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QueenOfCrohns

2y ago

Struggling with OCD and Anxiety: Seeking Advice

Hi! Im a 20 year old woman and I’ve suffered from VERY severe OCD my entire life. I also have GED, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and ptsd. I currently take lorazepam as needed for my panic attacks and that’s it. I’m going to my primary care doctor soon to ask for daily anxiety meds because I’ve been struggling with a mental health crisis lately that’s made my anxiety a lot more severe and my school councilor told me I should do this. I’m looking for a specialized OCD therapist too because I firmly believe that’s the only way to treat OCD, but that’s very hard where I live. I’ve been on meds for my OCD before. I was on fluoxetine for years and it made my OCD worse, cause severe mood swings and suicidal thoughts. So I worry about going on any anxiety meds just randomly prescribed by a doctor. I’m going try to find a psychiatrist and therapist to get me on the right meds but that takes a long time. I need to do something in the meantime because of how urgent it is. So that’s why I’m going to my regular doctor. I don’t want to make my OCD, depression, or suicidal ideation any worse by starting a new med. Anyone out there with severe OCD who’s tried anxiety meds that felt safe/helpful?

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Thegeckoguy

2y ago

Hey sorry to hear that your mental health is so bad right now! I've suffered with it all my life as well and was diagnosed at 11 so I've dealt with it a long time as well. I was on zoloft for 15 years and on the highest dose allowed without being institutionalized for the last 3 years. Zolfot worked for me for those 15 years but being on the higher dose I eventually became used to it and it started not being as effective. I just recently switched to Luvox which is specifically tailored towards OCD and so far its working great. I would talk to your primary care physician and ask about being referred to a psychologist who can then help you further. These things take time unfortunately but in the mean time apps like NOCD can help you manage your OCD and help relieve some anxiety. Hope this helps!
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Janie

2y ago

Zoloft worked wonders for my anxiety and OCD!
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Cinnamon

2y ago

I have been struggling with meds too. I am working with my new psychiatrist right now because I am over-medicated and nothing is working. I’m not sure if you have considered it, and I know it’s not easily accessible for everyone, but Rogers Behavioral Health has a very well known ocd/anxiety residential treatment center. I was in their ED one but they helped me with my anxiety and ocd more than I thought was possible. It was severely debilitating but with the help I got it’s so much more manageable. Because unfortunately meds can only do so much :( they focus on exposure response prevention therapy and plenty of other therapists specialize in it too. Hoping all of the best for you ♥️
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royalty

2y ago

Yet*
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royalty

2y ago

I'm not taking any meds yeg but I have an app called NOCD that's easy to use and offers a lot of free things that you would normally have to pay hundreds of dollars for
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monsterflower

2y ago

Hi! I'm sorry you're having such a hard time, OCD is the absolute worst, it really took over my life for a long time. Meds are of course always going to work differently for different people, but I've personally had success with Lexapro. Didn't have any significant side effects other than some drowsiness, and that went away after about a week. After I'd been on that for a while, I started being able to fight my OCD in ways I'd never been able to before. My depression and day to day anxiety also decreased significantly. It's been a long, hard process so far, but I'm gradually getting better. Also in terms of an OCD therapist, have you looked into NOCD? Idk where in the world you are, but they offer virtual therapy in every US state and the UK as far as I know. I see one of their OCD therapists and she has helped me SO MUCH. If you're not able to access their therapists, they also have free online support groups and Q&As and lots of resources that you can access from anywhere in the world. The International OCD Foundation also has a directory of OCD specialists, so if you haven't already looked at that, I'd recommend searching for a therapist there! I really hope you find something that helps. Finding the right medications and therapist can be such a struggle, but I believe you can get through this and find what works for you. Best of luck ❤️ And let me know if you have questions!

The content in this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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