- Date posted
- 6y
- Date posted
- 6y
I also haven't been officially diagnosed yet as I see a private therapist who cannot diagnosed me so whilst they have told me I definitely have it, I need to wait to be diagnosed by the NHS. Don't feel ashamed though, it is something that you experience and a diagnosis will not change your experience. At the end of the day, it is just a label ?
- Date posted
- 6y
I mean...I've been diagnosed with compulsive behavior but not OCD yet because I've not seen an OCD therapist. However I still call it OCD because that's easier to explain. I would go to a therapist that specializes in this illness to get a correct diagnosis. And don't feel ashamed! This is just a part of who you are :)
- Date posted
- 6y
diagnosis is actually kind of a weird concept. having an “official diagnosis” can mean a lot of things, and there’s not always a strict guideline for it. for example: my partner has adhd, and has struggled their whole life with schoolwork and focus. so much so that they were pulled from school by their parents and homeschooled until college. adhd ruled their life, and a therapist of theirs diagnosed them as a young teen using the DSM-5 (google this if interested). they had a diagnosis from a therapist and a lifelong history documented, but when they got to college, they were denied academic help for adhd because they had not been given one specific test. but because they had already been diagnosed, the university mental health system wouldn’t perform this test on them. seems backwards huh? i guess what i’m trying to say is that “official” diagnosis is a concept that is used to withhold resources from people who need them. sure there are people out there who may fake having something or be wrong about their diagnosis, but it doesn’t sound like you are one of them. and even if your counselor and doctor are wrong/unqualified (i doubt it though) your symptoms are still something you face. many with ocd start as self diagnosed because our obsessions can be to shameful to discuss even with a doctor, and that’s ok! what matters is that coping mechanisms for used ocd help us. ok i’m done! sorry for the long response!!!
- Date posted
- 6y
Thank y’all so much. That was really helpful. I just didn’t want to make people think I’m one of those people who are just throwing ocd around when she hasn’t been diagnosed. Then again, I know that’s my ocd talking. I’ve struggled with 8-10 themes. I know I have it but I advocate on twitter a lot and don’t want to be discredited because I haven’t been diagnosed if that makes sense
- Date posted
- 6y
@Jen22 I wouldn't think you would be discredited, I used to talk quite a lot about OCD on Twitter too. I ended up coming off Twitter because it became a compulsion! I'm sure the people on Twitter will realise that your experience with OCD is valid, usually people will be able to tell if you are just throwing the term around and you definitely don't sound like someone who is! I wouldn't worry about that ?
- Date posted
- 6y
But how do you know you have been diagnosed? Do you know the process of that?
Related posts
- Date posted
- 23w
Hello there. I’m new here and think I may have OCD I’ve struggled with anxiety my whole life. However, in my early teens, I started experiencing obsessive fears and engaging in compulsions because my brain convinced me that if I didn’t perform a certain action a specific number of times, it would “prove” that I wanted something terrible to happen. When I was 17, I began seeing a therapist and opened up to her about this. She diagnosed me with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), and I accepted the diagnosis But last night, I became curious about whether people with GAD engage in compulsions and have specific fears, so I looked it up. I was shocked to learn that these are not typical characteristics of GAD Now, I would love to find a therapist who specializes in OCD so I can get a formal diagnosis and the appropriate treatment
- Date posted
- 15w
I posted the other day about my subtype of staring ocd but I’m supposed to start a new job next week. I work in wellness/beauty and will be seeing people half naked. It doesn’t trigger me as I’m treating clients but only when I’m not supposed to be looking (like normal interactions). It happens when people wear very revealing clothes or are super curvy and my eye goes to that area. It also happens when people are adjusting themselves and my eye goes to their hands. It’s very embarrassing and I quit my last job because of this and I don’t want to make more people feel uncomfortable. It left me very depressed and hopeless. It’s such a frustrating type of ocd to deal with because it impacts me financially and socially. I just want to feel okay. Anyways, I’m writing this because I’m wondering if I should share with my new employer about this issue so I don’t weird anyone out or keep it to myself? I’m not sure what to do. I need money as I have a mortgage and two kids and would like to help my husband. I’m currently on Zoloft 50mg, have done therapy but this is such a hard type to treat as it’s not the cleaning type. I know I’m not supposed to ask for advice about what to do but I need to know so I can make a decision and not get cold feet.
- Date posted
- 8w
I finally found the courage to seek a psychiatrist last week, when I got there I was nervous for obvious reasons and felt a bit guilty. I met the doctor and don’t get me wrong he was very nice and knowledgeable in the bigger scope of mental health. Asked me questions of depression, anxiety, if I see things others don’t etc.. However, while we went through the assessment I did not receive a formal “diagnosis” and seemed as though he came to the determination what I have is general anxiety disorder. I don’t disagree, I know I have anxiety! However, when it came to the point where we were wrapping it up I had a “BUT WAIT” moment. I explained I was a part of an OCD community where I had previously been doing therapy to manage OCD. He asked “well why OCD?” I replied, “I have constant thoughts very repetitive thoughts that follow a theme and they are extremely persistent.” It was then I knew I couldn’t let down the walls and go into depth, as I knew he wouldn’t understand. To validate what I already knew, I said “I have constant fears and worries about my children, myself, and religion. I think about these things all day long. In order to free myself from the feeling I have to say a specific phrase or word in my head.” He said “well yea that’s normal to have worries and fears about your family, your religion” and so forth. The feeling of disappointment is an under statement, this is more than just “anxiety” this is something that I struggle with daily and to have a professional discredit my daily fight was off putting. Not his fault, it demonstrates the lack of knowledge for OCD and treatment many of us have to face. Sorry for the rant, sometimes we just have to advocate for ourselves.. 🌸
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