OCD

I have never had this so bad in my life like I do now! I think sometimes that I am going crazy and that I will never get through this. I feel like I am stuck like this. The only time I am not suffering is when I am asleep, that only last about two straight hours until I wake again. I use to go to sleep by 9-10 Pm and now I cant even fall asleep until 12-1am or later. OCD is so automatic that as soon as I wake my ocd is telling me my things to obsess about. I have tried neurofeedback and psychology but it gets way to expensive paying out of pocket so I had to stop. I am 35 and on disability and I feel like such a failure. Wow I did not imagine my life to be like this. I still have a slew of symptoms but ocd is one of the main ones.

 

I was just wondering if there were buddies dealing with this like I am? I know distraction is key but when you have no motivation, no drive, and terrible fatigue all the time it is hard to do. thanks for reading and any support. take care 

Hello Pleasehelp7882,

 

I saw your question and comments that you are having OCD or Obsessive Thoughts, and put together some information that may be helpful. I am the type of person who seeks to know what is happening and why, it brings comfort to me. I hope it does the same for you.

 

These are well documented withdrawal and recovery symptoms. It is possible you do not have OCD. Just withdrawal and recovery symptoms.

 

 

“Recovery & Renewal: Your essential guide to overcoming dependency and withdrawal from sleeping pills, other 'benzo' tranquilizers and antidepressants” by Bliss Johns 2012

Symptoms From A to Z

Obsessive thoughts: repetitive, unwanted thoughts

 

Repetitive/Obsessive thoughts: thoughts persist and interrupt cognition, can’t stop unwanted thoughts going over and over in mind

 

Chapter 5 Managing Psychological Symptoms

 

Obsessive, Unwanted Thoughts

“This can be the most distressing symptom for some, especially in cases where the thoughts are scary or repulsive. I am aware of individuals who were told they had obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) only to later confirm that it was just a withdrawal symptom. The thoughts were withdrawal-induced, triggered by temporary neurological imbalances, and faded as recovery progressed.”

 

“Fighting the thoughts will not cause them to go away; attaching fear to the idea of having the thoughts or their content will intensify them. Accepting them as a symptom and acknowledging they are false is the first step.”

 

“If you are having obsessive thoughts, try not to give them too much energy. Don’t panic or even be surprised when they surface and don’t dwell on the content or the fact that it is happening. See if you are able to place them into the same category as you would a skin rash or any of the other physical symptoms.”

 

 

 

“The Ashton Manual” by Professor C. Heather Ashton, 2002

 

Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Symptoms:

Psychological Symptoms:

Obsessions: repetitive unwanted thoughts

“Obsessive traits may be temporarily increased during withdrawal and seem to reflect a mixture of anxiety and depression. These tend to settle spontaneously as anxiety levels decline.”

 

Mechanisms of withdrawal reactions.

 

“Drug withdrawal reactions in general tend to consist of mirror image of the drugs’ initial effects. In the case of benzodiazepines, sudden cessation after chronic use may result in tranquility being replaced by anxiety and panic. These reactions are caused by the abrupt exposure of adaptations that have occurred in the nervous system in response to the chronic presence of the drug. Rapid removal of the drug opens the floodgates, resulting in rebound over activity of all the systems which have been damped down by the benzodiazepine and are now no longer opposed. Nearly all the excitatory mechanisms in the nervous system go into overdrive and, until the new adaptations to the drug-free state develop, the brain and peripheral nervous system are in a hyper- excitable state, and extremely vulnerable to stress.”

 

 

You are not alone,

Summer 

Thanks Summermeadow! I think I will go dig that book back out. 

Hi Pleasehelp7882,

 

You're welcome. Bliss Johns book is wonderful. She has such calming and good things to say in that. I am happy to hear you have that book already. The fatigue, motivation and lack of interests is a symptom of recovery too. I have that big time today. I sometimes want to fight it and just feel well again eventhough I know the best way to handle it is to let it pass.

 

This is the most difficult thing I have ever done too. You are not alone. I found that reading here on BB to be helpful. It lets me know I am not alone, coloring in a coloring book is pleasant, watching a feel good movie or a childrens movie is helpful too.

 

Bliss Johns has some CD's in the back of the book and I have found several of those to be helpful to pass the time and work on relaxing.

 

How are you doing now? Are you feeling a little better knowing that you are okay and all of this is part of healing?

