If you have OCD, what are your symptoms?

[plessuregirle]

Looking for a bit of support, and trying to get a proper diagnosis for myself. Constant checking, paranoia, intrusive thoughts, rituals etc all getting a bit too much. If you have OCD, would you mind telling me what your symptoms are and how you cope with them? Have you been referred to a psychiatrist?

Sorry meant to post in health. Will ask MN to move.

I had post natal pure o ocd. So obsessions but not compulsions.

Intrusive thoughts were my symptom. I did see a psychiatrist (had private cover through work). Had some fairly high dose anti depressants for a couple of years and some cbt.

10 years later I am 99.9% fine. I do still have anxiety which mostly manifests as health anxiety and when it's really bad I get into the obsessional checking patterns BUT I recognise and take action if I'm heading that way.

Good luck - it is awful and when someone says 'oh I'm a bit ocd' because they like their books in alphabetical order I want to punch them.

Bryony Gordon, the journalist and author, suffers from OCD. Have a look for her podcasts or her book Mad Girl.

Thanks for responding. It's the obsessive thoughts that bother me the most. I've asked for my GP to call me but not sure they'll take me seriously. I'm embarrassed to be completely honest about it.

I have OCPD so I'm quite fussy with routines and very specific about things but it's not negative if that makes sense? I won't die if I don't do things a certain way but doing things my way is correct and makes me happy. There's no disturbing thoughts or distress so I'm quite content with it, plus I've had DBT so it's well-managed. There's plenty of help out there, definitely speak to a doctor. Wishing you luck.

It's definitely negative for me and leads to a whole heap of uncontrollable procrastination.

I did a mental health referral myself online so didnt have to go to my gp. Not sure if that depends what region you are in. I was diagnosed with ocd by a therapist and sent on a 12 week cognitive behavioral therapy course.

@edenhills yes you can do it through improving access to psychological Therapies (IAPT) but I live in a city with extremely poor mental health services and tmit comes up with zero results. It's so frustrating as other similar cities have 5 or 6 places you can self refer to.

Hi op.

I’ve always had little traits like - hands must be washed three times in a row or I have to shave my legs twice a day. I call those my ‘normals’ (even though I know they are really not).

But I was diagnosed with OCD when My brain began to challenge me (I know that sounds weird).
Basically, I’d be straightening my hair for instance, when my brain would suddenly ‘think’ you have to finish your hair within 5 minutes or your husband won’t get to work safely. I’d be rushing like a madman, getting all upset. I’d be visualising the horrible accident and the graphic details and I’d be so desperately upset. There was nothing I could do but finish straightening my hair within 5.

That wasn’t the extend of it. My OCD brain had me doing all sorts of weird shit to try to prevent bad things happening. Eventually it got too much.

I was out on a course for depression and couldn’t relate to anything. It was the guy running the course who eventually said that I should go back to the GP and ask about OCD.

I was put on 50g then 100g of sertraline and stayed on it for about 2 years. I weaned myself off and those thoughts are yet to come back after a further 2-3 years.

I got diagnosed 8 years ago but have suffered with ocd for 23 years. My symptoms are repetitive thoughts about something I really don't like and so I block the thoughts completely (my compulsion) which is the worse thing you can do because it just makes them come back stronger.
Please listen to the podcast the Ocd stories. The best thing you can do is get treatment because honestly, life can be so much better. I tightened my belt a sought treatment directly from a specialist who recoended by an Ocd charity. She diagnosed me straight away with no judgement. Best of luck xx

*put on a course (not out)

I've got OCD, main symptoms are intrusive disturbing/upsetting thoughts and compulsive checking/sorting/organising.

I've had/having therapy, but because it's so strongly linked to my ASD it's never going to totally go away. The best I can manage is to recognise when I'm having a bad day, accept that it might just have to be a day that I spend repetitively checking the contents of the same 2 drawers and try not to beat myself up about it too much.

Intrusive thoughts and mostly reassurance seeking behaviours.
When it came to thoughts around harm regarding my son I'd carry out compulsions today ensure they didn't happen (hiding knives, locking windows, not going to certain places or just staying home).
My relationship suffered, I questioned myself as a mother & wife constantly. I was convinced I was the worst mum in the world and I didn't love my son. I didn't do housework because I was 'rubbish at it anyway so what was the point', I hardly did anything with my son because what was the point?
I referred myself for CBT and went to my GP for medication while I waited. The medication helped me be in a better more accepting place for the CBT to help.
I've just had my second son, I finished CBT in February this year and it helped and I continue to use what I learnt every single day.

I also used the mindfulness workbook for OCD which I got off amazon, it's by John hershfield who is an expert in the field of OCD. I also used ERP which helped a lot too. OCD action, OCD UK & mind have lots of resources on their websites. Please feel free to message me.

