Stress-related OCD?

[wifey6]

Is it possible or does anyone else suffer with stress-related OCD?

Sorry...yes...my question is...how do others cope with it? I'm fine when I'm not stressed/ anxious but when it's full-blown I find it overwhelming.

What sorts of symptoms do you have when you are very stressed?

I become irritable..unable to sleep...I Hoover about 6+ times a day...I clean the house from top-to-bottom (not a bad thing some would say!) but it's the obsessive thoughts of making sure it is clean & everything is in its place & organised. Must sound really silly.

That does sound irritating! Being irritable and unable to sleep is perfectly normal when you are highly stressed. Have you tried burning off your nervous energy in other ways, besides hoovering - eg when you start worrying about the house being a mess, forcing yourself to go out for a run, instead? Or would you just come straight back in and hoover 6 times, anyway? Or be incapable of leaving the house for a run in the first place, because you were unable to leave it until you'd hoovered it a certain number of times (even, eg, if staying in and finishing the hoovering made you late to pick up your children from school)? It does sound like an extreme of a pretty normal reaction to stress - ie becoming more obsessional, less certain that you've done things properly, more scared of the feeling of being out of control.

ps could you come round to mine? I'm supposed to be hoovering, now, but am finding the computer more interesting.

my OCD is made worse by stress - but it might be that you are anxious and just redoing things for reassurance - keeping everything in order and safe.
Have you thought of CBT or tried Mindfulness Meditation - both excellent.

MaryAnn...I think it does have to do with being safe..I finally have my home..DH & baby DS who my sisters never thought/wanted me to have....no one has ever said it like that before.
I've taken up a weekend job....yes you've guessed it....cleaning!! It is helping but when I get home...I do start again. Even my plates & bowls have to be lined up.
Do not call for the straight jackets...I know how crazy it sounds!!

It doesn't sound crazy - it sounds like what it is, a reaction to stress. I would second what MaryAnnSingleton said about CBT and mindfulness meditation (look up Jon Kabat Zinn for the latter).

Thank you all so much...my friends & sisters just laugh & poke fun when I tried to talk about it. Although I do see the funny side (when it's not full-blown)...it upsets me & makes me feel down. I appreciate all your advice.

talk to your gp, CBT can be very useful and they can provide that with medication too if you would find that helpful. Citalopram (the anti depressant) can be given for OCD, dose of around 40mg - 60mg daily, the dose for depression is around 20mg to 40mg. Works well for some people especially twinned with the CBT.

OCD can be incredibly upsetting and distressing, your friends and sisters should be more understanding

yes, antidepressants do help - I am on venlafaxine - in conjunction with CBT they really work well. Look up Mindfulness Based Stress Relief courses too- based on John Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness teaching (there are lots of books and cds) If you liked I could copy the meditation cd that I use and send it. I do think though that CBT does the trick. I don't think that your friends and sisters would be amused if they suffered from it. I lost a whole chunk of my mid twenties because of extreme OCD - I would have rather have been dead sometimes than suffer it- extreme I know, but it was hell. Am much better now but am watchful in case I slip back.

have a look here too, its a lot more common that you might think. It helped me enormously to realise I wasn't 'going mad' or 'crazy' or anything and that there was an actual name for it:

www.ocduk.org/

Thank you all...thank you Mary for your offer..
I will look at all the links when my DS has his nap. It's so nice to be so honest & not have people laugh or poke fun. I tried CBT years ago for anxiety...but my new surgery don't have practitioners there...I'll research my local CBT help though. When I was seeking help through CBT..they linked my anxiety etc to the way people/my sisters treat me. I don't like to admit that could be true...

Brian's suggestion of that website is v good idea- the book they recommend by David Veale is one I have -extremely helpful.

Thank you shitmagnet.... I have never been one for running but I find talking the baby out for a walk helps as we live in a quiet village...gives me time to clear my head. I agree about getting to the route of the stress...I am going to sit down later & make a list of everything that stresses me. It's not even little things...so I could have my work cut out! I will look into all the helpful links/info....thank you so very much. It is disappointing that I can not have family help/support....they have always treated me like this. I feel due to recent family problems...my OCD has got worse...as those problems play on my mind as I have no idea how to deal with them.
It really helps speaking to a support system on MN.

good advice from shitmagnet. I would try to get on the waiting list for CBT - the psychologist would ask you about family history and investigate the roots of it and your treatment would tackle your responses to stress and anxiety.
A technique we learned in mindfulness was to take a 'breathing space' - stop and register what you are feeling and concentrate on your breath - breathe in and out a few times,following the passage of air in your nostrils,into your lungs and out - it's a way of returning to the present moment rather than focussing on the future or past

Thank you MaryAnn...I am going to research my local CBT help today & see what I can do....as I think it is all linked to past history. I will try the breathing technique today....I have found all your help really kind.

My partner had OCD and it's much worse when he is stressed. Unfortunately he doesn't clean (I wish he did!), but it does go from manageable to out of control when he's stressed. He was really bad last year (finishing his thesis, no money, living in a crowded flat), now he's working, moved house, much happier, OCD is still there but noticeably milder.

I think it's pretty normal for this kind of condition (as well as things like asthma) to get worse under stress. There is medication for OCD, but if you can address it by lowering the stress that's much better. Hope things work out!

hope the breathing helps- PM me if you'd like me to send you the meditation cd

You could try a book called "Mind Over Mood" by Padesky and Greenberger while you're waiting for CBT. It goes through the basics of CBT and is quite helpful.

the OCD for Dummies is good too ! hope we aren't overwhelming you with suggestions ! remember,you aren't alone in this.

I'm overwhelmed by the kindness...your help is great.

I have this, I control it quite well myself at present and DH is tuned in to signs so knows when to take me to one side & make sure everything is ok.

My OCD is really awful though and makes me scratch & pick my face (excorie des jeunes filles or summat) which sounds so stupid but I can't help it. I think it's good to be open about it because it's only by recognising the triggers & symptoms that you can start to improve things.

I have a feeling it might kick off again next year & I'm debating whether to make a Drs appt just in case.

It was talking to my amazing GP that made it better in the first place.