Please help me understand OCD in myself
- maber
- Cherry
- smelly593
- flame03
- littleseezter
- emolady
- joann60
- HUERA9085
- Jdavis8510
- stacy4335
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» maber - Obessive Compulsive Disorder without the Compulsions
I am a 17 year old female who was recently diagnosed with OCD. I understood that OCD was obsessive thoughts that are out of control and cause extreme anxiety, and compulsions (rituals) that are performed for more than one hour a day in an attempt to get rid of the anxiety.My thoughts ARE out of control, and have been for as long as I can remember. As a child, I was tormented by thoughts that I was going to hell because images would come into my mind: God being naked, or my parents dead, and I couldn't control these thoughts. Now my thoughts go like this: my pencil broke; I can't borrow another one because I can't talk during the exam; I'm not going to be able to finish; I'm going to fail the test; I'm going to fail the class; I won't keep my scholarship; I won't be able to go to college. So I can't go to college because I broke my pencil. I realize they are ridiculous, but these thoughts spin around and around in my brain until I get dizzy and sick.
I am not, however, plagued by compulsive rituals that I must perform. I do not have to recheck door locks 10 times; wash my hands until they bleed; count cracks in the sidewalk. If I touch one side of something, I have to touch the other, but that's the only "quirk" I have, and even that one waxes and wanes with varying degrees of severity.
What do you think? Is my doctor right? Is it possible to have OCD even if time-consuming rituals aren't performed each day? I don't want to be haunted by an incorrect diagnosis.
Thank you,
Maber
-- posted by maber
» Cherry - Re: Obessive Compulsive Disorder without the Compulsions
In response to message posted by maber:Maber,
They call OCD the Doubting Disease because we tend to doubt things, even that we have the disease. OCD can range from mild to severe. Sometimes the obsessive thoughts are more prominent than the rituals. And often some of the thoughts are actually rituals. When you have the thoughts about the pencil breaking, you probably think things to reassure yourself. These are rituals. In our book, we discuss cognitive therapy, as well as behavior therapy. Cognitive therapy consists of exercises to help change the harmful thought patterns.
One interesting exercise is to guess what is the chance of something happening, then the next thing happening. As you go down the line the chances diminish. What is the chance of the pencil breaking? What is the chance of the pencil breaking and not being able to borrow one from the teacher? what is the chance of the pencil breaking, not being able to borrow one from the teacher, and failing the test? Then failing the class, not graduating, not getting the scholarship, etc. The chances of all these things become slimmer and slimmer. Then you begin to realize the worry is not realistic. Try it some time.
Cherry Pedrick, RN
Cherlene@aol.com
coauthor of The OCD Workbook and The Habit Change Workbook
-- posted by Cherry
» smelly593 - Re: Obessive Compulsive Disorder without the Compulsions
In responce to your email, i just wanted to say that i'm a 19 year old female who also has OCD. I was just recently diagnosed but i've had these thoughts and compulsions since i can remember. My main problem is the thoughts. I have racing thoughts all day long. Sometimes they are silly things, and other times they are more violent. The harder i try to stop thinking about them the harder it becomes to stop. Even though i can't control these thoughts, i feel great guilt for having them run through my head. I do have some compulsions also like checking the switches 5 times before i leave the house. But you can have OCD with out the compulsions. It feels good to finally realize that i'm not the only person out there who has crazy and stupid thoughts. smelly593In response to message posted by maber:
-- posted by smelly593
» flame03 - hey
hi guys how u doing?im ok. Im not sure if i have OCD but i think i might have. im 19 year old male and i never really had a serious relationship before. Well i have i been going out with my girlfriend for 7 months now and things are starting to get bumpy. Everrything was fine at first u know we call each other every nite even after we just seen each other for several hours. Now we talk but not as much, u know when i call her or text her she dont call me bak or text me bak. I know whe might be at work but before she would text or call be bak and say she busy. She does got a lot of things going on in her life like work, school and family. Well the things i was use to calling her everyday even at work on my breaks and now she dont even call me bak. i have to call at nite. we use to go to the same school but not anymore and we use to see each other everyday at school. Then at her new school i would go visit her or she would come visit me. I think about her alot that i have the urge to call her and when i do she sounds like she dont want to talk. the thing is i think about her so much that i wonder that if im sick or have OCD. i try to keep busy but i still think about her. the more i try to stop thinking about her the more i think about her. so i dont know whats wrong with me can someone help me please or give me advice?-- posted by flame03
