how long is the wait for an IAPT appointment? Do you necessarily see an OCD specialist?  Let alone a wait for an appointment at CMHT?  And don’t you need a bit of self diagnosis to go to a GP. Wouldn’t a self help book help? 

 

[northpaul]

1 hour ago, howard said:

I think part of this is that, people on an OCD forum tend to see things through OCD goggles(for obvious reasons).

That is a good point.  If someone is told on a forum that 'this is classic OCD' and then later seeks a referral for professional help through IAPT/CMHT then that can cause a problem for the professional people in in the team.

When I was referred by my GP to the mental health team the first person I spoke to was a member of the CMHT triage team.  The purpose of this is to assess my wider mental health situation.  Likewise when I was passed over to Mindsmatter a similar interview was undertaken.  It was then decided that OCD was the issue and CBT was arranged.

The danger of making a 'diagnosis' on an open forum is that the wider isuues (if any) will be missed and the enquirer may not get the best advice that is required at that point in time.

Having worked for a CMHT (in a support role) I have seen this type of scenario first hand where someone presents saying they have x.y and z.  The professionals speak to them and it turns out that (in relation to the 'diagnosis' they received elsewhere) they are either correct, partly correct or not correct at all.  That is why I believe people on these forums need to be very careful when they give an opinion that could be see as a diagnosis.

[Angst]

I don’t necessarily disagree with some of the points Howard is making. He is reflecting a switch away from diagnosis reflected by many clinical psychologists .’From what’s wrong with you to what’s happened to you - power, threat, meaning publication update’ D.Harper and J.Cromby 2022. This is an updated guide to the Power, Threat and Meaning BPS publication 2018 which challenges the concept of diagnoses and explores the experiences of people without the frame of diagnosis.
 

There was a Twitter storm when the model was introduced in 2018. But the clinical psychologists in the main have accepted the evidence from experiencers that OCD is a useful diagnosis. Unlike say schizophrenia where many experiencers said the diagnosis was unhelpful.

 Diagnosis is an interactional transaction conducted by language and para language and evidence suggests that different conclusions can be reached by different practitioners. The Harper and Cromby article refers to the evidence. Personally, in the case of OCD I think self diagnosis in the context of self help books is good. So long as the person has the gumption to know whether the insights provided by the texts relate to them. As an former user and member of a mental health charity I reckon the experiencer should not be ignored. They are not necessarily stupid.

[howard]

And of course something else I associate with anxiety through to OCD is overthinking everything. I also realise that started when I was young as well, mainly because I couldn't figure out what was happening in my family.

But it often starts before I have something coming up, I go over and over it in my mind, planning and trying to take into account every possible problem. Also my mind never stops if I'm perplexed by something after an event. What did that look mean? Why did they say that?, etc

I'm not even consciously thinking, it's all going on in the background, and I wake up at 4-5 am and then make sense of it.

Also with OCD, rigid thinking can be a problem.

So with the former maybe just try letting things go, allow some randomness in to our lives. Because overthinking and trying to be in control is just tiring.