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- 4y
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- 4y
I’m 22 and this all started a few months back as a result of chronic stress from the pandemic. Meds can be helpful but they’re not the end-all solution, and for some people they don’t work at all. I tried Lexapro and it was awful. But, to address the question of whether your brain will be like this forever — not necessarily. While medications alter brain chemistry, so can lifestyle changes, meditation, exercise, and therapy. ERP and CBT are considered the golden treatment for OCD because it alters the brain and remisses symptoms. I have personally had symptom reduction simply from living healthier and getting more exercise.
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- 4y
Your situation is very similar to mine. August 5 last year I came across something very disturbing online and that initiated this whole madness. I’m also 25.
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I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this too. You’re not alone!
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- 4y
I remember the exact day and moment my brain turned on me too. I genuinely thought I was going crazy. I was terrified. I’ve had tons of ups and downs since then. It’s been about a year and a half and still, every time I have a couple days that are amazing and I think I’m finally starting to get better, it’s followed by weeks of horrendous OCD episodes. I just started talking to a therapist and I’m already feeling more hopeful. I haven’t started my ERP yet, but just finally getting these thoughts off my chest to a real person and knowing that other people understand, made me feel a little bit better. Therapy is expensive af unfortunately. My insurance doesn’t work with NOCD and to see an OCD specialist in my area, the wait is months. No one is accepting new patients. I’m on a payment plan with NOCD right now. It’s still more than what I’d like to pay and more than what you should have to pay for mental health services, but it’s worth it. Maybe look into that.
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- 4y
That’s how mine has been too, many ups and downs but way more downs.. Mine is more “pure o” where I just have the thoughts and my compulsions are mental.. I have suicide themed OCD and it’s a living hell
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- 4y
That’s honestly so crazy. It happened to me like that too. One little thought one night and then BAM. It’s weird how that works.
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- 4y
That’s what happened to me too! I had a graphic image pop up in my head one night that freaked me out and spent all night laying awake and even throwing up because I was so scared that I got sick. I just kept thinking “somethings wrong me. What I just pictured in my head isn’t normal. Why did I just think about that?” And now it’s 3 years later and I’m still trying to come to terms with OCD 😂 wild how it can just come completely out of nowhere
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- 4y
Meds arent bad, they can be your friend when things are.topsy turvy. Before they work. Gotta give them at least 2 mos., then after a few months, and you feel under control, with a Dr's help, you can wean off. .. Also research homeopathic SSRI and see what it comes up with. Allot of health food stores , with help, can recommend supplements too. Good luck! You'll be fine.
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- 4y
Thank you. I’m just like is my brain gonna always be in this state? Am I ever gonna feel even slightly “normal” again? I know I can’t get rid of it but man this is tough. It’s been almost a year now that I’ve been having this certain theme.
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- 4y
I am 25 too and mine came on almost exactly a year ago!
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- 4y
This is exactly me! Though I tried antidepressants 2 years before for GAD and depression ! Therapy is doing wonders
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What kind of therapy are you doing?
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@Anonymous Erp with nocd, I did CBT (before someone attacks me I know CBT us an umbrella). It didn’t do much of anything. 6 weeks after erp I noticed a massive difference
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I was also 25 last year when this all started! I also remember the exact date! Mine started almost overnight, too! I think my OCD was brought on by a concussion. You are not alone, and this will not last forever.
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- 4y
Thank you, I’m trying so hard to keep going
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- 4y
@Anonymous Me too. Some days all we can do is survive, and that’s ok. If all you did today is survive, that is ok. Because tomorrow you might be able to do a little more, live a little more, feel a little better. Surviving today means getting to see that tomorrow.
