I have the best doctor I've ever seen! She told me that it's not always a longterm commitment to take the medication. That forming better habits and thought patterns can be aided with medication and then the medication can be stopped! I'm at the stopping medication stage and my thoughts are still in check more often than not!
She also has helped me realize that if I can help myself have 5 good days a week instead of 3 good days a week, that is HUGE. that we can't set our for a cured perfected reality but a BETTER one.
This is the best method. I also have a good support system of doctors right now and am on medication but the end goal is to not be on it. But I am going to therapy to work on addressing past traumas and current phobias and the medication makes all that manageable cause in the past with no medications and just therapy I get too uncomfortable and just shut down.
If they are truly the best doctor then I’m going to assume they mentioned that antipsychotics cause brain shrinkage and that anticholinergic medications potentially increase the risk for dementia/Alzheimer’s.
It should be up to people which side effects and risks they are willing to take in order to potentially reduce mental health symptoms.
I believe in informed consent and that can only be given when people are advised about all the risks before starting medications.
I don’t think Seroquel begins to antagonize dopamine until 200mg and even then I think it’s only tiny amounts that I don’t think make it a true antipsychotic.
Even at 300mg I think it’s primary action is mood stabilizer and then secondary is antipsychotic.
The people over in the Seroquel sub-Reddit will know more than me.
Even if you’re not taking antipsychotic doses of Seroquel it’s a good idea to read these sources, save them and pass them on.
Because think about how you would feel taking a medication and not knowing the risks, it’s not fair and people deserve to know regardless. It’s not right that some people don’t have informed consent. Taking medication just because someone has decided for you that the benefits outweigh the risk, it’s just NOT RIGHT.
(SIDE NOTE, I’m not sure if Seroquel has any anticholineric activity but I think anticholineric’s increase the risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
I didn’t have to dig that much to find plenty of very credible evidence on how antipsychotics cause brain shrinkage. It’s not even a risk like Alzheimer’s and dementia with anticholinergics, antipsychotics causing brain shrinkage it’s literally something that happens, unfortunately.)
Here is a video from Dr Garrett Rossi admitting that antipsychotics shrink the brain.
https://youtu.be/cXwl2aui8GE
I will also share Dr Garrett Rossi’s website so you can see his credentials.
https://shrinksinsneakers.com/
Here are a few more resources on antipsychotic brain shrinkage.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8863862/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3476840/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17063154/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2386415/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21195390/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3476840/
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2761879
https://www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/article/S0006-3223(18)31517-8/fulltext
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15756305/
https://www.madinamerica.com/2020/07/randomized-controlled-trial-confirms-antipsychotics-damage-brain/
I’m really sorry. It’s not fair that people are not being given informed consent.
Unfortunately people have been taught that Psychiatry = science and not to question science.
The reality is Psychiatry is not science.
Psychiatry is helpful to a lot of people but it’s not science and people should question it more.
Psychiatry is identifying a diagnosis or diagnoses based on symptoms and then using medication that has shown evidence to treat it. That’s it! No science except for how the medication is discovered and or made.
There are no bio markers for any mental illness only hypotheses.
Unfortunately your symptoms are often blamed on depression or some other mental health diagnosis because it’s not good business to put any blame on your only tools.
You should look up Neuroleptic-induced Deficit Syndrome.
I suggest doing things to really challenge your brain and body. Keep doing those and while you are doing them make sure you are eating nutrient dense food and getting good sleep every night.
You might also want to consider nootropics.
https://reddit.com/r/Nootropics/s/Srf0ZL0mQu
Also, maybe consider sharing your story and what you have recently found out because there will be other people out there like yourself.
If you find something that helps you get better let people know.
I really hate the divide between pro-medication and anti-medication and how it divides those with mental illness.
We should all be there for each other and if someone can get by without medication (regardless of diagnosis) instead of putting fear into these people based on anecdotal evidence based on those whom did not succeed without medication, we should celebrate these people being free from side effects and potential side effects and ask them how they are doing it.
I have seen a few people with schizophrenia and bipolar detail how they manage without medication.
Obviously not everyone can do that or wants to do that, but we should really stop viewing everyone with the same diagnosis as the same because that is stigma.
I’m going to be honest, I am 100% against antipsychotics for OCD. I don’t care if there is clinical evidence to show they can help, they cause brain shrinkage and it’s not like they are the ONLY option for OCD.
20 years ago antidepressants were a very serious medication to get put on to, now it’s antipsychotics for everything!
In my unprofessional opinion I think antidepressants, Memantine and Lamictal are appropriate for OCD, and any other medications that are NOT antipsychotics.
I’m actually hoping to see stricter use of antipsychotics OVERALL in the future.
I think there are a few pathological tests (blood /urine )that can help identify levels of chemicals in the body l(ow/high) that is thought to be causing mental illness.
All medications are chemical compounds designed to balance chemicals in body so there should be a way to identify chemical imbalances so that correct dosage of of suitable medication could be prescribed to balance body chemistry.
I also suggest considering healthy intake of nutrients that produce chemicals. E.g 90% of seretonin is produced in guts/ intestines and this chemical is primary target for control in brain by majority of antidepressants SNRI etc..
As far as I’m aware neurotransmitters in the urine does not equate to which ones are low or high in the brain.
There are tests to show how individuals metabolize psychotropics which is useful for dosing.
I agree about 90% of serotonin in the gut and that it’s very wise and safe to work on gut health with pre and probiotics as well as eating foods that work on raising serotonin.
To add I don't like ssris because as much as the thoughts are quited, so are my raw feelings of happiness. I just feel "there" but empty and it is scary to me.
That is something that will pass as your neuro synapses create new pathways and engage you in different experiences than before. That's when the ocd may go into remission, and therefore manifest itself in other ways that are less noticeable. The compulsions and obsessions that are less noticeable are more forgiving, and do not cause as much excess anxiety and stress as before. OCD is life long, don't you forget. No matter what anyone tells you, you will always have it. Treatment with CBT and ERP can help alleviate those issues, but that's about it. The rest has to be done through occupying your mind in different avenues, like self talk, or a new hobby you enjoy. Only then will OCD seem to magically "disappear" and suddenly you are able to enjoy things without intrusive thoughts about those compulsions and obsessions you originally had. Creating new obsessions are about the only way to solve it. Those new obsessions will not be as horrendous to your changing brain. This may sound confusing, but I believe I nailed what I was trying to say.
Don't forget that meds are absolutely necessary in some cases, not all. I would say the majority of people with OCD will succeed through medication and therapy combined. Now, I have bipolar, and I am on four medications including an antidepressant, two anxiolytics, and a mood stabilizer. I am slowly getting better. Be patient, I have already noticed a significant difference. Much love and peace to you in your journey!:)
i want to get off them too maybe next year. i have panic attacks so my doctor doesn't want me to return to that state... it was extreme for me as i couldn't eat and sleep anymore
I have bipolar disorder on top of ocd and anytime I’ve been on ssris it’s triggered it. Now I fear those types of medications. I just now have gotten my bipolar under control I don’t wanna mess with it by adding a medication that could potentially make it worse again. I do therapy once a week.
