Seeking Help from OCD users

gnabthatorangesoda

gnabthatorangesoda

New member
Hi people of Social Phobia World, my name is Quinn. I don't have OCD, but I'm not new to social phobias as I used to and am still kind of trying to conquer a bit of SA. Anyways, to get to the nitty gritty: I'm taking a sociology class and for a report I'm doing a study on OCD. As part of the report I have to do a short survey, but after posting fliers at school and on Craigslist, all I've ended up with is a whole lotta junk e-mails/calls. Then suddenly, belated light bulb! I don't know what took me so long to figure out that I should be checking forums, I'm sort of a nitwit. (sigh) :'(
Anyways, I'm going to put the questions up for you guys. All responses are greatly appreciated!!

1. How old are you?

2. How old were you first noticed signs of having ocd? When were you diagnosed?

3. Do you suffer from any co-morbid (additional) disorders?

4. Does the OCD run in your family?

5. How has having OCD affected you academically? Do you find it hard to focus/achieve good grades, or are you indifferent?

6. Does it intervene with your working life? Friends? Family?

7. What is your relationship with OCD currently? (are you taking medication, is it in "remission", etc.


Thank you so much guys!!
 
SAYC

SAYC

Active member
Hi, Quinn,

1. I am 41.

2. I was 12 when I first had obsessions, 34 when diagnosed.

3. OCD led to generalized anxiety then panic attacks. I have not had panic attacks since I was 21 (had psychotherapy/meditation and relaxation therapy to deal with anxiety-did not know I had OCD at the time-would not tell others my thoughts as scared they would put me in a mental institution).

4. Unknown. People have never talked to me about it. My mom has depression but doesn't admit obsessions, many extended family members on my dad's side drink heavily; my dad died in a drunk driving accident at age 31.

5. I think OCD made me a better student; I always wanted to prove to myself that I was OK and became a very high achiever. People with OCD have a lot of activity in their frontal lobes and think very quickly and are usually very intelligent. I was 3rd of 60 in my med school class at university. I think I would have been first had I not had half my brain dealing with obsessions while the other half was working on schoolwork but ultimately, OCD may have given me the edge I needed to be a very fast and accurate thinker.

Since being medicated, my thinking has slowed way down. That is one of the drawbacks for me-I feel I have lost my edge. I can still practice medicine very well but my processing seems slower.

6. Work life: I am probably the least obsessive at work-it is a set situation where I know my office, most patients and the general way the day will go. I don't find it too stressful and I know the "script" of being a doctor.

Friends and family: Before being medicated, a lot of my obsessions were directed at family and friends-anyone I loved very much and was scared to lose. I think because my dad died when I was really young (6 years old) I feel scared that those I love will leave. I had been OCD free for 3 years before getting married and the honeymoon night, it all came back and in my mind I was killing my husband. It terrified me. My OCD was all about violence and sexual violence-I think in my mind I would kill off my loved ones in my obsessions so that it would force me to be separate from them emotionally so I could survive if they left me.
Now with meds, the Celexa acts as an umbrella over me-it protects me from the barrage of thoughts but it separates me from my emotions to an extent. So I still struggle with feeling distant.

7. OCD now. On meds I have very little intrusive thoughts. I have tried to decrease the dose but as I take it away, the thoughts come back, slowly at first (quite sneaky) then flooding me. I have a great life-happily married, great kids, fulfilling profession. Even sex is better on meds because I don't have to fight against the OCD thoughts. So, I will stay on meds for life. I also have regular psychotherapy to help me feel closer to others and make sure I am on track.

Good luck on your school work. Hope this info helps.:)
 
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SAYC

SAYC

Active member
I was thinking today that one question that might be interesting is what kind of OCD someone has.

I have always just had obsessions myself, no outward compulsions. When a psychologist suggested I may have OCD, I was stunned because I always thought that people with OCD washed their hands all the time. So, maybe the type of OCD someone experiences is important to how they function in life. No one was aware that I was suffering until I finally crashed from fear and anxiety about what was running through my mind.

Anyway, just a thought! Good luck with the research and hope that others will respond.
 
N

noelliesmommy

Member
You are darling! Totally the sort of look I went for before marrying my hubby! I am sure you get a ton of girls. Oh college.... How I miss it :)

1. 31 yrs
2. 17
3. ocd, add, depression, anxiety, ticks
4. yes (brother, dad)
5. The add effected the grades more than the ocd. Ocd does make it difficult to focus and you obsess over ideas in your brain while you are in class. It causes anxiety as well. I would obsess over crushes while I shoud have been listening in class.
6. Yes it interferes with everything. Many of the obsessive thoughts are destructive so it warps reality. Before my ocd got really bad I was popular with alot of friends and successful/confident. Once the ocd got worse everything changed for the worse. It can be a very debilitating illness.
7. I am taking meds and although they do help a little they don't help nearly enough. My ocd has gotten gradually worse over the last 6 years since getting married and a child. I was just diagnosed with add and that medication (ritalin) has helped the ocd strangely enough more than the ocd meds. I am not in therapy though. Strictly meds.

I was a psych minor art major. Live it up because one day you will look back on those college years and think those were the best years of my life :) Sometimes I think It would be fun to have just one day back again. Well I went to college in Hawaii so that doesn't help much!
 
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