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The terrible 'what if': how OCD makes every day a matter of life or death

theguardian.com

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Re: The terrible 'what if': how OCD makes every day a matter of life or death

#41

Post by marchdown »

songzme wrote: post #8

I seriously wonder if OCD could be is created because of our lifestyle in society. Yesterday I went to a coffeeshop (creamery in SF) and there was this crazy bathroom where I had to scan a QR code to get in. The door automatically opened, I walked in, and it automatically closed behind me. When I washed my hands, the water faucet detects motion and it has a built in air dryer as well. When I'm done, I pushed a button…

I might offer some insight here. I’m slightly obsessive about not inconveniencing other people. I try hard to put things in their proper places, not to eat the last bite of anything without asking or being offered, not making noise, not leaving electronics in misconfigured states, not leaving my own stuff lying around, I could go on.

It’s worse than the few obsession I’ve had around my own preferences, because I lack the introspection when it comes to people other than myself. I don’t know if they are sensitive to this or that particular nuisance and my priors seem to be dialed up to eleven.

I end up trying not to be around other people do that I won’t fall into these obsessive patterns as often.

Re: The terrible 'what if': how OCD makes every day a matter of life or death

#42

Post by robbick »

rectang wrote: post #36
icebraining wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is that necessarily OCD? I do that sometimes, but I think it's just regular worries coupled with a poor memory (and inattentiveness), that leaves me often unsure if I really did something like lock the car door.

Wouldn't it make sense if all humans were along a continuum (possibly non-linear) with regards to OCD symptoms? Pick a point somewhere on that continuum; "normal" to the left, "OCD" to the right.

While this is somewhat true, it can easily lead to the idea that mental health problems aren't serious because they are just further along a scale than me.

We all have kidneys that don't work perfectly, so we are all on a continuum of kidney failure, however you'd describe some people as having kidney failure and others not, only a few people would be 'borderline'.

I appreciate that may not have been what you meant, just that your argument lies close to that kind of logic (though maybe by saying non-linear you mean to avoid this trap).

Re: The terrible 'what if': how OCD makes every day a matter of life or death

#44

Post by fb03 »

I am not gonna post this as anonymous, because I need to put this out of my chest: I am absolutely terrified of blood pressure being high/measuring it.

I was giggling (and almost crying) while reading the article, because putting it out into words makes it sounds really ridiculous, stupid, and obvious, but for us while we are following one of our 'mental stories', it feels very real.

I have the same stuff OP wrote about, but with blood pressure. I am absolutely terrified of 'having high blood pressure' because of traumas of the past, and stuff that was said to me that kinda stuck. I fear having my blood pressure measured and having that makes it go up as I try to measure it. It sucks and is really detrimental to my mental health.

I have anxiety and panic attacks. Whenever I feel uneasy or feel my heart beat faster and/or stronger in my chest, I think: "what if my blood pressure is severely high right now? that is why I am having these symptoms! what if... what if... what if..."

I have measured my blood pressure probably a million times and usually at the third reading it is fine (I need to measure 2-3 times because the first reading is always a little high, because I panic - heart rate goes up, my breathing gets strange). By the time I end my ritual, the blood pressure is always fine at 11-12/7 or 12-13/8, and I get relief for some days or weeks (the thought goes away).

I have also countless times doubted these good readings and thought 'what if by the time I just got this good reading it got back to being high? I don't know right now, it could be high right now?'. These doubts made me do insane things like measuring it all the time for some weeks (I'm past that phase, thank goodness).

I have also made my wife measure it while I sleep "just to make sure I really don't have high BP all the time" -- turns out, because I am sleeping and unaware I am about to be measured, my blood pressure readings (even the first one) are always good. I still can't let go of it...

Almost every time I go to cardiologist or anything related to heart/blood pressure, if the doctor approaches me to try to measure my BP, my anxiety goes off. And the reading is usually a little high. On rare occasions, if the doctor is understanding of my fear/condition and talks me out of it (and has patience), I get a good reading and that brightens my day up more than earning a million bucks.

Like I said, writing it out makes it sound so ridiculous to me, almost like a play. I just wish I wasn't cast to it...

'what if' is the true enemy.

PS: I jog 2km 5 times a week and swim 1.5km 3 times a week. I am still not convinced I am healthy and strong - if i get any palpitations from strenuous exercise "hey it could be my bp or my heart acting funny"

PS2: I have done multiple ekgs, dopplers, 24h ekgs, all fine. The only exam I haven't done yet is the '24h blood pressure readings' because guess what -- terrified of having that stuff stuck to my arm for a whole day.

Re: The terrible 'what if': how OCD makes every day a matter of life or death

#45

Post by stealthmodeclan »

I've OCD and i was on a verge of complete failure.