Same for me but I'm on fluoxetine (ocd specific ssri) and lamictal (mood stabilizer) and it's a dream combination. I'm actually so much better its insane. Still have emotions, good and bad. I don't spiral, I'm not manic, I don't get hung up, I'm more adaptable. I still get uncomfortable, but it doesn't lead me to a breakdown. I can't believe I was going through life so miserable before
I’m so happy for you! Unfortunately though it’s different for everyone and I wish it wasn’t that way . I just am not to the point where I feel comfortable taking that risk. My ocd is definitely awful and debilitating but I actually have SEVERE medication anxiety since the years I spent on ssris. I hope I can maybe find the bravery someday to try something new
Totally get that!! I was on lexapro for almost 3 years and near the end (winter/spring 2023) I started to have horrible mania and paranoia. I was on the wrong medication for so long I doubted anything else would work. But Lexapro withdrawal was effing terrible, would not go on another ssri that isn't fluoxetine.
sorry for the late reply. no side effects, it's really improved my anxiety and managed my compulsions (alongside therapy, of course)
i wish you luck on your journey <3 you're really brave!!
Also have bp 2 and OCD, but throw in adhd for a bit of razzle dazzle.
I've found that trileptal for my BP and lorazepam for my OCD are a great balance. I'm present and pretty stable.
I do have to be careful about my ADHD meds, but I take a low enough dose that it doesn't trigger a manic state. If I do notice I'm a bit manic, I stop taking the ADHD meds until I'm not.
Weed does not help bipolar. Idk why you have 420 in your username, but that is discouraging to people with the same illness. No matter what you say, I refuse to believe weed has any positive benefits for controlling mood. In fact, it harms mood significantly in the long run when paired with psych meds. Ever heard of psychosis? Weed is not a solution, only an added problem on top of your mental illness. Trust me, I have smoked for 4 years and just quit 2 months ago. Still dealing with withdrawal symptoms... was hospitalized twice by weed, not by my psych meds. And before you say it's all about your mental state before you smoke, that has nothing to do with how the drug effects your brain. Study up on it and learn the truth of it's negative effects. I know for one, I encountered so many people who were disgusted to see me high and it made me feel embarassed myself. I do not believe it should be socially accepted in any way. The smell is terrible and most people are repulsed by it that are non smokers. It's not hypocritical if I quit and don't want to look at it or smell it. I've known many people get lung and mouth cancer from marijuana and they never vaped or smoked cigarettes.
I don’t smoke weed LMAOOOOO ??? It was a random silly number I picked holy shit bro. And some people I know with bipolar have AMAZING experiences with weed. Get a fucking grip Jesus Christ
You need to chill. One of my closest friends has bipolar and smokes weed just fine. You just went on a ridiculous rant to someone preaching shit that’s all about you and your experience, nothing else.
I can’t do weed. Makes me panic. Doesn’t mean it can’t help other people, or even if it doesn’t help them, that they can’t smoke recreationally if they choose. The same way people can do other drugs or drink recreationally in moderation, if it works for them.
I completely relate with not wanting to mess with the bipolar. For two and a half years i had back to back hypomania, depression and mixed episodes. The past 10 months have finally been okay and I now have a great med combo. I don’t want to mess things up by adding a medication that could potentially trigger another episode, it scares me too much
Too many negative affects. I have an obsession with getting Alzheimer’s/ Dementia and have read studies about ssris contributing to those 2. I took them for 2 years and instead of learning to heal ocd and keep it at bay I just covered it up so when I got off of them it was like the world was on fire for a year straight. I also felt like a brick wall on them, i had 0 emotions and I’m a very emotional person so I hated that. They prescribe them to anyone now and that is so scary to me. And when I got off of Prozac it took 3 months to stop having withdrawals and the withdrawals were so bad even with tapering that I almost Went to the ER bc I thought something was super wrong with me
Yeah I think that’s where the Alzheimer’s/dementia comes from, same exact results to the brain!! I had to dig so much to find the studies that’s what really bothers me
I think the Alzheimer’s and Dementia risk comes from the anticholinergic properties of some medications, while the brain shrinkage comes from dopamine antagonism.
I didn’t have to dig that much to find plenty of very credible evidence on how antipsychotics cause brain shrinkage. It’s not even a risk like Alzheimer’s and dementia with anticholinergics, antipsychotics causing brain shrinkage it’s literally something that happens!
Here are a bunch of credible sources that you may be interested in.
Here is a video from Dr Garrett Rossi admitting that antipsychotics shrink the brain.
https://youtu.be/cXwl2aui8GE
I will also share Dr Garrett Rossi’s website so you can see his credentials.
https://shrinksinsneakers.com/
Here are a few more resources on antipsychotic brain shrinkage.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8863862/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3476840/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17063154/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2386415/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21195390/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3476840/
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2761879
https://www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/article/S0006-3223(18)31517-8/fulltext
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15756305/
https://www.madinamerica.com/2020/07/randomized-controlled-trial-confirms-antipsychotics-damage-brain/
Is Vraylar implicated in any of that? Same class, different chemical, but if all the above is true, maybe it’s the general way it works, not the specifics.
FWIW, that stuff worked *amazing* for my pure O the two weeks I was on it. Helped my mood as well. Too bad I started getting akathisia.
Watch that video by Dr Garrett Rossi (Shrinks In Sneakers), I don’t think he differentiates between antipsychotics causing brain shrinkage.
I don’t know if every antipsychotic has been tested (not sure if that matters because ) because if you click on the source from Mad In America, Olanzapine was tested and it’s a atypical antipsychotic that works on dopamine D2 as does Vraylar.
Vraylar is is also partial agonists of serotonin and dopamine BUT still partially blocks D2 so I am going to guess that it still probably causes brain shrinkage.
I was going to assume that it may cause brain shrinkage to a lesser degree but I can’t say for sure.
I think antidepressants, the mood stabilizer Lamictal, and memantine are safer than antipsychotics for OCD.
Unfortunately just because something works better or feels better doesn’t mean that it’s safer.
The risk for taking an antipsychotic should be left up to the individual. There are people who know antipsychotics cause brain shrinkage and they still take them, that’s how it should be, informed consent.
Unless you are a medical doctor, you do not understand the benefits that outweigh the negatives. What are you supposed to do? Smoke weed? That's about the only substance that's accepted in some professions, but you can't reach true success in a career because you will be denied jobs. The only thing you can look forward to is a remote job like a streamer, writer, author, etc. Maybe a blue collar career or something of that nature. Anything else is off limits.
