Symptoms vs. Diagnosis

I have been to a handful of therapists in my life since 2019, some who were helpful and some who were not. I have been categorised my entire life as a “perfectionist” by my friends, have blood relatives who are diagnosed with OCD, among other things, and I’m just lost. The overlap of symptoms that I have with various other mental disorders is confusing me. Is there any definitive document I can refer myself to? Is my only hope to see an OCD specialist to find out? Does anyone have advice as to what to ask a CBT therapist? I’m in a financial bind, and just need some reliable resources and answers.

OCD newbies

Username: Brooke cookieBrooke cookie

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 17w ago

Well, it can be hard to know but a good way to know that you are experiencing OCD is if you feel a sense of urgency when it’s not an emergency to something or that you cannot move on until you do a compulsion or fix some thing that should not be of high importance. Perfectionism often is a sign of OCD especially if that means that something needs to be a certain way or you feel that you cannot move and causes your great discomfort and stress if it is not the way that you want it. I would say based off your family history, and the fact that you have the obsession of focusing on the order or the way things to a high degree and then a compulsion of needing to fix them you definitely have OCD, but you may have something else as well. I can’t say for sure I wish you the best.

Username: TexasOCD41TexasOCD41

Date posted: 17w ago

There is a similar type of issue called OCPD “ obsessive compulsive personality disorder “ which is when people are typically obsessed with being tidy, neat, on time, in control of all variables. OCDs true issue isn’t with what ever we are obsessed with but what our compulsions are and the significant distress they cause us and the amount of time they consume. I have actually spent 8 plus hours a day on compulsions to get relief from the SIGNIFICANT emotional and physical distress my obsessions cause. There is a lot of very good literature on the NOCD website that will spell it out. No therapist or appointments necessary. Also. If it’s not causing you emotional distress at the moment, I wouldn’t worry about seeking a diagnosis. 90% of my life I’m fully functioning with over in remission. I only need therapy/help the 10% of the time I’m in a flare.

Username: Surviving No...

Date posted: 3y ago

This has an aspect of OCD but isn’t mainly about that. I’m 90% sure I have ADHD, like I keep seeing articles about how symptoms present in girls and I match with most. Currently counselling isn’t an option as I’m in a tier 4 zone and in lockdown, so there is no way to ask a counsellor for their opinion, which means I’m stuck, unsure of what is happening. I don’t want to self diagnose because I know that is awful and the whole situation just makes me feel very anxious. My OCD is making me doubt that I have the symptoms and telling me that I’m faking having everything. That I’m faking OCD, anxiety and that I have no symptoms of ADHD. Does anyone have advice on a way for me to get this checked out over lockdown to appease this?

Username: lor

Date posted: 3y ago

This is half a vent session, half me asking for advice but: My OCD symptoms started on april 2020, one month after the pandemic. that has led me to constantly question whether it’s OCD or anxiety and of course i can’t really diagnose myself but it behaves very differently from anxiety. i’ve also been doing research and reading about OCD for over a year and i honestly honestly think i have OCD because i fit basically all the symptoms? anyways, I finally brought it up to my therapist a few appointments ago and i felt like they kind of dismissed me? not sure if that’s normal. they told me it’s could be because of heightened anxiety and to practice “thought stopping”. that has made me feel sooo bad about myself because i start spiraling and believing my intrusive thoughts MUST be true because of what they said, and because it makes me feel like I’m just using the OCD label for “attention”. i’m not sure if i should bring it up again in a future appointment? or maybe find a new therapist? or maybe I don’t have OCD at all? I don’t know what to do

Username: mirun

Date posted: 2y ago

Random blah-blah: I have GAD, and I think I have OCD too. I don't say that suffer from ocd since I'm not diagnosed. My ex-therapist suggested me to look up for bipolar disorder. The problem is, after half an year, I still don't think I am bipolar. Did my research inside my brain, as well as on the internet. The thing is, I am obssesing over my mental health. OCD was the last disorder that I checked, since I thought it's impossible for me to have it. I am anxious about this one. I am scared. I want to know if I have ocd, and since yesterday, that s all I am doing. Looking up on the internet to find an answer. I am scared if I book a call, the therapist will say: but you have GAD, not OCD. And this will be so bad because I... I honestly can t imagine why it would be so bad. Just that I ve lived in a lie for 2 days. I think my ocd is most obvious in my relationship with my bf. And I feel so bad because he keeps saying that everything he does - is never enough. It s complicated. I just want him to never doubt himself, his actions and our love.

Be a part of the largest OCD Community

Share your thoughts so the Community can respond

Symptoms vs. Diagnosis

Related posts

Be a part of the largest OCD Community

Be a part of the largest OCD Community