Has anyone tried medication to help with your thoughts? Did that work? I truly just feel like therapy wouldn’t help me like I need and am seriously considering medication because I feel like I’m going insane
Hey, I hear you. That sounds incredibly heavy and exhausting to carry, especially when you’re feeling like therapy alone might not cut it. You're definitely not alone in this—many people have tried medication for their thoughts, whether it's anxiety, intrusive thoughts, depression, OCD, or something else entirely. And for a lot of folks, it really has helped. Sometimes, when your brain chemistry is way out of balance, therapy can feel like trying to climb a mountain with no gear. Medication can act like a support—something to stabilize things just enough so you can even start to use the tools therapy gives you. It’s also okay to not be sure what will help. Sometimes it's a mix—meds to dial the volume down, therapy to work through the patterns, and maybe even lifestyle stuff too (sleep, food, support system). You're not weak or broken for needing more than one approach. Do you feel like your thoughts are more racing, intrusive, repetitive, or just overwhelming in general? And are you already working with a therapist or a doctor you can talk to about how you’re feeling?
@Julia Gekhter Repetitive. I get stuck on one thing and then I cannot let go of it and immediately go to the worst possible outcomes. I try to focus on something else but it just keeps coming back, I can’t escape it. The only thing that helps is time that passes by, proving that everything is okay and I did nothing wrong(false memory). But in the meantime, I’m miserable, constantly on edge.
@Zoowee15dog!1 - It must be very hard, just know you are not alone. Your brain is just caught in a loop that feels real and urgent—even if deep down, part of you knows it’s probably not true. That back-and-forth, the self-doubt, the “what if I did something wrong”—it’s torture. And it’s exhausting because no amount of logic or reassurance sticks when you're in that state, right? This is where medication can sometimes make a big difference. It won’t erase the thoughts entirely, but it can soften them. Create space between you and the thought. Help your brain not latch on so tightly or spiral so fast. That gives therapy (especially things like ERP or CBT) a real chance to work too.
@Julia Gekhter Yes exactly!! Thank you. Which medications are typically prescribed for this?
I take two types of medication, one for depression in the morning on regular which also calms my mind with OCD. Normally that can be enough for me to do EPR the whole day, but sometimes I go down into a spiral or become really vulnerable and then I have a medication specifically for my OCD. It’s helpful to some degree but it’s rather calming and making you tired, it won’t take away the thoughts, ofc. But it will make them easier to ignore
@Luca_143 Thank you. I have gone on and off of antidepressants and was doing so well with my thoughts and was able to control them and suddenly I’ve just been spiraling the past few weeks. I may consider trying both as well, I was thinking that
High dose inositol can help! And it’s completely natural if you don’t want to get on medication. https://gabapsychiatrist.com/inositol-for-ocd/
@Conquering_OCD Have you used this?
@Stay.Fluid Yes and it really does help
@Stay.Fluid I’m currently taking 4 grams per day and it’s only been a few days and I feel a difference. Not quite up to the 12-18g they recommended but I’m starting slow and may work up to it. I’ve heard people say it can cause stomach issues if you start with a really high dose so I would say start small and listen to your body.
Magnesium gycinate + B complex supplements have helped me with the stress/anxiety part somewhat
I’m on Effexor xr and wow it has really quieted down thought loops I had for years!!
Yes, I was put medication and it worked for about one year and stopped working. I can truly relate to your feelings. My intrusive thoughts made me cry and I would lose my peace of mind. When the medicine for OCD stopped working NOCD taught me the skills to cope with unwanted intrusive. In my experience they both work, but I am grateful to have learned and to be using each day ERP.
@Anonymous Thank you I’m in the same boat I feel helpless. I want to try medication first because talking to someone doesn’t usually help me.
Hi, I don’t know what to do anymore Pocd kills me I had many themes before but this theme is the hardest for me. I’m tired. I’m on therapy and meds but I barely do erp . I don’t have a reason I just don’t want to do it but today I will because I have to. I’m taking meds and they help with the anxiety for sure. But the obsessive part is still here . I’m almost 2 months on it (40 mg on Prozac) but I’m still super obsessed like I can have thoughts 24/7 every second of the day and not leave me alone. I have experienced a thought right now for a month + . It’s a thought to do compulsion/urge. My therapist says to let go and gives me tips how to she also tell me to do more erp. But I have this thought to do compulsion for more then month. Im scared what if I don’t have ocd the thought is 24/7. Do you think I should switch meds im so tired.
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? 😅
Hey friends, I hope you all are well. I just wanted to check in and ask people's experiences about being on medication. I have had OCD pretty much my whole life, just got recently diagnosed 4 months ago and my therapist recommended that I get on meds for it so I have a psychiatrist appointment set up. I'm a little apprehensive about getting on them, but I've realized that I do have some sort of chemical imbalance in my brain that plays a part in my OCD and anxiety. I would love to hear anyones experiences or words of encouragement. Thank you, I hope you all are well.
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