 

I hope so.

 

I am sending you my love,

Summer 

Summer,   

 

                I am doing a bit better now. I can be feeling one way and then turn around and feel a different way quick. Its like skitsophrenia(I know that spelling is prolly way off lol)

It truly is good to here it from someone that it is just another withdrawal symptom. Thanks for your time Summer!    love, joani

Hi PleaseHelp,

I developed OCD after doing the c/t thing from paxil.

Here is what has helped:

ashwagandha and probiotics.

I had noticed the OCD went away, mostly, while I was on probiotics, then when I was off of them,

it would creep back.

When I started ashwagandha, while not on probiotics, I noticed an improvement.

 

After going off klonopin (I've crossed over to valium) it tried to creep back, but reinstating

the probiotics has it mostly gone. I'm happy with that. If it's mostly gone, that's good enough

for me. Mostly equals 99 percent, by the way.

 

Custom Probiotics sells producs without additives, by the way. I searched high and low

to find them.

All my best,

Ig

Sending windows of healing your way

Thanks I am going to try those. Im ready to try anything within reason at this point. Have you heard of inositol? I took that a couple of times but stopped. Thanks again Ignatious!!

Hi Pleasehelp,

I take inositol, but in tiny doses as it is a complex sugar and bothers my tummy. I put some

in my soup.

There's a thread here somewhere on inositol.

It is calming...yeah.

All my best, and sending healing windows to you,

Ig

OCD?!! lol, I kno lots about OCD! wanna compare notes??!

Mustangsally, Is OCD pretty bad for you to right now? Could you pm me when you get a chance and tell me about it? What helps you deal with OCD??? Feels like I am going crazy sometimes!

Si yes, I've always been OCD, but taper/wthdrawal adds to it MUCHO! what you wanna know? You send me a pm and get me started lol.... I'll get obsessed about fixing your OCD an you'll have to block me to shut me up jejejeje

Hi MustangSally,

my OCD is mostly gone and it coincides with taking probiotics and ashwagandha,

but I think it's mainly the probiotics.

 

Feel good today,

and I'm sending healing windows to you,

all my best,

Ig

You may want to consider an antidepressant.  I had DEBILITATING OCD and had GREAT success on Effexor.

I am on celexa 20 mg and afraid to move up in dosage.

Haf u seen that movie with robin Williams? The fisherking?

I have seen that movie. What a wonderful movie that was!

That's how my OCD is in my head all the time, and I kinda did what he did, just accepted it and just ignored it, it helps a lot..instead of trying to stop it and letting it drive u crasssy, just note it, acknowledge it, file it as OCD, and move onto something I'm doing and thinking, as opposed to fight the OCD thoughts, just let em pass in by like cars on the highway.....it lessens ther hold on u a great deal....

Si yes, I've always been OCD, but taper/wthdrawal adds to it MUCHO! what you wanna know? You send me a pm and get me started lol.... I'll get obsessed about fixing your OCD an you'll have to block me to shut me up jejejeje

 

Lol...keep up that good sense of humor.  It helps to laugh!

I became sort of compulsive while on a benzo. And during withdrawal, it became outright OCD. I became obsessed with cleaning my house. And did so every single day. As my anxiety has started to lift, this tendency is lifting as well. What a relief! When it still happens, I make a mental note of it, sometimes "give in" to it, and sometimes not. I've found that when Im tired, its worse. Thank God Im sleeping better now!

east

Thanks MustangSally!                Hi Eastcoast , I am so glad to hear that you are sleeping better!

Si. Tryn to stop the thought never worked for me, too many thoughts, this make it much easier to deal with, also I was OCD before benzos, mines not a withdrawal, it's just amPlified by w/d.....if hrs is just w/ds it should go away with the withdrawals

I think I may have this is I am obsessed with taking my blood pressure. If i dont take it, the anxiety gets out of control.

Expresses itself in many different ways, that could be one, anything you obsess about

    I had it before my c/t off clonazepam, it was causing me to run a fever so I took my tempurature about every hour for a good 2 months...I'd argue with my doctor if she said my temp was normal..

I'm still not sure if I ever did have a temp, maybe it was all in my head...I was driving myself crazy..

 

It's gone now and nothing has taken its place..

 

Although I'm a little obsessed about expiration dates on food..