- Date posted
- 1y
Did tracking intrusive thought and compulsion make
Did tracking intrusive thoughts and compulsion in the beginning of treatment make any of you feel worse?
Did tracking intrusive thoughts and compulsion in the beginning of treatment make any of you feel worse?
Hi, yes it did. I felt like I couldn’t do it because even writing the words were such a trigger for me and I wanted to get rid of that distress. Of course, initially I didn’t know that getting rid of the distress was a compulsion. I’d suggest you try your best, and explain the difficulties you had doing this to your therapist. Remember therapy is a process, you won’t feel better right away but have faith in the process. It will get so much easier. All the best.
Absolutely, still working on it without much progress. I also have ADHD and a big part of my problem is that I never remember to write thoughts down when they happen (and when I’m working I physically can’t), and by the time I’m able to write it down I’ve completely forgotten it. ADHD also impairs my ability to understand how to do certain things… for example my therapist told me to work on getting out of my head, and I don’t understand how. I asked her and she said that’s something I’ll have to figure out on my own, but I don’t understand how to start or what steps to take. So if anybody has advice I’ll take it!
@sanlewwy This is crazy similar to my own experience. I’ve found that catching the ‘first fear’ response - that initial gut-clench - and soothing that before it can take hold has been really helpful. Sorry if this makes no sense 😅
@kozyasher Makes complete sense. I feel the same way and I’m pretty good at self-soothing so usually just do that. Tracking thoughts/ compulsions is super painful and sends me into a spiral lol. Plus by the time I realize it’s an intrusive thought I’ve already started calming myself down, sooo 🤷🏻♀️
Yep. Dont do it
Does anyone else find that their compulsions actually make their OCD/obsession worse? I don’t mean in the obvious way, like that it strengthens the OCD cycle, I mean in the way that when I perform my compulsions, they make my anxiety so much worse in the moment. My main compulsions are ruminating, arguing with my thoughts, and memory reviewing, but they all just end up giving me more intrusive thoughts/questions, making my anxiety more intense, and making me think my intrusive thoughts are real. I’ve always read that you perform compulsions because they bring you relief, and I suppose for me, they more make me feel like I’m working towards “solving the issue” or “answering my question”, so then is that my version of “relief”? In reality, it just makes my anxiety worse because the more I ruminate/memory review, the more jumbled together and foggy my thoughts/memories become, which in turn makes me think that if I ruminate/memory review just a little more, I’ll be able to “push through that fog” and find my answer, which then also causes me anxiety because my brain feels foggy and hence makes completing my compulsions/figuring out my obsession impossible (which I guess is good because I’m not supposed to complete my compulsions). All of this is making me believe that I don’t have OCD and that my intrusive thoughts are true and that’s why I can’t shake them and that’s why I feel the need to figure them out and why I feel so foggy… Or is this just meta OCD playing it’s devious tricks on me? Has anyone else experienced this or is this not OCD and I should be concerned that my obsession is true?
This is kind of a weird question, but I recently increased my SSRI dosage and have experienced tremendous relief. It has quieted my intrusive thoughts so much and my compulsions are no longer as all-consuming. However, I don’t want to be on this high of a dosage forever and know that medication alone shouldn’t be my only fix. I’m seeing a new psychiatrist on Wednesday and am wondering if the recent decrease in frequency of my symptoms will be a bar to my getting ocd treatment? In other words, if in this present moment I’m doing better, but up until a few days ago my compulsions were taking up pretty much every moment of my waking day, will I still be classified as having ocd? I start getting worried when I feel better that I don’t actually have ocd and just use it as a defense mechanism to avoid consequences of my actions/I’m secretly a terrible person
I was diagnosed with OCD and I started Prozac 10 days ago. I have struggled with intrusive taboo sexual thoughts for 12+ years (I’m 24) but now I feel like it’s turning into feelings. I’ve never done anything to anyone or nor do I wish to ever. I am just scared of my own brain if this is something I actually want. My psychiatrist said I should feel better/start getting clarity after 2 weeks. But I keep feeling worse and worse. Anyone else has experience with Prozac and how it went for them?
Share your thoughts so the Community can respond