Untill a friend recommended me to try Ashwgandha (Withania somnifera)

After that my life completely changed positively.

I've lost my anxiety since then. I usually take it with a glass of milk.

Now, I've very less stress.

Re: The terrible 'what if': how OCD makes every day a matter of life or death

#46

Post by afarrell »

songzme wrote: post #8

I seriously wonder if OCD could be is created because of our lifestyle in society. Yesterday I went to a coffeeshop (creamery in SF) and there was this crazy bathroom where I had to scan a QR code to get in. The door automatically opened, I walked in, and it automatically closed behind me. When I washed my hands, the water faucet detects motion and it has a built in air dryer as well. When I'm done, I pushed a button…

> I wonder if someone who practiced true altruism would ever develop OCD. If I'm only focused on helping others without thinking about myself, would it be easier to let things go?

Sounds like a recipe for developing scrupulosity, not having/communicating personal boundaries, or both.

Re: The terrible 'what if': how OCD makes every day a matter of life or death

#47

Post by anibalfernando »

Hi. I have suffered from thinking about the future as something dangerous (a question of life or death) that is determined from each decision I make. It has helped me a lot: 1) The faith: what is going to happen, what should happen. And that to receive it as learning. A spiritual conception has let me not be so attached to life. Knowing that if death comes it has a meaning. And that there is a transcendence. 2) Do not manipulate with the intention of achieving my benefit. Giving meaning to the life of the common good. 3) Communicate: Talk about what happens to my family and friends. Do not keep it for me, expose me. 4) Put myself in the role that I should occupy: At work, as an employee. In my family, as a brother, as a son. With the doctor, as a patient ... This order helped me to a better social development and a greater simplicity in my mind. At the beginning, it cost me a lot to respect the treatment. I thought that I would not be able to develop professionally (I'm a systems engineer), and that I would lose intelligence. But with family help, with patience and learning to be more flexible, medication has been reduced to a minimum. It's a process that has taken me years (and I'm still in process). I appreciate everything that happened to me, because it has brought me many learnings.

Re: The terrible 'what if': how OCD makes every day a matter of life or death

#48

Post by tomhoward »

baccheion wrote: post #5

Memantine (5-10 mg) + selank. Add a multivitamin, D + K, and chelated/TRAACS magnesium supplement. Like AOR Ortho-Core (or Life Extension Two-per-day if too expensive), Life Extension D + K, and Doctor's Best High Absorption Magnesium. Can also add Doctor's Best DHA 500 and Doctor's Best Real Krill. Nutrient tests like NutrEval catch many deficiencies. And a comprehensive hormone panel (include thyroid panel). And ge…

I first tried this kind of thing over 10 years ago. In my experience, it gives initial benefits, followed by a relapse to an even worse state of ill health.

Mental illnesses are not just physiological in origin and cannot be treated as such.

They are a complex combination of physiological and emotional issues, and both must be addressed in step with one another for complete healing to occur.

Re: The terrible 'what if': how OCD makes every day a matter of life or death

#49

Post by gator-io »

I have had a close family member experience and recover from severe OCD. This was at UCLA's child and adolescent OCD program (which was amazing). Let me share what worked:

1) The program first prescribed SSRIs in order to reduce the child's anxiety enough to do the difficult work required.

2) Intense ERP (exposure response prevention) solo and in a group setting. The social aspect of being with fellow sufferers was critical.

3) Coming up with rewards for successful ERP sessions (not food related due to potential overeating)

4) Starting treatment as soon as possible. OCD has a tendency to get worse and harder to treat over time. I clearly saw the difference in treatment efficacy based on how long it took for the child to start treatment.

The link to the program is https://iocdf.org/clinics/ucla-child-adolescent-ocd-intensiv...

Re: The terrible 'what if': how OCD makes every day a matter of life or death

#50

Post by classichasclass »

I'm one of the "chronic checker" types. I used to be really bad about checking and rechecking door locks, particularly, but also the fridge and the garage. If I check absentmindedly and without intention, I'll have to do it all over again.

What really helped me get out the door in the morning, and still does, is actually to video myself doing it. When I got a Palm Zire 72, for the first time I could actually leave within a normal interval because I had a continuous, raw, time stamped record of everything I did from checking everything was off and secure to leaving the apartment and driving away. I refused to ditch the Zire until the iPhone 3GS because the 2G and 3G only did stills. To this day I still do it with my Pixel when I'm flying solo.

Which brings me to the other thing that helped: my very patient wife, who reminds me she saw me do it, you did it right, and get your butt in the car, darling.

The damnable thing about OCD is that a little is very valuable in my regular line of work (medicine). Without it I wouldn't be as careful, I don't think. It means it won't let me take shortcuts and it forces me to be thorough, and that's a very good thing in that business.

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