Living with OCD

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Nothxkbi

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Anybody here have this or know of somebody who does aka friend/relative? How were they diagnosed and what treatment are they receiving?

Is this a medical diagnoses or does one go to a psychologist/psychiatrist for a diagnoses?
 
It is a psychological disorder.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by uncontrollable, unwanted thoughts and repetitive, ritualized behaviors you feel compelled to perform. If you have OCD, you probably recognize that your obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors are irrational – but even so, you feel unable to resist them and break free.

Most people with obsessive-compulsive disorder fall into one of the following categories:

Washers are afraid of contamination. They usually have cleaning or hand-washing compulsions.
Checkers repeatedly check things (oven turned off, door locked, etc.) that they associate with harm or danger.
Doubters and sinners are afraid that if everything isn’t perfect or done just right something terrible will happen or they will be punished.
Counters and arrangers are obsessed with order and symmetry. They may have superstitions about certain numbers, colors, or arrangements.
Hoarders fear that something bad will happen if they throw anything away. They compulsively hoard things that they don’t need or use.
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http://helpguide.org/mental/obsessive_compulsive_disorder_ocd.htm

I would describe myself as a 'checker' :)
I have it in a very limited form; not even sure if it qualifies to be diagnosed as such.
 
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Nothxkbi said:
Anybody here have this or know of somebody who does aka friend/relative? How were they diagnosed and what treatment are they receiving?

Is this a medical diagnoses or does one go to a psychologist/psychiatrist for a diagnoses?
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How is getting a diagnosis from a psychiatrist not a medical diagnoses?
 
A psychiatrist would be the correct person to see. SA Depression and Anxiety Group is independent and a reliable source of info; you can find their OCD guide here : http://www.sadag.co.za/index.php/Anxiety-Disorders/OCD-Treatment-Referral-Guide.html . There is also an OCD Association which you can find here : http://knowyourocd.co.za/ - I am not acquainted with them and cannot say whether they are trustworthy. I note that the website is sponsored by a pharmaceutical company, which makes me less likely to trust their info. I am not, BTW, a drug company conspiracy theorist - drugs are useful in treatment, as is psychological counselling.

Disclaimer : I am not a doctor or mental health practitioner; I strongly recommend seeing a professional.

Fritz
 
I'm a bit of a checker. I often worry about whether or not I locked the door after I've left home to the point where I used to drive around the block to go back and check. Sometimes more that once.

Now I combat my OCD with my ADHD. If I resist the urge to check for a little while I completely forget about the whole thing.
 
I'd be inclined to to go to a psychologist, not a psychiatrist as it is imo a psych/behavioral issue that doesn't have to get hit with meds straight away. You could treat it with SRRIs, but I'd consider that a last resort...none of the SRRIs are without side-effects.

You might also want to look up you med insurance stuff...pretty sure I saw a special mention of either OCD or psych things somewhere in the Discovery Docs.

Also tread carefully on this topic...theres a hell of a lot of shtty advice out there on this & everyone thinks they have OCD. Washing hands every day until they bleed is OCD, being careful about stuff is not.
 
I suspect strongly I'm a "Doubters and sinner". Not a sudden thing but been around for as long as I remember, it has a negative effect on relationships and social events etc. Its only gotten worse with time so need to move forward with this.
 
HavocXphere said:
I'd be inclined to to go to a psychologist, not a psychiatrist as it is imo a psych/behavioral issue that doesn't have to get hit with meds straight away. You could treat it with SRRIs, but I'd consider that a last resort...none of the SRRIs are without side-effects.
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I beg to differ. OCD has a neurological basis and no amount of psychological counseling is going to make the slightest bit of difference. Also, modern SSRIs have minimal side-effects. We're not living in the 20th century any more! I highly recommend seeing a psychiatrist and getting medication. I'm on an SSRI myself and it has made a huge difference in my life :)

theres a hell of a lot of shtty advice out there on this
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Like telling people not to take medication for a serious medical condition?
 
Valis said:
I beg to differ. OCD has a neurological basis and no amount of psychological counseling is going to make the slightest bit of difference. Also, modern SSRIs have minimal side-effects. We're not living in the 20th century any more! I highly recommend seeing a psychiatrist and getting medication. I'm on an SSRI myself and it has made a huge difference in my life :)
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Clearly you're more qualified to give advice on this. Thanks for correcting me....not exactly something where one can let wrong info stand.
 
Germs... I hate! them!well Im kind of select with them actually. I dont physically touch door knobs or taps. I dont touch hands, but if I have to! I will. coughing, sneezing around me will make me leave you.
With volume I like mine ending in 5 or 0, 3 and 8 is fine too, 1 no, 9 NEVER!
If something ends in 9 I will do something to make sure it goes to 10 or 8.
I only open chips up, so the name of the chips must not be up side down.
 