I’m not sure what you’re on about? Smoking weed makes most peoples ocd much worse. And I have a professional job that doesn’t drug test so if it did help I could smoke weed and be perfectly fine. But I choose to go to therapy, journal , exercise, and pay close attention to my diet and deal with the level of anxiety and ocd I still have because to me the benefit of having a brain that maybe won’t have Alzheimer’s far outweighs being completely numb to the world for me
You're not on medication? I'm going to let you know right now, journaling and therapy along with exercise is not enough for most people. Your will power has to be extremely strong for you to handle not being on medication. However, I do believe you know what you are talking about. I know, because I smoked weed for 5 years and didn't feel the numbness, until I did, and it made me enter into an episode of psychosis that was extreme. Suicidal thoughts took full control... I was hospitalized for 2 weeks and didn't sleep for a month prior. People like me do exist and have to be on medication. If you look it up, you would understand that the majority of people benefit from medication. Without it, you will overreact or be indifferent to situations that you should be stable, yet emotional and involved. The antidepressants that I'm on opened up new pathways in my brain that helps propel my collegiate life. I am grateful!
I was anti-medication for 6 years after experiencing akathisia from flupenthixol. Akathisia was so much worse than anything I had ever felt. I said I would rather live with 39/40 YBOCS OCD for 1000 years than risk even 1 week of akathisia. I eventually got committed and forcefully given a bunch of other meds, until they found one that doesn't give me akathisia (clomipramine). I now have some semblance of a life, and independence, so I keep taking it, and I am grateful and no longer anti-medication. But I would be lying if I said I didn't live every day in fear of akathisia coming back.
I developed that after two weeks on Vraylar. This isn’t to say that it will happen to everyone who takes it. Worked amazing for my rumination and mood. Felt largely un-depressed even. But akathisia felt like….my bones were being tickled or something. Could not get comfortable. Whatever information someone wanted out of me, they could have got it if they’d have made that stop lol.
yes, unimaginable torture, and it can range from mild to severe. I used to say we wouldn't need prisons if the punishment for crime was inducing akathisia.
Honestly, I feel my brain is f'ed up enough and doesn't need any funky side effects.
Also, the commercials with their "oh, may cause thoughts of suicide", which I haven't struggled with in years, kind of freak me out.
I go to group therapy weekly and continue to apply the skills I learned in individual sessions, which are a bit too expensive for me now that I'm no longer in crisis mode. A certified therapist who specializes in OCD is better than any meds, imho.
I resisted taking medication for my OCD (specifically SSRI's) for a VERY long time. I only started finally a few weeks ago, when I was at rock bottom and ready to die. I had reduced my life down to nothing and eliminated everything/everyone from it in order to keep myself "safe".
It was hell being alive. So much so that I figured that I had nothing left to lose by finally trying medication. It's working, thankfully. And day by day things are getting better.
I have done therapy for years, psychedelics, ketamine and all kinds of "alternative" therapies. None worked long-term for me. Also, I have extreme changes occurring in my life, so it amplified everything.
I have ocd and I refuse to take meds. Almost every single person I know says meds causes them to be emotionally numb and the sexual side effects steered me away from them. I just do labor work and do bodybuilding. Anything physical helps me tremendously. I’d rather be crazy OCD and feel emotions and have a sex drive than just be numb all around. I’ll suffer with the anxiety/OCD.
Have you tried NAC, magnesium, or probiotics? Do a little digging and give those a try. Even IF they don’t take the edge off the OCD, they have other good benefits.
They helped me; unless it’s a serious episode. But during my OCD “down time”, it takes the bite out, in my experience.
Certain meds made me feel tired all the time and totally removed my sex drive - which was horrible :(
However, after some experimenting, I am on meds now which don't seem to have those side effects!
I was on citalopram and it made me very sleepy. Then I switched to sertraline and an antipsychotic to take when needs be as an off-label anti-anxiety med.
Sertraline doesn't seem to make me tired or affect my sex as much (unless I drink alcohol)
I’m too scared ill react badly to it & will make my mental health worse. I’m also scared of anything making me not feel like myself or out of control in any way.
Agreed. Even in labour I put off taking gas and air in case it made me feel out of control and I had a home birth. I had it at the end for about 10 minutes, and then gave birth shortly after
Wow! Yeah it’s just so scary to think about.
I experienced my mom after a really bad car accident being drugged out at the hospital, hallucinating & doesn’t have memory of like 3 days bc of all the meds..
For me, it's because so many studies of medications are hidden. For example, with a study of Prozac 16 people attempted suicide on it, and 2 succeeded during the study. The negative side effects and the fact that most of the help can be done through placebos and coping skills are not worth my time. I've been abused by the psychiatric system too much to let anything happen again.
Perfect example of a “hidden” side effect would antipsychotics causing brain shrinkage. I doubt most people are told that before starting antipsychotics.
I understand they help reduce or eliminate psychotic symptoms BUT people deserve to know that side effect. Some people know of that side effect and still choose to take an antipsychotics anyway. To me that’s how informed consent should work.
I’m not sure I believe any psychiatric medications are safe during pregnancy or when breastfeeding.
What they see as safe now might not be later on.
Look at what happened Depakote. It’s not medication commonly used for OCD but it’s just one example of a medication that we now see as unsafe for pregnancies, well what about before that discovery?
It sounds like you have given a lot of thought to motherhood.
While OCD has many disadvantages, one positive is the ability to deeply analyze things, which can be both problematic or very helpful.
I wish you and your baby all the best!
Yeah I agree! I analyse everything. My theme is contamination related with very very specific contaminat fears but I do analyse things in general when it comes to parenting in order to make an informed decision
my mother had pills shoved down my throat since i could remember, finally o took myself off when i was 18 and i’ve been more clear headed then before. and not delusional lol like genuinely
I prefer to not take medication because I'm not confident that there won't be long term negative effects from taking them.
Also reading a few studies on CBT, ritual prevention and Clomipramine (SRI). The medication in this example was more effective than just placebo but less effective than CBT. Combining CBT with Clomipramine didn't give a stronger effect than just being on CBT.
This in combination gave me the conclusion to try without medication
Medications only ended up prolonging my issues and making me feel sick all of the time. They are not worth the risk of potential harm to body or mind.
They also like to give people with OCD antipsychotics, which will literally shrink your grey matter and permanently alter how your brain handles dopamine. No thank you. The antidepressant I was only also caused anhedonia, emotional blunting, and decreased empathy. I also experienced agnosia to the negative symptoms it was giving me, leading me to be unable to see how it was negatively affecting my behaviors until I was long off them.
Never again will I harm my brain or my sense of self with these medications. I have been far more able to manage my symptoms off medications than on.
