i really don’t wanna go on medication but i’ve been in therapy for 2 months and i don’t seem to be getting better. i don’t know if it will get better with time or if i’m going to need to go on meds. i’m scared i’ll become suicidal, worse, or even become dependent on them. does anyone know if my intrusive thoughts can possibly go away with time if i really try or does that require meds? the thoughts are present all day long over basically everything i do. also for anyone who’s on meds how has it changed you with your ocd?

It took me about 5 months after I was first diagnosed and started doing ERP therapy for things to start getting better. I had intrusive thoughts all day long too. Hang in there and God bless :)

Hey man! In my experience going on meditation was really hard for me, but being on medication didn’t make me suicidal or anything like that, it essentially lowered my anxieties and OCD. It didn’t get rid of then but it made them less intense! ( hope this is helpful ) ?

From what I heard, meds can help a with anxiety, but ultimately it’s the therapy that has you reaching recovery. I was on medication (Buspar) for a little bit before I was diagnosed or doing therapy and it actually eliminated not only my anxiety but also the intrusive thoughts as well. In my case it did not cause any suicidal thoughts (I actually have suicidal OCD, and after taking the medication those intrusive thoughts went away!) I had to get off them eventually because they were causing me lightheadedness but it could be different for someone else. If you don’t feel comfortable taking them, you don’t have to. Just be vigilant with ERP and therapy and you’ll get there. My old therapist used to say that just using medication is the fast route but you don’t learn anything and once you get off it’s back to square one, but with therapy, while it is the long way, it’s the one that will produce actual change. Also I don’t think the medication is really supposed to eliminate the intrusive thoughts completely, but rather it lessens the frequency and intensity enough for you to be able to properly do therapy. Good luck :)

My recommendation is to work through your fear of the medicine. For me, medication really helps me function more “normally”. It’s easier to do the work of ERP when my anxiety is brought down closer to a healthy level at baseline.

Hi I have this same fear. The thing with meds is they are different for everyone. They could potentially help you with some side effects! There are pros and cons and I am personally against them and am trying to do things naturally. Don’t make this a reassurance check or compulsion but what I suggest is ready the mood cure by Julia Ross or speaking with a psychiatrist if you are ready for medication.