Prior to starting meds I had intrusive thoughts but not to this degreee! I’ve also just started my period? My doctor basically said to suck it up or up the dose which I’m not overly keen on! Of course my over thinking brain keeps saying but if you come off what if they get worse again?
Sometimes with certain medicines the anxiety actually gets worse before it gets better (usually within the first 2-4 week period). I would say, if youre in that time period, give it some time. I used prozac for a while and I can agree I had some wild symptoms but eventually my anxiety came wayyyy down and I felt more normal than I ever had. Now if you’ve been on them for a while, you can request a different medication. Medication is just like therapy, sometimes you have to go through 4 different therapists to find the right one that fits. Likewise, ask your doctor for specifically what you need (ie Hey doc, can you give me something that lessens the ruminations, gives me peace but also gives me clarity and focus) Your doctor has devoted years of their life to study the science behind all different kinds of medicine. Im sure they will multiple different types of medication for you to try. Also… I was on medication for a while but I found a way to live without it; a ton of exposure response prevention therapy (erp). If you want to get off the medication, because maybe like me swallowing a pill to fix all your problems seems a bit superficial, I would definitely try. I would say medication isnt in itself bad, unless youre using it as the final end. Medication is a means to an end. It is a way to find enough peace, strength, and clarity to overcome the thoughts. But when it becomes the cure for you, this is when you have lost. Hope this all helps. Im sorry youre experiencing the heavy ruminations. Ive been there and it isnt easy. God bless❤️
@slippery_salad Thank you. How did you get through it?
I was very resistant to medication when I started my ERP and therapy. I made huge improvements in my OCD but hit a wall and was on a slow burn for my OCD getting better. My scores had cut in half but I was still technically in a full blown OCD episode. My wife is a NP and her along with my therapist convinced me to finally give medication a shot. She put it this way which helped change my perspective. If you needed to take an iron supplement or vitamin because your body wasn’t getting enough you would. Well people with OCD have really low serotonin. So just like a vitamin you’re just supplementing something your body doesn’t make enough of to bring you into normal levels. I am so glad I listened, I ended up on a pretty high dose of lexapro but it changed my life. The thoughts along with the ERP were manageable and eventually stopped almost all together once my dose was dialed in. I still actively do therapy and work on my OCD which is life long but I am so glad I gave the medication a chance.
Talk to your doctor. Sometimes my brain hears something other than what the doc said. I tell me doc I know you said this and you say suck it up or up the dose. Talk to your doctor.
Many medications used to treat OCD work best on the maximum dose. I know it’s frustrating but we don’t have to live this way either! The medication combined with therapy truly helps :)
@JFletch I used to be on 30mg but I don’t want to be that high on a dose again!
I went through ERP which helped a little but starting ICBT to hopefully help with rumination. I deal with suicidal ocd mainly which originally was a lot of specific harm thoughts and has now turned into “do I wanna do something” “am I depressed” and over analyzing everything that has to do with mental health. I’m on 20 of Prozac, have been for a couple months. My anxiety has almost went away but this week I’ve been concerned that I’m developing depression (for the first time ever), but I’m just not sure. I feel off. I feel “blah”. I’m worried that I’m not caring as much about things I did before. I’m ruminating a lot. Does anyone have any advice or insight? It’s really bothering me. I don’t want to freak out over this but want to prevent depression getting bad.
I have a question My OCD has felt almost invisible the past few weeks and now that is starting to stress me out a lot. Right now I am at a point in my treatement where I was asked if I would like to take medication. I told my therapist this week that I would like to try the medication based on how miserable I feel in during OCD flare ups. But now my brain always tells me that I only go throught this treatement etc. to seek attention and that I am just dramatic and should be ashamed of myself for wanting to take this medication. So now I am doubting if I should take the medication or not. Any advice?
I struggle so bad with intrusive thoughts. They can be so bad that I'll cry because I KNOW that's not how I feel or want to do. (Too embarrassed to say what they're about) I'll constantly try to figure out why I have them, and constantly figure out what they mean, causing me to constantly circle around and around. I had to get on anxeity meds, which helped a little but the thoughts still happen. How do you help yourself with this? How do you know that you're just not some physcopath? 😅
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