I have it but, luckily, it mainly manifests at night with a whole bunch of checking rituals before I go to bed. Taps, knobs, switches, locks. Lots of touching and counting. It usually takes about 10 minutes but can be longer if I’m stressed or anxious. Or if I’m going away. I have to be careful not to do it in other people’s houses as they don’t always like it! Actually, thinking about it, it does manifest in other ways too. Around control. It’s not great but, for me, it’s manageable. I’ve been told it ‘stands for’ a deeper anxiety. Sending sympathy 💐

Please do not be embarrassed to go to your docs /speak to them.
It is such a hard condition to live with, with no help. I've had it since I was a kid and now 20 years later and lots of different things to help (meditation/medication/exercise/ I am now doing cbt.
OCD can manifest and present in lots of different ways. I initially had contamination ocd and then pure o. It is now pure o, rituals, checking etc.

I was diagnosed at age 20, have never had much support with it at all .

I have a constant, 24/7 nagging thought that I’m going to die . Sometimes it switches and I worry someone else will die . Sometimes I worry I’ve harmed someone and will be going to prison .

It’s constant horrible, horrible thoughts that going round in circles and whatever I do I can’t change them. Sometimes have had ‘rituals’ to get rid of them ie counting, checking, asking for reassurance, doing every day the same, walking the same way all the time to a certain place, very strict routines but it doesn’t usually work .

I was told to see it like diabetes, that I’d have symptoms to some extent every day, always needs medication and I’d never feel totally ‘fine’ . That’s very hard to swallow .

Current bad episode has lasted two years; GP has told me ‘(she) really isn’t interested as she has no idea what to do to help’ and NHS waiting lists for psychotherapy are now 2-3 years long ... so a whole lot of muddling through each day !!

I have a type of self harm OCD. I went through a really stressful 3/4 years my mum nearly died, my husband had to have life saving surgery, my friend died and I had a baby amongst it all.
Basically I pick my scalp, I don't know I'm doing it when I first start and when I do realise because it's now sore I can't seem to stop it. It's anxiety related for sure. I need some further treatment for it as it's getting out of hand.

@MrsPerfect12

I have a type of self harm OCD. I went through a really stressful 3/4 years my mum nearly died, my husband had to have life saving surgery, my friend died and I had a baby amongst it all. Basically I pick my scalp, I don't know I'm doing it when I first start and when I do realise because it's now sore I can't seem to stop it. It's anxiety related for sure. I need some further treatment for it as it's getting out of hand.

I do this. I ended up with bald patches and open sores on my scalp. I would sit up in bed at night in a trance doing it. I’ll then look at the clock and realise it’s morning. Ive struggled to get help from anyone that really understands it.

My DD2 (16) has OCD. She was diagnosed 2 years ago. Had very targeted, very effective CAMHS intervention which has only recently stopped. Her OCD was severe. It is very well managed now and she has been given techniques to assist her in doing so.

She was assigned a psychiatrist who prescribed sertraline (it is recognised as helpful with OCD) and melatonin (as she also suffers from insomnia and when tired finds it harder to manage her condition). But I believe the reason for the referral to a psychiatrist was primarily because she was a child a GPs are not authorised to prescribe those sorts of drugs to minors.

She had weekly therapy from a CBT practitioner for over a year. This was the pivotal bit of her treatment. We also had occasional family therapy.

DD’s symptoms were rituals, intrusive thoughts, hallucinations (which is a rare symptom and was fully investigated as part of differential diagnoses) and a huge focus on germs and hygiene. She took an hour to shower, washed her hands so much they bled, would not sit on a chair someone else had just been sitting on, wouldn’t carry a plate someone else had just eaten from, would never, ever use a lavatory other than at home (the consequences of this caused a bladder infection twice).

It is a testament to the quality of her intervention that the Covid outbreak did not send her into a full relapse. She has continued to manage her symptoms really well. She has been highly committed to getting well and was blessed with a brilliant therapist.

DD’s diagnoses was quite delayed as she was already exhibiting fairly pronounced symptoms by the time we sought help for her. To my shame (which I have owned with her, privately and in family therapy) I did not recognise how ill she had become as in the early days of her illness I was caring for my older daughter who almost died from anorexia. (Good news is both of them are doing really well now, in well established recovery). The point of mentioning this is to say that even if you have had symptoms for some time it is still definitely worth seeking out help. You may need to be quite assertive about wanting it. The focus in assessing whether you require therapy will be the extent to which your symptoms affect your day to day life.

OCD is not the easiest mental health condition to treat. You need really good quality intervention. I really hope you get it. And don’t be shy of the role that medication can play in supporting effective therapy.

Best of luck to you.

Can I ask you all a question? Do you get OCD rage? Ex DP has severe OCD - most of his symptoms are problematic but the killer for me is how aggressive he gets. Often find myself puzzling over how much influence the OCD have and how much is because he is a twat!

My DD2 is a gentle, lovely girl. Her OCD has never exhibited as rage. Or even anger. I’ve not heard of that at all; having researched quite a bit about it.

@bearsinmotion I definitely don't get any anger or rage. I don't know enough about it to say whether this is a symptom of ocd or not though.

Thank you both. Apologies for the hijack, but he has always said it’s because of his OCD but I am l look less and less convinced