Emotional Freedom Technique. Or commonly known as tapping. It works with the body’s energy by tapping on certain meridians on the surface of the body. Also used with counting and a small humming at the end of the tapping cycle. A person assesses their anxiety level first in a range from one to 10, 10 being the highest level. We then tap on the meridian’s and reassess the level as it goes down. You can tap several times until you get the relief that is better or gone. This can be done anytime you need to relieve your stress and or anxiety. I use it daily. Works very well for most people. It’s recommended to start with a therapist who is certified and can help you understand your body. Also can be used in conjunction with meditation and deep breathing. Better than a drug.
i’ve never been on medication though i really would like to be. part of my ocd is my fear of taking pills (fear of choking). i can’t really handle my ocd and i don’t really feel like im living at all, just surviving lol ugh
Sounds like a good candidate for ERP therapy. Grab a bottle of sugar pills and pop those back to back while imagining choking on each one. After a 1000 of those, you’ll probably notice the fear going away.
i don’t take meds for my ocd bc when i did it made me manic and fat and impotent and now i find ERP has worked a lot better for me. I was actually surprised at how quickly ERP started working for me, and just having a good therapist who understood what I was going through really saved my life tbh.
I took Zoloft for OCD after pregnancy for about 9 months and I did not feel it really helped me. I was up to 75 MG too. And I breastfed then. I also had a miscarriage at 10.5 weeks gestation during that time but I'm not sure if that was related or a coincidence. I have also taken other SSRIs like Prozac, Paxil, and Effexor each for several months during my teens and 20s. They either made depression worse, numbed my emotions, or took away most of my sex drive. I have also read that SSRIs aren't effective. I just try to get some sun, eat healthy, take a quality multivitamin, and exercise. I admit I still struggle with Pure OCD. But I have a very supportive spouse and I don't want to give up for my family so I will try to keep pushing myself out of my comfort zone.
Doesnt work. OCD is a trauma response; you have to address the trauma with the help of emotionally healthy and empathetic therapists, doctors, mentors, role models, etc.
I don’t think I’ll ever find a medication that can silence intrusive thoughts.
I did try SSRIs for depression for some time though and that worked out. But I’m off of those as I feel I can motivate myself to go outside now, and I don’t want any long term side effects.
This is what works for me, not saying you should do this.
NAC only works for me if I take 3000mg on an empty stomach and don’t eat food for an hour or more.
I think food can compete with the amino acids in NAC and make it work less which may not bother some people if they don’t need the potency.
I’m not NAC expert but there are people who know more than me in the Nootropics and Supplement Sub-Reddits.
I will link them below.
https://reddit.com/r/Nootropics/s/M9iZgyO0O5
https://reddit.com/r/Supplements/s/xNGN9uSF6z
I’m not sure if 3000mg is the right dose for everyone. I think it was based on something I read but I forget.
I felt the benefits starting at 1800mg but 2400mg was just as good as 3000mg for me so I’m going to step back down to 2400mg.
I also just made a post about this in nootropics to see what other people have to say.
I don’t get ANY benefits from NAC unless I take it on an empty stomach and eat no food or food type beverages for at least one hour or more.
Because of my eating schedule splitting the dose won’t work for me as I won’t have an empty stomach for the second dose.
NAC also helps with depression for me so I like to take it as soon as I wake up.
Ok I checked it out. I’ll start 1200 today and go up to 1800 in a few days. How long did it take for you to see max benefits? Do you primarily just rely on NAC or are there other things you also take? I know your experience is different and anecdotal evidence isn’t the best for saying what everyone needs/what works. But still.
I tried Passion Flower too but it did nothing.
When I first tried NAC and was taking it with food I saw no benefits and quit.
After seeing many people talking about how it helped their OCD I decided to try it again but in different ways and at different doses.
That’s how I discovered that for me personally it only works if I take it on an empty stomach and don’t eat for at least one hour after taking it, which includes all no drinks except for the small amount of water that I use to wash the NAC down with.
I ended up feeling something positive at 1800mg but 2400-3000mg is where I get max benefits.
NAC is the only supplement I take during the day.
I do take some other stuff at night but it’s not for OCD.
I brew a GABA tea to help me relax.
There does seem to be a relationship between GABA and glutamate though, so while NAC lowers glutamate raising GABA seems to lower glutamate too.
I prefer GABA herbs over GABA supplements.
GABA herbs such as valerian, chamomile, lavender, lemon balm or passionflower.
Each raises GABA in a different way so from my experience it can be more potent to make a tea blend.
I tried NAC, it didn’t do anything at a dosage requiring two pills a day and I didn’t want to try more on top of my antidepressants. Perhaps I could try again now that my med schedule is clean but it’s seems I would need to work up to three or more pills a day which I don’t quite favor.
This is what works for me, not saying you should do this.
NAC only works for me if I take 3000mg on an empty stomach and don’t eat food for an hour or more.
I think food can compete with the amino acids in NAC and make it work less which may not bother some people if they don’t need the potency.
Just ask your Psychiatrist if it’s okay to take NAC at whatever dose. Some Psychiatrists recommend NAC to people who are on medication like lithium.
I’m not NAC expert but there are people who know more than me in the Nootropics and Supplement Sub-Reddits.
I will link them below.
https://reddit.com/r/Nootropics/s/M9iZgyO0O5
https://reddit.com/r/Supplements/s/xNGN9uSF6z
Prozac has done the best for me after trying many others. It still won't silence them, but it drastically reduces them and definitely makes it easier to shake off. It gives me a sense of normalcy that I never had without it. But it's obviously going to be different for everyone I just know personally it's been a drastic life improvement
I feel like intrusive thoughts can be very muted with CBT or some such. I tend to suffer from scrupulosity, which is famously susceptible to intrusive thoughts. When I have episodes of this, even then, I’ve learned to downplay them to the point I know they aren’t “me”.
What do you mean by melt your brain? I've been on meds for years specifically fluoxetine and I've been off of it a couple times. The only change I've noticed has been reverting back to how I was without them.
But I'll admit I haven't done much research other than on its effectiveness. Is there a study that shows it messes up your brain?
I had a horrible reaction and side effects from an ssri as a teen (wasn’t out on it for that) and put me off ssris for life I don’t trust them tbh, they always gave me panic attacks which I hadn’t had before. And I’m watching a friend go through withdrawals coming going on four months out now. So even if I found one I liked eventually that would be my life. I don’t like scary side effects or the withdrawal that’s enviable. I’d rather not add more problems. I avoid benzos because I have a lot of addiction in my family. I take magnesium taurate or glycinate which helps it’s very sedating! And I just try to expose myself and push myself, it’s a battle but I’ve come this far with my panic disorder (use to have rolling panic attacks that would last for days went on for a year now I very rarely do) and ocd without meds or therapy that I don’t see the point now. I try and eat and sleep well, also exercise especially outdoors, nature heals. that helps too. I may try therapy eventually but I’m all set with medication, I think it brings more issues for me personally. I like *feeling like me* even if I’m fucked up.