» littleseezter - Re: Obessive Compulsive Disorder without the Compulsions
In response to Obessive Compulsive Disorder without the Compulsions posted by maber:In response to your posting Maber, I can relate. I'm 34 years old and have had ocd since I was about 12. I used to have both the obsessions and compulsions but it seems like it's always changing for me. Now and for quite sometime I just have obsessional thoughts and then mental thoughts or prayers afterwards to help relieve my anxiety. I've been reading alot on the web and there's a description for it called purely obsessional or Pure O. I think there's a site ocdonline.com that talks about it. I have lived with the hell of ocd for over 20 years without telling anyone about it until recently. Remember you are NOT ALONE. I wish you the best and stay informed. I really think it helps. I'll be thinking about you. Sincerely, Littleseezter
-- posted by littleseezter
» emolady - PURE O
I have not been diagnosed, but I am MORE than certain that I have Purely Obsessional Disorder. I am plagued EVERY DAY with obsessive thoughts. Every bad thought I have leads to another, to another, to another... etc... until before I know it, I have gotten so far ahead of myself that the whole world has come to an end in my brain.I cannot focus on many things. When I try to read or concentrate on listening to someone, my brain very quickly switches to another thought that I will obsess over... I am a 21 year old female with many good attributes to my personality, but I worry constantly that I am not going to be successful in life... I have been worried, embarrassed, obsessive all my life. I had a fairly severe trauma as a young child and I feel that it has driven me to obsess so much.
I am always worried that something bad is going to happen to my family, friends, me, my relationships... i constantly have dreams about being hurt. I am petrified of men on the street... I practically run everywhere i go so that no one can grab me off the street.
Right now I am at work, but I cant concentrate on anything to do with work because I am obsessing over something very small right now...
There are many days where I feel like being violent and crying and screaming... etc... I feel rage and anxiety and I always have to apologize about 7 million times to people for my actions.
What can I do other than see my therapist... what other exercises can I do to control my thoughts?
-- posted by emolady
» HUERA9085 - PURE O
HELLO THERE IM A 40 YEAR OLD FEMALE IVE SUFFERED FROM OCD ALL MY LIFE IT STARTED WHEN I WAS 12 YEARS OLD, IT WAS THE MOST TERRIBLE FEELING A PERSON CAN GO THROUGH, NOT UNDERSTANDING WHAT IS GOING ON IN YOUR HEAD, AS AN ADULT I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH OCD BUT EARLY IN MY YEARS ACTUALLY WHEN I WAS 19 YEARS OLD PREGNANT WITH MY FIRST CHILD AFTER HE WAS BORN ALL THIS CRAZY THOUGHTS WOULD COME TO MY MIND LIKE HURTING HIM OR SOMETHING, ALL THE GUILT FELT LIKE I WAS GONNA GO CRAZY AND THE REASSURING OF THAT I WAS A GOOD PERSON AND THERE WOULD BE ANOTHER VOICE SAYING YOU WANT TO HURT YOUR SON, IT WAS TERRIBLE, BUT NOW I UNDERSTAND IT MORE AND DEAL WITH IT AND YOU KNOW WHAT PRAYER HELPS ME ALOT AS WELL. BEING A REBORN CHRISTIAN AND HAVING 2 HEALTHY KIDS NOW 20 AND 15 IVE DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB THANK GOD. AND I NEVER HURT MY KIDS IT WAS THE ILLNESS ALL THE TIME. PROZAC SEEMS TO KEEP ME STABLE AS FAR AS NOT FEELING SAD BUT I REALIZE THAT IT IS SOMETHING IM GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. THE CONSTANT RECHECKING OR THINGS DRIVES ME NUTS AND THE RITUAL THAT COME WITH IT IT IS SO CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!! BUT ONE DAY AT A TIME, AND LIKE I SAID PRAYER KEEPS ME STRONG SO YOU CAN TOO.-- posted by HUERA9085
» Jdavis8510 - PURE O
Anybody still in this discussion group???? I would love to chat. Thanks...-- posted by Jdavis8510
» stacy4335 - Obessive Compulsive Disorder without the Compulsions
In response to Obessive Compulsive Disorder without the Compulsions posted by maber:I have been doing research on teens and young adults living with OCD and would greatly appreciate an opportunity to speak with you. I can be reached at stacyann357@yahoo.com or by phone at 212-506-4335.
I sincerely appreciate your time, and hope to hear from you or any teen or young adult living with OCD.
Thanks.
-- posted by stacy4335
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