Coping with OCD symptoms: Need advice

Hey there, I have had OCD for.. oh god, 25 years now, and Effexor has been THE BEST drug I've taken for it. Honestly I've tried at least 8 others. But every brain is different. I still get overstimulated sometimes, either in a good ADHD way or a bad overwhelmed way. Maybe that's just YOU, part of who you are. I doubt it's the drug, I know it's part of me plus some ADHD and depression. But whether it's a side effect, ADHD or just part of who you are, but your OCD is great, just learn to know when something might be an overwhelming situation or your brain is becoming overwhelmed, and that's when you say i gotta walk away or take a break or we're done for today, and thats self care. Our world isn't made for all of our brain types. And especially in America, we think everyone has to be go go go and ready all the time. Know when to say I'm overwhelmed I need to stop now.

Hey! I also have OCD and take effexor! I take it for my depression and am on a high dose. I haven't really seen a difference with it impacting OCD at all. I take guanfacine for my OCD and tics and it helps a lot!

i would see a cognitive behavioral therapist, coping skills and calming techniques have helped me a lot. i will say that effexor made me feel like i was going crazy. i have tried several different medications for anxiety and depression, ptsd and ocd just in general, and effexor made me start to go wildly manic and overly depressive and not just my regular depression, i had been suicidal but it made me feel compulsively like i NEEDED to kill myself and i kept telling my dad what do i do i NEED to kill myself but i don't want to help me and it genuinely put me in the worst emotional hell i've ever experienced. but that's just my experience, everyone reacts to mental health medications differently. just monitor your symptoms very well, if you start feeling off in a bad way, stop them. i can't express how bad my experience on effexor was.

Hiya! OCD sufferer here. I've had it all my life and was officially diagnosed at 11 and here's what I can offer in advice. I was on Zoloft for 15 years and on the highest dose allowed for 3 of those years. I just recently switched meds to Luvox which is tailored towards those with OCD. You could ask you doctor if they recommend medicating any further and even request an evaluation by a psychologist for a more tailored opinion. OCD at its core wants to be in control of everything even things that it cannot control and then when it doesn't get what it wants it throws a temper tantrum. I highly suggest finding a therapist that specializes in OCD and asking about exposure therapy. If you slowly start chipping away at OCDs lack of logic it starts losing its power and over time you can learn how to suppress and in my case even guide OCD to things that don't have any effect on day to day life. OCD is not an easy disorder to have let alone deal with but there are ways and medications to make it more manageable and even live a normal healthy life with!