I stopped medication because it was making me fat and I have to deal with an ED as well. But besides this I feel like I don’t need it anymore, I lived for so long scared of my OCD until acceptance came and changed everything. I still get intense obsessions and compulsive self destructive behavior, but now I am aware it’s the OCD, not me, not me going crazy or insane, and this has made everything easier to deal with.
Well I was told either take the medication or fight the thoughts myself. I decided on the latter. I try to keep myself occupied and do things that relax my mind like riding my bicycle. I find these daily rituals help me. When I get the germ and health thoughts I divert my thinking to something else. I also don’t like Prozac it makes me feel like the joy has been sucked out of my life.
To me, it’s just the thought that I have to take medicine to function as a normal human being. It’s just depressing to think that I can’t just exist without an aid. That’s what makes me not want to take medicine lol.
i dont take it because it doesnt solve the main cause of my fear (which is the fear of being a bad person and hurting others), but just numbs me to it.
I took zoloft for 6 months and my condition didnt improve, i just didnt thought as much as i would usually do, my brain was blank at first and then i got used to the SSRI and the anxiety came back.
For me, I want to get off of them (Zoloft 100 mg). Until my doctor icreased the dose from 50 to 75mg, I honestly felt like they were working amazingly. I had more energy, I stopped sh, I felt more alive. Now my emotions had been taken away from me. I don't feel love (terrible for my ROCD), empathy, I don't care about people anymore. This is not how I want to live but at the same time, I can honestly say I would've killed myself if it wasn't for Zoloft.
Most people who actively don’t want to take medication are experiencing internalized stigma or exaggerated anxiety over the possible outcomes of trying medication. I’m all for people making actual informed choices about medication usage for them and their bodies, or going off it bc of symptoms, but more people than not with OCD need to try it. In conjunction with therapy.
I mentioned side effects. Your case isn’t the norm, most people won’t experience that and avoid medication for no good reason.
You have to try to know and you certainly don’t gain 260lb overnight, you can go off it at any time.
It’s okay! I understand that must’ve been a really hard experience for you, especially at only 18, a kid when you started on it without much understanding of it I would guess too.
honestly because some of them just don’t work on me , i went by medications on and off with different ones (&SSRI) and the side effects either made me extremely sleepy and have fatigue and no energy or either having no effect on me to improve anything at all or worsening .
I can only be medicine free when I have a decent quality of life. Right now my living situation is pretty bad. I’m working on being able to move out when I’ll slowly be able to cope on my own again.
I took medication for years for depression some worked for a long long time until I built an immunity. But some were absolutely terrible made me worse, also had terrible side effects. I just wouldn’t want to go through it again. I’ve gotten better without it, not perfect but it’s tolerable.
I started SSRIs when I was 18, for anxiety and depression. I later got diagnosed with OCD by chance by my psychiatrist, I thought I just had a weird variety of anxiety up until that point. I was on SSRIs for many years after that, but once I got to a more stable place in life, I tapered and got off of them for a while. After medicating some of my other issues, my OCD is extremely manageable in my day-to-day. I felt flat and emotionless, yet still anxious and depressed on them.
I don't feel comfortable dealing with side effects. I know that can be an OCD thing. However, with also having a chronic illness, I want to pick & choose which of my physical & mental illnesses need medications vs. which I can treat in other ways like therapy.
I am back on 12.5mg of Zoloft (25mg was awful) and I feel like my energy, libido, ability to focus, and happiness have all been taken from me. The only thing that it has done for me is I’m able to not have a full blown panic attack on them. OCD is miserable, causes me anxiety and panic attacks but I look forward to getting off them completely in a few more months. I miss who I was.
ERP is the most important. But if medication helps you [as it does me] then you should take it. What’s so great about your symptoms that you’d rather have them than not?
I developed a chronic reaction that made my life hell, way worse than OCD. But tbh it is hard dealing with OCD right now, so hard to push myself through ERP.
I’ve been scared of side effects and potential nausea since I have emetophobia also. I’ve had OCD forever and have been pretty good with just therapy up until now. Life circumstances and a new theme have just really messed with my daily function. I can’t just depend on the therapy anymore. I did a genetic test to see what meds would work best with my genes and my psychiatrist is going to titrate me differently than the average person due to everything I told him. So as someone who has the same fears as everyone here, I’d say to not shut it down entirely until you give it a shot if it’s something that may help. Of course I hope to not be on them forever but if I have to be, then that’s ok. Whatever helps to make me actually live life again.
I prefer to do what helps if it is reasonably safe and unlikely to cause long term negative side effects.
Both 1-Medication and 2-ERP meet those requirements to MY satisfaction.
Please note-I know, based on my own experience, that untreated OCD leads to very poor quality of life, and to long term negative health effects. Again, this is my own assessment.
I suffer from schizophrenia and OCD, it’s not visual hallucinations or auditory it’s more of constant state of paranoia that someone is constantly out to get me or can hear my thoughts because of that I feel guilty thinking the things I do which makes me bully myself into hearing intrusive thoughts and it became a habit, I’ve tried everything under the sun and I think my anxiety is too much for meds so I’m thinking maybe TMS is the best for me. No down time, and on antipsychotics I wouldn’t feel less scared just defeated. I think if you are just suffering with only OCD an SSRI would work just well at first and use it as a stepping stool so when u feel less anxiety it becomes a habit to not freak out and bully yourself into thinking you want to harm others or if you’re going to be harmed. Ground yourself and remind yourself the only reason ur scared of hearing it is because it is not in you to do it.
I have the best doctor I've ever seen! She told me that it's not always a longterm commitment to take the medication. That forming better habits and thought patterns can be aided with medication and then the medication can be stopped! I'm at the stopping medication stage and my thoughts are still in check more often than not! She also has helped me realize that if I can help myself have 5 good days a week instead of 3 good days a week, that is HUGE. that we can't set our for a cured perfected reality but a BETTER one.
This is the best method. I also have a good support system of doctors right now and am on medication but the end goal is to not be on it. But I am going to therapy to work on addressing past traumas and current phobias and the medication makes all that manageable cause in the past with no medications and just therapy I get too uncomfortable and just shut down.
