Hey guys. My therapist really wants me to take a term off from college and go to an axiety clinic for my ocd. I would have to move back with my parents which isn’t perfect but could also be nice. I’m very skeptical of this because I’m on meds for ocd and my thoughts are slowly getting easy to manage and the good thing about being in college is that it can distract me but other times it’s too stressful. I know I should listen to my therapist but I’m just scared that moving home away from my friends will make my mental health worse. Anybody else been in a situation like this? Or has done a treatment program?

Hi! Literally in the EXACT situation. I finished my first year of medical school and my OCD went out of control and became debilitating. I got really frightened by the end to start the school year. I got on meds and things have eased up and I had the choice to begin but I decided to take the year off and learn better coping skills. I moved countries and live back with my parents. It was a little hard and at times I have some regrets but in the end I'm so happy I did. What's the point of life if your mental health isn't good? Sometimes life needs you to slow down and you just need to be in tune with your mind and body. OCD is tough and stress makes it worse. Remember medication is just a tool but CBT/ERP are what will make the change happen in the long term. One semester off for better ways to cope for a life with OCD is worth it. In the end, one semester is nothing and I'm sure it will make your family happy.

Yeah I have a week or 2. I’m sending an email now. It’s just a tough choice to make because my thoughts are getting out of hand and friends give a good distraction but I know that my college town has limited resources with mental health and that’s why she wants me to go. But thanks guys! I’m going to talk to her more about it

Thank you?

Not at all... I have a unique story but I wasn't the typical applicant - I didn't have much experience in medical field and applied wth an art degree. I went back to get a post bacc in science and I never even finished it. I explained it all during my interview - I couldn't finish some classes due to financial reasons. Although my application lack the standards, I had other strengths they admired. If you can't finish the courses or theirs a gap, just strengthen your app in other ways. Being unique is just as important. I applied to med school at 28 and have so many gaps and period of time I took off cause of OCD/anxiety - and that's ok! I just realized during med school that at this point in my life - I need to take off time to really handle stress and do better with OCD so that in the future I won't have to take as much time off. So take time for yourself and heal your soul. Med school will be there but your mental health might not be. Don't be afraid. Your doc and therapist are trying to help you. Now it's time for you to help yourself. You could always tell the med schools that you took time off to make sure you really wanted to go to med school - they appreciate that kind of stuff because they don't like people rushing in and not realizing the sacrifice.

Ok, thank you? The university I’m at right now is almost 3/4 premed and extremely cut throat. Like I’ve had ppl take advantage of me bc I couldn’t bring myself to be like that to them. It just makes me feel that if I’m not excelling in things, I have no chance of getting in. If you don’t mind my asking, what medical school are you at, or which ones did you apply to where you thought that the interviewers could see past the medical problems?

I'm at Auckland medical school and yes I had the same problem with other applicants. I just didn't care. You kind of can't care because in the end, they are making it harder for themselves to be so cut throat. I would say maybe not to mention any sort of anxiety, unless you've really handled it and have some sort of success story. I know that sounds not enticing but I never told the interviews about my anxiety because I didn't want them to think I couldn't finish. I just told them about my financials and how used that time off to work in a non profit. Unless you want to be a psychiatrist but again, I wouldn't mention OCD unless you have really fully handled it.

In the end, if you want something, you can make it happen. It may not be linear but nothing in life is. You'll have setbacks and other problems that may steer you in other directions. You'll get to where you want to be in the end but the most important is to enjoy the journey and try to accept the uncertainty.

Ohhh ok. Yea I’m not sure what I should say about the time off, considering I wouldn’t be working or volunteering, or anything, I’d be in residential. Good advice, thank you:) You are going to be a great dr❤️

Thank you. That's very kind. You'll figure it out. Just take care of yourself first.

Tell your therapist that you are worried taking time off from college and hanging with friends as it you believe it would make the OCD worse. See what your therapist has to say afterwards

Can you also ask your psychiatrist what they think in terms of your improvement? Or discuss with your therapist options if you don't go to the clinic? Being with friends is hugely helpful to my mental health so I get it. When do you have to decide by? Maybe you can wait a bit and see

My dr and therapist are both saying I need to go to residential treatment and drop my classes for this semester. Like every time I go they spend the first half of our time trying to convince me to go? I am premed and I’ve already had to drop a couple classes in the past because of OCD, so I’m really scared that if I drop this semester that I won’t be as strong an applicant. OCD has taken so much from me and I think I’d crumble if it took away my aspirations to be a dr. I just don’t know what to do. I know @waterlady, you said you took time off, but you were already accepted. Do you think that dropping before acceptance would make me less competitive?