rumination

I recently realized that rumination is a big part of my OCD. I’m still trying to understand how to manage it, and even with therapy I feel unsure about what actually helps. I’m kind of stuck between knowing what’s happening and not knowing how to change it yet. I’m currently on Zoloft, and I recently increased to 75 mg. With everything going on in my life right now, I don’t know if it’s helping or not, considering I have a lot of stressors at the moment. My therapist keeps bringing up that switching medication is an option, which I’m open to if that’s what it takes to feel better—but I also feel like I just increased the dose and haven’t really given it a fair chance yet, especially since it’s being tested by so many life stressors right now. I also feel like the way therapy is going for me isn’t really helping. It doesn’t feel focused on OCD and seems more like general talk therapy. I told her at the beginning that I need to work on specific things and that talk therapy doesn’t really help me. I don’t know what to do. I feel lost in my healing journey at the moment. I feel very suffocated, like all the stressors in my life are piling on top of me. Therapy isn’t really working, and I constantly find myself wondering if it’s my medication. Now that I’m writing everything out, I realize that I take CBD oil (with no THC) in the morning, and then I take my Zoloft at 6 PM. My anxiety tends to increase at night.

al01

Date posted: Yesterday

Hey! Fellow ruminator and Zoloft girly here! I just increased my dose from 100 mg to 125 mg & I resonate deeply with what you’re saying about wondering if the medication is helping at all. I also have many, many stressors in my life at the moment and I’m also wondering if I need to wait it out and see if this dose is going to be a good fit. It definitely sounds like you need to look into a new therapist though. We all know talk therapy is not helpful for OCD. The reassurance that it provides keeps us stuck. As far as rumination goes, it’s OCD trying to problem solve on your behalf. We can’t ever outsmart our OCD because it is just as smart as we are. Have you tried any “Maybe/Maybe Not” statements for your RPMs during exposures? Until you can get linked up with a more effective therapist, I recommend checking out Nathan Peterson on YouTube. He has a channel called “OCD and Anxiety”, and has created over 540 different videos for people just like us. You might check him out and see if any of his content or tools can be helpful for you!

goddesshygeia

Date posted: 16h

@al01 i don’t think i have heard of “maybe/maybe not” statements. how do you use them? that’s makes me feel incredibly better about not being alone with having multiple life stressors at the moment as I’m increasing my dosage. I don’t feel like the dosage is giving me any thoughts that are red flags. I do see a little bit of emotional dysregulation and insomnia, most of the symptoms I’m feeling are more than likely due to life stressors and not my meds just with the anxiety obviously it makes you think all sorts of things of course I’m gonna look up his content :)

al01

Date posted: 16h

@goddesshygeia I am reacting the same way to my adjustment!! When you look up Nathan, he will explain the Maybe/Maybe Not statements. He may as well be the founder of that phrase!!😊

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