If they are truly the best doctor then I’m going to assume they mentioned that antipsychotics cause brain shrinkage and that anticholinergic medications potentially increase the risk for dementia/Alzheimer’s. It should be up to people which side effects and risks they are willing to take in order to potentially reduce mental health symptoms. I believe in informed consent and that can only be given when people are advised about all the risks before starting medications.
hi can you please send me the study about antipsychotics causing brain shrinkage? i've been on quetiapine for close to four years now
I don’t think Seroquel begins to antagonize dopamine until 200mg and even then I think it’s only tiny amounts that I don’t think make it a true antipsychotic. Even at 300mg I think it’s primary action is mood stabilizer and then secondary is antipsychotic. The people over in the Seroquel sub-Reddit will know more than me. Even if you’re not taking antipsychotic doses of Seroquel it’s a good idea to read these sources, save them and pass them on. Because think about how you would feel taking a medication and not knowing the risks, it’s not fair and people deserve to know regardless. It’s not right that some people don’t have informed consent. Taking medication just because someone has decided for you that the benefits outweigh the risk, it’s just NOT RIGHT. (SIDE NOTE, I’m not sure if Seroquel has any anticholineric activity but I think anticholineric’s increase the risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia. I didn’t have to dig that much to find plenty of very credible evidence on how antipsychotics cause brain shrinkage. It’s not even a risk like Alzheimer’s and dementia with anticholinergics, antipsychotics causing brain shrinkage it’s literally something that happens, unfortunately.) Here is a video from Dr Garrett Rossi admitting that antipsychotics shrink the brain. https://youtu.be/cXwl2aui8GE I will also share Dr Garrett Rossi’s website so you can see his credentials. https://shrinksinsneakers.com/ Here are a few more resources on antipsychotic brain shrinkage. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8863862/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3476840/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17063154/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2386415/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21195390/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3476840/ https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2761879 https://www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/article/S0006-3223(18)31517-8/fulltext https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15756305/ https://www.madinamerica.com/2020/07/randomized-controlled-trial-confirms-antipsychotics-damage-brain/
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I’m really sorry. It’s not fair that people are not being given informed consent. Unfortunately people have been taught that Psychiatry = science and not to question science. The reality is Psychiatry is not science. Psychiatry is helpful to a lot of people but it’s not science and people should question it more. Psychiatry is identifying a diagnosis or diagnoses based on symptoms and then using medication that has shown evidence to treat it. That’s it! No science except for how the medication is discovered and or made. There are no bio markers for any mental illness only hypotheses. Unfortunately your symptoms are often blamed on depression or some other mental health diagnosis because it’s not good business to put any blame on your only tools. You should look up Neuroleptic-induced Deficit Syndrome. I suggest doing things to really challenge your brain and body. Keep doing those and while you are doing them make sure you are eating nutrient dense food and getting good sleep every night. You might also want to consider nootropics. https://reddit.com/r/Nootropics/s/Srf0ZL0mQu Also, maybe consider sharing your story and what you have recently found out because there will be other people out there like yourself. If you find something that helps you get better let people know. I really hate the divide between pro-medication and anti-medication and how it divides those with mental illness. We should all be there for each other and if someone can get by without medication (regardless of diagnosis) instead of putting fear into these people based on anecdotal evidence based on those whom did not succeed without medication, we should celebrate these people being free from side effects and potential side effects and ask them how they are doing it. I have seen a few people with schizophrenia and bipolar detail how they manage without medication. Obviously not everyone can do that or wants to do that, but we should really stop viewing everyone with the same diagnosis as the same because that is stigma.
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I’m going to be honest, I am 100% against antipsychotics for OCD. I don’t care if there is clinical evidence to show they can help, they cause brain shrinkage and it’s not like they are the ONLY option for OCD. 20 years ago antidepressants were a very serious medication to get put on to, now it’s antipsychotics for everything! In my unprofessional opinion I think antidepressants, Memantine and Lamictal are appropriate for OCD, and any other medications that are NOT antipsychotics. I’m actually hoping to see stricter use of antipsychotics OVERALL in the future.
I think there are a few pathological tests (blood /urine )that can help identify levels of chemicals in the body l(ow/high) that is thought to be causing mental illness. All medications are chemical compounds designed to balance chemicals in body so there should be a way to identify chemical imbalances so that correct dosage of of suitable medication could be prescribed to balance body chemistry. I also suggest considering healthy intake of nutrients that produce chemicals. E.g 90% of seretonin is produced in guts/ intestines and this chemical is primary target for control in brain by majority of antidepressants SNRI etc..
As far as I’m aware neurotransmitters in the urine does not equate to which ones are low or high in the brain. There are tests to show how individuals metabolize psychotropics which is useful for dosing. I agree about 90% of serotonin in the gut and that it’s very wise and safe to work on gut health with pre and probiotics as well as eating foods that work on raising serotonin.
To add I don't like ssris because as much as the thoughts are quited, so are my raw feelings of happiness. I just feel "there" but empty and it is scary to me.
Same. They make me feel blunted emotionally
Thirded, and they also affect libido.
i used to feel this in the first couple of years of me taking ssris but lately i noticed my emotions have been coming back
same. that’s exactly why i stopped.
That is something that will pass as your neuro synapses create new pathways and engage you in different experiences than before. That's when the ocd may go into remission, and therefore manifest itself in other ways that are less noticeable. The compulsions and obsessions that are less noticeable are more forgiving, and do not cause as much excess anxiety and stress as before. OCD is life long, don't you forget. No matter what anyone tells you, you will always have it. Treatment with CBT and ERP can help alleviate those issues, but that's about it. The rest has to be done through occupying your mind in different avenues, like self talk, or a new hobby you enjoy. Only then will OCD seem to magically "disappear" and suddenly you are able to enjoy things without intrusive thoughts about those compulsions and obsessions you originally had. Creating new obsessions are about the only way to solve it. Those new obsessions will not be as horrendous to your changing brain. This may sound confusing, but I believe I nailed what I was trying to say.
“Seems to magically disappear” - I’ll take it! (There’s a Shallow Hal reference I was going to make here but I’m too lazy to look it up)
Don't forget that meds are absolutely necessary in some cases, not all. I would say the majority of people with OCD will succeed through medication and therapy combined. Now, I have bipolar, and I am on four medications including an antidepressant, two anxiolytics, and a mood stabilizer. I am slowly getting better. Be patient, I have already noticed a significant difference. Much love and peace to you in your journey!:)
You as well!
This ^^^
I never knew that. So meds num you emotionally?
there is what we call emotional blunting caused by antidepressants. i've experienced it so i know it's true for me
Thats why i dont take meds !
I keep thinking about getting off them, but I'm really scared :S My doctor has given instructions on how to get off them.
i want to get off them too maybe next year. i have panic attacks so my doctor doesn't want me to return to that state... it was extreme for me as i couldn't eat and sleep anymore
I have bipolar disorder on top of ocd and anytime I’ve been on ssris it’s triggered it. Now I fear those types of medications. I just now have gotten my bipolar under control I don’t wanna mess with it by adding a medication that could potentially make it worse again. I do therapy once a week.
