Diagnosed

Hi, I felt very cautious when I first started medication for OCD. Your doctor is an expert and starts you out on a small dose to make sure your body handles it well and slowly increases the dosage from there while monitoring you. Medication has helped me tremendously! Please don’t get discouraged if Prozac doesn’t work for you. Prozac actually works the best for me but I tried 4 other medications before that. Make sure to give the medication some time to work. Most SSRIs take 4-6 weeks to start having benefits so try to be patient. I know how much you want to be better now but trust me the wait will be worth it. Keep your doctor updated. Good luck to you!

I know medication can definitely help people! Many I speak with will do it in conjunction with therapy, as ERP is most effective for OCD. I highly recommend ERP if you're starting to think about therapy!

@meredith Thank you for sharing what you are going through. I think that is great that you are taking steps to address your OCD. Remember OCD is the doubting disease. therefore as you begin the process of recovery it is not surprising that questions are going to come up. Are you also in therapy in addition to the medication? ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) therapy is a treatment method for OCD. It has been a very helpful tool for me with addressing my OCD. If not in therapy, please consider reaching out to the NOCD care team for a free consultation.

Totally understandable to be nervous about taking medication. I know I was when I first started it. But I am so thankful I did! Be kind + compassionate with yourself regarding your diagnosis and starting medication. And I second what Lisa + Kyle said about doing ERP therapy, it really does help!

I am glad that you are being thoughtful as you navigate your diagnosis. It is important to have erp therapy to coincide with the medications, but take it step by step. Knowing what you have is an important piece and it will come together for you. I wish you all the best.