Why do I find that there were some very long time periods in my life where I had next to no OCD, and then it just comes back with full force? Is there a reason it stayed away for such a long time even though I didn’t do anything?

Are the phases when it comes back stressful or transition phases?

No, actually. I’m a student, so it started when my workload from school started to get lighter and then exploded at the start of summer and now I’m so deep in it I can’t make it stop.

@anonymous caterpillar 🐛 I'm sorry to hear that. Do you feel like concentrating on school helps you "block" the ocd thoughts? Do you have a therapist? They're probably better equiped to help you on this one. My case is more classic, when I'm stressed/sad/summer deprived, it gets worse, so I can only make assumptions

@Anonymous22 I actually wasn’t getting any OCD thoughts during that good time period. I actually forgot that I even had OCD, and I thought that it might just never come back. I tried a therapist on NOCD about 2 months back, but they didn’t seem to understand me very well and I didn’t think she would be able to help me. Maybe I’ll look for a new one if it doesn’t get better…

its similar for me too, i feel that my ocd is absolute hell during fall/winter and it feels more under control in spring and summer

I totally notice a correlation with OCD and the dreaded winter months!! So bad!! 😣

@Lettingitgo Me too!

I just don’t understand how for such a long time my brain was fine with not finding any things to obsess about and now I just can’t make it stop.

That’s the same with me! I went years with nothing and now it is so constant and debilitating

Same same same.

Same, the more I work/study the more it stays away. Vacations are the worst for me which is sad.

I have vacation issues too. No longer than 4 days then I'm bonkers

No meds for me. I have a therapist but not ERP so I guess in a sense I’m toughing it out

Are you guys seeing counselors and meds. Or just toughing it out until they go away again.

I’m switching up my meds, weaning off Effexor and stating Zoloft, and doing therapy.

I'm so on the fence on what to do

I’m on the fence too. I really want these terrifying thoughts to go away but I don’t know what to do. I might look into a therapist soon, but I really don’t know right now… All my OCD episodes have gone away on their own but this one seems to be so much stronger so I might not be able to just wait it out like I usually do.

I'm a ruminator.. it sucks

I did CBT for a while but with covid it's tricky for my subtype. Medication I got prescribed recently, but at an antidepressive dosis, because it's my biggest issue atm. I think medication helps a looooot when your brain is too tired and overstimulated to even think.

Yeah, I think I'm gonna get on something. I've been doing 5HTP. But I don't think it's strong enough.

Does 5HTP work at all for you?

@anonymous caterpillar 🐛 Kind of. Not perfect . But not seen a dr on dose. I just follow the bottle recomendation.

@jemcu812 Thanks. I’ve seen people taking about it and was wondering if it really works or not.

@anonymous caterpillar 🐛 I think its worth a try anyway. I'm goibg to stay on it a little longer. I see my Dr next week and see what she thinks .. luckily she's a holistic Dr. So she might recommend something different or up the 5 HTP