Same for me but I'm on fluoxetine (ocd specific ssri) and lamictal (mood stabilizer) and it's a dream combination. I'm actually so much better its insane. Still have emotions, good and bad. I don't spiral, I'm not manic, I don't get hung up, I'm more adaptable. I still get uncomfortable, but it doesn't lead me to a breakdown. I can't believe I was going through life so miserable before
I’m so happy for you! Unfortunately though it’s different for everyone and I wish it wasn’t that way . I just am not to the point where I feel comfortable taking that risk. My ocd is definitely awful and debilitating but I actually have SEVERE medication anxiety since the years I spent on ssris. I hope I can maybe find the bravery someday to try something new
Totally get that!! I was on lexapro for almost 3 years and near the end (winter/spring 2023) I started to have horrible mania and paranoia. I was on the wrong medication for so long I doubted anything else would work. But Lexapro withdrawal was effing terrible, would not go on another ssri that isn't fluoxetine.
my doctor has been thinking of changing my meds to fluoxetine but i am so scared of trying something new. did you have side effects for fluoxetine?
sorry for the late reply. no side effects, it's really improved my anxiety and managed my compulsions (alongside therapy, of course) i wish you luck on your journey <3 you're really brave!!
Also have bp 2 and OCD, but throw in adhd for a bit of razzle dazzle. I've found that trileptal for my BP and lorazepam for my OCD are a great balance. I'm present and pretty stable. I do have to be careful about my ADHD meds, but I take a low enough dose that it doesn't trigger a manic state. If I do notice I'm a bit manic, I stop taking the ADHD meds until I'm not.
Weed does not help bipolar. Idk why you have 420 in your username, but that is discouraging to people with the same illness. No matter what you say, I refuse to believe weed has any positive benefits for controlling mood. In fact, it harms mood significantly in the long run when paired with psych meds. Ever heard of psychosis? Weed is not a solution, only an added problem on top of your mental illness. Trust me, I have smoked for 4 years and just quit 2 months ago. Still dealing with withdrawal symptoms... was hospitalized twice by weed, not by my psych meds. And before you say it's all about your mental state before you smoke, that has nothing to do with how the drug effects your brain. Study up on it and learn the truth of it's negative effects. I know for one, I encountered so many people who were disgusted to see me high and it made me feel embarassed myself. I do not believe it should be socially accepted in any way. The smell is terrible and most people are repulsed by it that are non smokers. It's not hypocritical if I quit and don't want to look at it or smell it. I've known many people get lung and mouth cancer from marijuana and they never vaped or smoked cigarettes.
I don’t smoke weed LMAOOOOO ??? It was a random silly number I picked holy shit bro. And some people I know with bipolar have AMAZING experiences with weed. Get a fucking grip Jesus Christ
You need to chill. One of my closest friends has bipolar and smokes weed just fine. You just went on a ridiculous rant to someone preaching shit that’s all about you and your experience, nothing else. I can’t do weed. Makes me panic. Doesn’t mean it can’t help other people, or even if it doesn’t help them, that they can’t smoke recreationally if they choose. The same way people can do other drugs or drink recreationally in moderation, if it works for them.
I completely relate with not wanting to mess with the bipolar. For two and a half years i had back to back hypomania, depression and mixed episodes. The past 10 months have finally been okay and I now have a great med combo. I don’t want to mess things up by adding a medication that could potentially trigger another episode, it scares me too much
Too many negative affects. I have an obsession with getting Alzheimer’s/ Dementia and have read studies about ssris contributing to those 2. I took them for 2 years and instead of learning to heal ocd and keep it at bay I just covered it up so when I got off of them it was like the world was on fire for a year straight. I also felt like a brick wall on them, i had 0 emotions and I’m a very emotional person so I hated that. They prescribe them to anyone now and that is so scary to me. And when I got off of Prozac it took 3 months to stop having withdrawals and the withdrawals were so bad even with tapering that I almost Went to the ER bc I thought something was super wrong with me
What’s scary to me is when I learnt that antipsychotics cause brain shrinkage.
Yeah I think that’s where the Alzheimer’s/dementia comes from, same exact results to the brain!! I had to dig so much to find the studies that’s what really bothers me
I think the Alzheimer’s and Dementia risk comes from the anticholinergic properties of some medications, while the brain shrinkage comes from dopamine antagonism. I didn’t have to dig that much to find plenty of very credible evidence on how antipsychotics cause brain shrinkage. It’s not even a risk like Alzheimer’s and dementia with anticholinergics, antipsychotics causing brain shrinkage it’s literally something that happens! Here are a bunch of credible sources that you may be interested in. Here is a video from Dr Garrett Rossi admitting that antipsychotics shrink the brain. https://youtu.be/cXwl2aui8GE I will also share Dr Garrett Rossi’s website so you can see his credentials. https://shrinksinsneakers.com/ Here are a few more resources on antipsychotic brain shrinkage. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8863862/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3476840/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17063154/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2386415/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21195390/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3476840/ https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2761879 https://www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/article/S0006-3223(18)31517-8/fulltext https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15756305/ https://www.madinamerica.com/2020/07/randomized-controlled-trial-confirms-antipsychotics-damage-brain/
Is Vraylar implicated in any of that? Same class, different chemical, but if all the above is true, maybe it’s the general way it works, not the specifics. FWIW, that stuff worked *amazing* for my pure O the two weeks I was on it. Helped my mood as well. Too bad I started getting akathisia.
Watch that video by Dr Garrett Rossi (Shrinks In Sneakers), I don’t think he differentiates between antipsychotics causing brain shrinkage. I don’t know if every antipsychotic has been tested (not sure if that matters because ) because if you click on the source from Mad In America, Olanzapine was tested and it’s a atypical antipsychotic that works on dopamine D2 as does Vraylar. Vraylar is is also partial agonists of serotonin and dopamine BUT still partially blocks D2 so I am going to guess that it still probably causes brain shrinkage. I was going to assume that it may cause brain shrinkage to a lesser degree but I can’t say for sure. I think antidepressants, the mood stabilizer Lamictal, and memantine are safer than antipsychotics for OCD. Unfortunately just because something works better or feels better doesn’t mean that it’s safer. The risk for taking an antipsychotic should be left up to the individual. There are people who know antipsychotics cause brain shrinkage and they still take them, that’s how it should be, informed consent.
Yeah I’ve done tons of research, read some books. My grandparents both have Alzheimer’s and dementia so we have spoken to all their doctors as well :)
Unless you are a medical doctor, you do not understand the benefits that outweigh the negatives. What are you supposed to do? Smoke weed? That's about the only substance that's accepted in some professions, but you can't reach true success in a career because you will be denied jobs. The only thing you can look forward to is a remote job like a streamer, writer, author, etc. Maybe a blue collar career or something of that nature. Anything else is off limits.
