My Experience

I am 23 now but when I was 22 I was in therapy for over 6 months to help with agoraphobia issues before I was referred to a psychiatrist to try medication. This was the first time I have ever been told that I might have OCD. I was then referred to a specialist for OCD specifically and they also believed I was showing signs of OCD. The therapy I was in was not working for me and that’s when I was told people with OCD don’t benefit from the type I had been doing. I was put on Pristiq and have seen a dramatic (good) change in my thoughts. I will say I just have thoughts that I don’t have it and that they misdiagnosed me. As if now that I’m aware of the condition I make up thoughts in my head to go along with it. It’s just frustrating.

ninjastone

Date posted: 35w ago

Its really hard to just not know. Thanks for not giving up on you 💚

Kag911

Date posted: 35w ago

When you're first diagnosed with it, sometimes it is hard to come to terms with it. As someone who is around your same age, and has much experience with OCD, what you are describing does fit with the condition as I have come to understand it, and it can certainly be frustrating. I also was in therapy for a year before I found a psychologist who actually knew what they were doing in terms of CBT, and having a specialist is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Remember, it is called "The doubting disease," so doubting that you have it is no surprise there. It can also be hard to see that something is OCD if it is wrapped up in a belief system that is very real, especially of a spiritual nature. Circumstances that are dealing with real events are also tricky, as distinguishing between delusion and true grief or hardship can be hard and the lines can become convoluted in your head. It is not impossible though, especially as you learn more tools. Truthfully though, finding out, even hard as it is to accept, is perhaps the best thing that can happen to you. It is like a veil is lifted, or you are brought out of the darkness from the cave to finally see the light of truth (if you have read Plato's Allegory of the Cave which is very applicable to OCD). It is not you, and the reality you suffer in is often not what it seems to be. Finding that out is quite liberating.

siamesedream

Date posted: 35w ago

@Kag911 thank you for taking the time to write such a kind message, I appreciate your input!

Kag911

Date posted: 35w ago

@siamesedream Of course, no problem, I hope it was helpful.

User type: Therapist

Date posted: 10d ago

Thank you for sharing your experience. It highlights an important point: not all therapy approaches are effective for OCD, and finding the right fit is key. It's great that medication has brought you significant relief. Feeling frustrated by thoughts that make you doubt your diagnosis is also something many people with OCD encounter. If you’re struggling and need more assistance, remember that help is available. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at NOCD. We can do a comprehensive assessment to determine if you are experiencing OCD or something else. Also here are some helpful resources: https://www.treatmyocd.com/what-is-ocd https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/do-i-need-a-diagnosis-to-start-ocd-therapy

Vee4

Date posted: 18w ago

I think I have severe ocd

So I've had OCD since I was a child. Like really young. The first intrusive thought I can remember was when I was 5. It just keeps getting worse and lately they've been making me physically ill or throwing me into extreme panic attacks again ( ones where I can't move my body ) the other night I thought God was trying to kill me because I was thinking about ending myself from OCD+ life issues but in reality I was just having a panic attack😭😭it affects me daily. It gets a little better with therapy but I don't see therapy coming into my life any time soon and I'm not even sure if I would want to go (for multiple reasons). To wrap this up if you have severe ocd can you tell me what it's like?? I don't want to label anything without proper research and hearing others perspectives. Thank you!! <3 (My profile says all of my subtypes if that helps any)

JH202462

Date posted: 16w ago

Anyone else experience this?

I feel like in some ways receiving a diagnosis for OCD has in some ways made things worse. I’ve always had what I called “phases” throughout life, which I now know were ocd episodes, but I didn’t really make too much of them and even if it was over several long difficult months, they’d always seem to kind of just pass. Recently I’ve begun my worse flare up in the last few years and now that I’m older I seemed professional help which led to my diagnosis. This all sounds great of course but I can’t actually afford therapy right now so I kinda just have the diagnosis but not the support so now that I realize these phases are actually this incurable mental illness I just feel like I’ve lost all hope that I’ll ever be happy and I feel like I basically obsess about obsessing at this point and it just sucks. Has anyone else had this or a similar experience?

OCDNoThankYe

Date posted: 10w ago

Medication

Hey friends, I hope you all are well. I just wanted to check in and ask people's experiences about being on medication. I have had OCD pretty much my whole life, just got recently diagnosed 4 months ago and my therapist recommended that I get on meds for it so I have a psychiatrist appointment set up. I'm a little apprehensive about getting on them, but I've realized that I do have some sort of chemical imbalance in my brain that plays a part in my OCD and anxiety. I would love to hear anyones experiences or words of encouragement. Thank you, I hope you all are well.

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