Helghast said:
Germs... I hate! them!well Im kind of select with them actually. I dont physically touch door knobs or taps. I dont touch hands, but if I have to! I will. coughing, sneezing around me will make me leave you.
With volume I like mine ending in 5 or 0, 3 and 8 is fine too, 1 no, 9 NEVER!
If something ends in 9 I will do something to make sure it goes to 10 or 8.
I only open chips up, so the name of the chips must not be up side down.
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The chips one is pretty weird. :p
 
suffered from OCD when I was in primary school - scrubbed my arms till they were red

kept on going for a couple of years - and it gradually declined to the point where i was able to control it
 
Helghast said:
Germs... I hate! them!well Im kind of select with them actually. I dont physically touch door knobs or taps. I dont touch hands, but if I have to! I will. coughing, sneezing around me will make me leave you.
With volume I like mine ending in 5 or 0, 3 and 8 is fine too, 1 no, 9 NEVER!
If something ends in 9 I will do something to make sure it goes to 10 or 8.
I only open chips up, so the name of the chips must not be up side down.
Click to expand...

My case is not as severe as yours, but I am a frequent hand washer, get annoyed when sick people cough or sneeze near me, dislike doctors waiting rooms, never touch railings and so on in public, clean my mouse and keyboard at least once a day, don't like people touching my mouse or keyboard or my cellphone, and guess what - I haven't been sick in 2 decades. (not including mental illness - I had a psychotic breakdown a decade ago, that lasted 3 years and made me into a recluse for ten years from which I emerged last year hahaha - people are funny)
 
Helghast said:
Germs... I hate! them!well Im kind of select with them actually. I dont physically touch door knobs or taps. I dont touch hands, but if I have to! I will. coughing, sneezing around me will make me leave you.
With volume I like mine ending in 5 or 0, 3 and 8 is fine too, 1 no, 9 NEVER!
If something ends in 9 I will do something to make sure it goes to 10 or 8.
I only open chips up, so the name of the chips must not be up side down.
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Adrian Monk ? :p

Washers are afraid of contamination. They usually have cleaning or hand-washing compulsions.
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Take my own soap and cloth to work. I probably wash my hands about 50+ times a day very annoying to constantly wash my hands every few minutes and can become frustrating.
 
But remember apart from that, your friends know you as a fun person to be around, and always will want your company. You just normal with features, that is all. Grin
 
wrathex said:
My case is not as severe as yours, but I am a frequent hand washer, get annoyed when sick people cough or sneeze near me, dislike doctors waiting rooms, never touch railings and so on in public, clean my mouse and keyboard at least once a day, don't like people touching my mouse or keyboard or my cellphone, and guess what - I haven't been sick in 2 decades. (not including mental illness - I had a psychotic breakdown a decade ago, that lasted 3 years and made me into a recluse for ten years from which I emerged last year hahaha - people are funny)
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Same I dont like people touching my stuff.
Sometimes my friends irritate me by touching my hands when they've come back from the bathroom and say they haven't washed their hands.
 
I would strongly suggest you see a psychologist or a psychiatrist. OCD amoungst other things lead to anxiety and depression. It also effects your working memory and gets worse if not treated. A psychiatrist should be able to prescribe meds which should see a immediate change (+- few days to a month) but the psychologist is very necessarily especially for long term treatment.

At the end of the day , its nothing "out there" and effects many people and can be controlled. Good luck.
 
sparticus said:
I would strongly suggest you see a psychologist or a psychiatrist. OCD amoungst other things lead to anxiety and depression. It also effects your working memory and gets worse if not treated. A psychiatrist should be able to prescribe meds which should see a immediate change (+- few days to a month) but the psychologist is very necessarily especially for long term treatment.

At the end of the day , its nothing "out there" and effects many people and can be controlled. Good luck.
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I wonder if thread necro can be classified as OCD? :rolleyes:
 
What about getting irritated with people when: (Get ready for this)

1.They chew with their mouths open
2.You can hear them crunching on food
3.Slurping a drink
4.Sniffing loudly
5.Leaves lights on, cellphone charger plugged in
6.Doesn't rinse the dish's
7.Knocks or scrapes a spoon or fork against their teeth while eating
8.Leaves the toilet/dustbin open
9.Not saying please/thank you

There are many more. The eating irritants are so bad for me that I have to leave the table or room most of the time, I physically get angry.

I had quite a tough upbringing and my Mother would always shout at me if I did/didn't do one of the above things. Obviously it has affected me badly.

So would that be OCD?
 
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