Antidepressants & intrusive thoughts
Hi all, I’m planning to start anti depressants for OCD just wondered if anyone has found this effective with intrusive thoughts? I’m scared if once they have worked I go off them and have a relapse?
The meds to me after you get through the first 30 days or so, just make OCD a little quieter. The thoughts still come but their impact is lower making it a lot easier to handle.
They aren’t perfect but they help… for me anyway. You will need to take them for some time before you settle into them.
I feel like my life has done more or less a full 180 since starting medication (Prozac for me) - I’ve started attending clubs again and I’ve been able to apply for uni. I won’t lie it’s tough when you first start and it may feel like it’s getting worse but after the initial hump it can help so much!! I hope this is what happens for you
The first thing to say here is that medication seems to work differently for different people but here is my experience taking Fluoxetine (Prozac) I’ve been taking it on and off for about 20 years. I have a terrible habit of not taking it when I’m feeling better, I vow each time I do that and then have a setback that I won’t stop taking it but I still do. I can go months without taking them before a relapse, given this it’s hard to know whether the relapse would have happened anyway or not but I can tell you I reach for them again if I do relapse The worst thing for me is I believe they make me _worse_ to start with before they begin to make me better and that can be for at least two weeks. I find the same if the dosage is adjusted up. As I’m sure you experience, two weeks or more is a very long time feeling awful.
Thank you that’s very helpful! I have heard the first two weeks can be very hard little be scared to start
Hey there! Starting on antidepressants can feel like a big step, but it's great that you're looking into options to help manage your OCD. It's totally normal to have concerns about starting medication and what happens if you decide to stop them. I'm not an expert on this theme, but I really want to support you. 😊 I can't give you specific advice on antidepressants, but I can share some resources that have been helpful for me. Have you checked out the OCD Reddit? It’s a good place to hear from others who might have been in a similar spot and see what experiences they've shared. Also, my NOCD therapist recommended this cool app called "unstuck OCD therapy tools." It's been a game-changer for me! It offers AI-personalized guidance and exercises that you can use anytime you need them. Might be something to check out alongside whatever treatment you decide on. Stay strong! 💪
@GayleGermit11 Thank you that’s really helpful!! Much appreciated
@Anonymous - of courseee<3
Question to those who have taken ssri or any other medication for ocd. Did they help you with the obsessive thoughts becoming less frequent? My therapist who I was seeing said they can lessen the frequency. I started with prozac back in May but it scared me cause it raised my anxiety and the suicidal thoughts so I've been against them ever since. I was seeing a therapist but she wasn't erp trained and I wanted to give erp a fair shot before considering medications. I start erp soon just waiting to hear from the NOCD therapist. Sorry long post.
For people who have experienced successes with SSRI’s or other antidepressants, what symptoms did they treat? The intrusive thoughts, anxiety, compulsions, all of it? I have tried other ssri’s in the past, with moderate success in reducing anxiety, but it didn’t reduce the unwanted thoughts. However, at that time, the theme of my intrusive thoughts weren’t as troublesome. So while the thoughts still existed, it didn’t limit my functionality. I feel like even if a new SSRI reduces my anxiety and compulsions, but not the intrusive thoughts, that I will not return to the functionality I had just a short time ago.
Has medication helped anyone with severe intrusive thoughts. I am considering starting and wanted to know what worked best for people.
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