Related posts
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- 23w
Hello, I unknowingly have lived with ROCD or OCD (not sure what one. I’m new to this). It has ruined so many amazing romantic and platonic relationships and I am so sad that just now I am finding out what the hell is wrong with me. Maybe life would be different if I have known. My OCD and anxiety is at an all time high (ATH) due to some horrible events that have happened in the recent months. I am at the point where paranoia has taken over my life now. I had my first panic attack a few weeks ago where I fainted. My anxiety attacks are so extreme I go thought cognitive distortion that has lasted days. My girlfriend of 3 years is my emotional guardian and she no long has the energy to be that and honestly it’s not her responsibility to be that. She is bi and wanted to have an open relationship and for someone who has OCD this has not been good for me. She also was assaulted in my own home by a good friend of ours when I was out of town but it’s not a clear situation because it sounded consensual at first. I just left my very high paying job. I am financially secure but the job was emotionally abusive and looking back made my OCD worse. I am taking some time off to get my head right…but now, all I have to do during the day is live in my OCD. I’m very happy I finally figured out why I act the way I do but I don’t know if I can get better quick enough to save my relationship. I have never been so worried about myself (M 28 years old). I am a confident young professional and never thought I would be writing on a page like this. Anyway…I hope it gets better.
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- 22w
I'm going through a rough time. I used to think medication would brighten my world, but if anything, it's muted it. The physical anxiety is less, and I felt okay(ish) for a while, but things are getting bad again. I'm so afraid I'll never get to a point where I feel safe in my body and in my mind. Today is the first day I've cried in... I don't know how long. But I didn't feel the relief I thought I would. Initially, I did, but it morphed into dread, and now I'm sitting by myself, trying not to panic. I really want to begin seeing a therapist for OCD, but I don't know how much my insurance covers. There's just so much on my mind right now. A whole bunch of old themes are resurfacing. I wish I could've been given a different path in life. I'm trying to stay strong. It's just really difficult. I feel like I'm being sent back to square one :(
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- 10w
I’ve recently been struggling a lot with OCD. I have had OCD for a long time I just didn’t realize it until more recently. About seven months ago I developed panic attacks one day randomly at work. I thought I was having a heart attack and went to the hospital where they told me it was just a panic attack and I assumed I would snap out and be better within a few days. However it didn’t. Here’s where it gets scary, I was staying at my then boyfriends house while dealing with blurry vision, anxiety attacks everyday, and more (unsure of what was going on). But at some point I saw my bfs (pew pew 🔫) on his table and it sent me into an anxiety attack after sudden thoughts that I was going to hurt myself with it. I begged him to put it away when I’m not looking so I didn’t know where he put it. He did. These thoughts lasted for about four days but began to go away. (I thought that was it and I would be back to normal). Unfortunately though I ended up moving back in with my family when we couldn’t get my panic attacks under control in time for me to get back to work and pay bills. However, coming home brought up a lot of trauma from when I was kid. My anxiety got worse but I didn’t have those thoughts again. About two and half months ago though, I got sick and went to the hospital where they gave me steroid pills and a steroid shot but sent me into some kind of psychiatric event. Ever since then though, I have been suffering from harm OCD, I have had moments of intense anger that I usually have to completely walk away and go on my own because of how intense they are, and it feels like it’s getting worse. Today I felt fine until about and hour and half ago where I started to dwell on the fact that my suicidal thought was influenced by my OCD and at the moment my OCD is at the worst it’s been. This caused me to get suddenly really depressed and I started crying thinking about how I can’t handle this. I then saw a post talking about how suicide rates are high for people with this form of OCD and it made me question if I am mentally strong enough to pull through this. I fear that at times I’m getting worse. I have good days but I have a lot of bad days. Unfortunately this sent me into such a bad panic attack I went over to my nanas crying about how I can’t deal with this. I took a 0.25 mg Xanax which helped calm down the panic attack portion of it but my brain is still uncomfortably active. I guess I just need hope. I’m so saddened by this. It’s like my life took a total 360 in 10 months and got even worse since the steroid shot. Idk what to do about it. I can’t stop the spiral. I talk to two different therapist weekly and start more next week, making it 5 times a week. I feel no improvements…
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