Advice for OCD sufferers that might help?!


Question: Advice for OCD sufferers that might help.?
I have been suffering with ocd for 3 yrs..it cam on suddenly and to be honest for the last 3 yrs i thought that it was a sure thing that i had lost my marbles.until 5 days ago ..having extreme bad case of PMS ..my thoughts had become too much to bear...my ocd had taken a turn for the worse and i can tell you that i felt total dispair as if it was all new to me all over again. i have read everything nailed down in the past..it looked as though there were no sure answers..or a quick fix...ranging from vitamins to meditation.
after reading one of the same pages again..i sat and really absorbed...whilst pushing these nasty thoughts aside...i sat quietly and i breathed....i breathed in and out...letting these thoughts just come...as hard and as bad as they felt...instead of reacting as my body and mind were so used to doing....with each thought...i didnt react....and it was hard....then something happend.....i stopped trying so hard...i simply stopped trying....these thoughts were not who i was...they were ocd.....i felt a sense of calm....i smiled too...i relized i had control over how i reacted....the fear....the terror took over each time...causing a chain a circle with no escaped....i didnt want to relax...and go with it...but i did anyway...today...i felt happy....because now i feel that im on way to freedom at last....i cant express how this feels...i kind of feel....like i am me again.....these thoughts still want to visit....but....i remain calm....they are just thoughts that thrive on my fear....i take a relaxing herbal formular a good multi with fish oil....magnesium with calcium with vitamin d3....and up to 6 vitamin c day....eat right exercise and i fell stright to sleep listening to classical music....it soothed and helped me relax and focus on calm instead of how to escape my fear of thoughts..i hope this helps anyone who sufferes like me...please try ...i did and im tellng you that it work....take control...dont let the thoughts and feelings associated with thoughts control you....its that simple...Health Question & Answer


Answers:
That's GREAT!!!! Good for you for finding and understanding how to deal with this terrible disorder. I have OCD also and I refused to take medicine until it got disabling and I started taking medication and I wish I would have started when I was a young adult. I also read up alot about this disorder and constantly have to remind myself these thoughts are not real it's my OCD. Now when I get a sudden strike of fear or an unwanted thought instead of panicking ( like I use to ) I tell myself to relax, try really hard to rationalize and ride the feelings through, because I know they always pass. I have had OCD since I was a little girl BUT, there have been stages in my life that I did not feel the OCD as intense, it seems to come and go. So don't give up or forget how to get a hold of yourself IF ever it returns and hopefully in your case it never will. I also told myself (regarding medication that I did not want to take in the past) If I had a heart condition, high blood pressure,epilepsy or Diabetes I WOULD HAVE TO take medication, so what makes having OCD any different. That's why they have medication for it. Good Luck to you.Health Question & Answer

You need to see a mental health specialist. Zoloft is agreat drug for OCD, it has helped my son tremendously.Health Question & Answer

There are many treatments available for OCD sufferers. I would like to share with you some information I found on the site oFear The Online Fear & Phobia Forum www.ofear.com

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental disorder in which people feel burdened by unwanted thoughts or forced to repeat troublesome actions. Unwanted thoughts, called obsessions, often include unreasonable fear of dirt or germs. Another common obsession involves fear of losing control and hurting oneself or others. Patients usually feel a need to perform repeated actions, called compulsions, to prevent harmful events. Some wash their hands excessively to avoid infection from germs. Many check faucets or stoves repeatedly to be sure they are turned off. Still others may engage in counting rituals or excessive prayers.

Research has shown that the things people with OCD worry about are the same things that everyone worries about. The difference is that people with OCD can't dismiss the thoughts as irrational. The fact that the worries don't away, rather they cause undue distress is a key feature of the disorder.

Most people have certain routines and habits they find comforting. For example, a person may like to get dressed or prepare meals in a certain way. But most people can change their routines when necessary. People with obsessive-compulsive disorder feel unable to change, even though they know that their obsessions and compulsions are unrealistic.

OCD can start at any age although it is usually first seen in childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood. Although the disorder may be episodic, left untreated OCD can escalate in severity over time. OCD affects two to four percent of the population worldwide. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, OCD affects four million adult Americans.

Depression frequently occurs with OCD. Most of these say they are depressed because the OCD is affecting their lives; this is called secondary depression. However, many also suffer from bipolar disorder (manic-depression) that may influence the severity of the OCD. Gilles de la Tourette's Syndrome may be associated with OCD. This is a disorder characterized by involuntary facial or body movements or vocalizations. The most well known symptom of Tourette's syndrome is copralalia, the shouting out of obscenities.


OCD and the Brain


OCD is thought to involve a problem in brain functioning. Many experts believe that obsessive-compulsive disorder involves an imbalance in serotonin, one of the brain's most important messenger chemicals. Doctors may treat the disorder with medicines that correct serotonin levels. People may also be helped by behavior therapy, which teaches patients ways to resist their unreasonable thoughts and actions.

Work has been done using PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scans to look at brain metabolic changes in people with OCD. Some specific brain regions have been identified which may mediate OCD, namely the caudate nucleus and orbitofrontal cortex. These areas have been found to be hyperactive in people with OCD as compared to people who do not have OCD. The orbitofrontal cortex is involved in evaluating perceptions and choosing appropriate responses. This is why the person with OCD may be plagued with doubt, because they are not processing their perceptions adequately. The orbitofrontal cortex is connected with the caudate nucleus and acts like the brain's automatic transmission, allowing a person to 'shift gears' from one response to another. In the person with OCD, this process often gets stuck, which is why people with OCD repeat the same behaviors over and over again.


Causes of OCD


OCD is thought to have a genetic component. Most people with OCD can identify someone else in their family who has OCD, depression or other anxiety disorders. Studies with identical twins who have been separated at birth and who have later developed OCD suggest that OCD is a genetic disorder. It does seem that it can skip generations and that the severity of the disorder may be different even within a family. That is, someone who has severe OCD will not necessarily have children who will also have severe OCD.

Other possible causes of OCD can be head injury, psychological trauma, or infection. This is called secondary OCD. Childbirth may also trigger OCD for the mother but it seems unclear whether this might be due to the stress of the birth, physical trauma that may cause brief periods of lack of oxygen to the brain, hormonal, or immunologic factors. It is worth noting that stress will almost inevitably worsen OCD. It is important for people who have OCD to learn how to deal with stress in healthy ways.

In summary, a person is probably born with a genetic predisposition to having OCD, which is often dormant until some stressful event occurs and triggers the OCD into an active phase.


Assessing OCD


Because of the variety of symptoms, OCD is commonly misdiagnosed. ThereHealth Question & Answer



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