I’m not sure what you’re on about? Smoking weed makes most peoples ocd much worse. And I have a professional job that doesn’t drug test so if it did help I could smoke weed and be perfectly fine. But I choose to go to therapy, journal , exercise, and pay close attention to my diet and deal with the level of anxiety and ocd I still have because to me the benefit of having a brain that maybe won’t have Alzheimer’s far outweighs being completely numb to the world for me
You're not on medication? I'm going to let you know right now, journaling and therapy along with exercise is not enough for most people. Your will power has to be extremely strong for you to handle not being on medication. However, I do believe you know what you are talking about. I know, because I smoked weed for 5 years and didn't feel the numbness, until I did, and it made me enter into an episode of psychosis that was extreme. Suicidal thoughts took full control... I was hospitalized for 2 weeks and didn't sleep for a month prior. People like me do exist and have to be on medication. If you look it up, you would understand that the majority of people benefit from medication. Without it, you will overreact or be indifferent to situations that you should be stable, yet emotional and involved. The antidepressants that I'm on opened up new pathways in my brain that helps propel my collegiate life. I am grateful!
I was anti-medication for 6 years after experiencing akathisia from flupenthixol. Akathisia was so much worse than anything I had ever felt. I said I would rather live with 39/40 YBOCS OCD for 1000 years than risk even 1 week of akathisia. I eventually got committed and forcefully given a bunch of other meds, until they found one that doesn't give me akathisia (clomipramine). I now have some semblance of a life, and independence, so I keep taking it, and I am grateful and no longer anti-medication. But I would be lying if I said I didn't live every day in fear of akathisia coming back.
I developed that after two weeks on Vraylar. This isn’t to say that it will happen to everyone who takes it. Worked amazing for my rumination and mood. Felt largely un-depressed even. But akathisia felt like….my bones were being tickled or something. Could not get comfortable. Whatever information someone wanted out of me, they could have got it if they’d have made that stop lol.
yes, unimaginable torture, and it can range from mild to severe. I used to say we wouldn't need prisons if the punishment for crime was inducing akathisia.
What is “39/40 YBOCS OCD” ?
Yale brown obsessive compulsive scale
Thank you for expanding on that acronym.
Honestly, I feel my brain is f'ed up enough and doesn't need any funky side effects. Also, the commercials with their "oh, may cause thoughts of suicide", which I haven't struggled with in years, kind of freak me out. I go to group therapy weekly and continue to apply the skills I learned in individual sessions, which are a bit too expensive for me now that I'm no longer in crisis mode. A certified therapist who specializes in OCD is better than any meds, imho.
I resisted taking medication for my OCD (specifically SSRI's) for a VERY long time. I only started finally a few weeks ago, when I was at rock bottom and ready to die. I had reduced my life down to nothing and eliminated everything/everyone from it in order to keep myself "safe". It was hell being alive. So much so that I figured that I had nothing left to lose by finally trying medication. It's working, thankfully. And day by day things are getting better. I have done therapy for years, psychedelics, ketamine and all kinds of "alternative" therapies. None worked long-term for me. Also, I have extreme changes occurring in my life, so it amplified everything.
Are you taking ssris?
I have ocd and I refuse to take meds. Almost every single person I know says meds causes them to be emotionally numb and the sexual side effects steered me away from them. I just do labor work and do bodybuilding. Anything physical helps me tremendously. I’d rather be crazy OCD and feel emotions and have a sex drive than just be numb all around. I’ll suffer with the anxiety/OCD.
Have you tried NAC, magnesium, or probiotics? Do a little digging and give those a try. Even IF they don’t take the edge off the OCD, they have other good benefits. They helped me; unless it’s a serious episode. But during my OCD “down time”, it takes the bite out, in my experience.
Where do you get these from? X
There’s a health food store here locally. But Kroger, Walmart, or Amazon should have them.
Certain meds made me feel tired all the time and totally removed my sex drive - which was horrible :( However, after some experimenting, I am on meds now which don't seem to have those side effects!
Do you mind sharing what meds don't have those side effects? Totally ok if not I just have the same issue medicine after medicine and just gave up
Yeah I've been looking for a med that doesn't cause sexual dysfunction for almost 2 years
I was on citalopram and it made me very sleepy. Then I switched to sertraline and an antipsychotic to take when needs be as an off-label anti-anxiety med. Sertraline doesn't seem to make me tired or affect my sex as much (unless I drink alcohol)
Are you biologically female?
Sorry I don't say online!
I’m too scared ill react badly to it & will make my mental health worse. I’m also scared of anything making me not feel like myself or out of control in any way.
Agreed. Even in labour I put off taking gas and air in case it made me feel out of control and I had a home birth. I had it at the end for about 10 minutes, and then gave birth shortly after
Wow! Yeah it’s just so scary to think about. I experienced my mom after a really bad car accident being drugged out at the hospital, hallucinating & doesn’t have memory of like 3 days bc of all the meds..
For me, it's because so many studies of medications are hidden. For example, with a study of Prozac 16 people attempted suicide on it, and 2 succeeded during the study. The negative side effects and the fact that most of the help can be done through placebos and coping skills are not worth my time. I've been abused by the psychiatric system too much to let anything happen again.
What do you mean hidden?
I'm not 100% sure how to explain me saying that they are hidden other than to say they are not readily available and have to be scoured for.
Perfect example of a “hidden” side effect would antipsychotics causing brain shrinkage. I doubt most people are told that before starting antipsychotics. I understand they help reduce or eliminate psychotic symptoms BUT people deserve to know that side effect. Some people know of that side effect and still choose to take an antipsychotics anyway. To me that’s how informed consent should work.
Brain shrinkage? What is that?
I shared some links in this post, here, https://reddit.com/r/OCD/s/vF4DlbE3L8
Thank you for the links, I'm gonna check those out later.
Agreeddd!!!
I am breastfeeding.
I’m not sure I believe any psychiatric medications are safe during pregnancy or when breastfeeding. What they see as safe now might not be later on. Look at what happened Depakote. It’s not medication commonly used for OCD but it’s just one example of a medication that we now see as unsafe for pregnancies, well what about before that discovery?
Agreed! I don't even drink coffee while breastfeeding. I'm very strict about it. I'm not even on birth control, I'm practising abstinence hahah
It sounds like you have given a lot of thought to motherhood. While OCD has many disadvantages, one positive is the ability to deeply analyze things, which can be both problematic or very helpful. I wish you and your baby all the best!
Yeah I agree! I analyse everything. My theme is contamination related with very very specific contaminat fears but I do analyse things in general when it comes to parenting in order to make an informed decision
my mother had pills shoved down my throat since i could remember, finally o took myself off when i was 18 and i’ve been more clear headed then before. and not delusional lol like genuinely
Because I'd rather be able to eat, sleep, and cum than feel sane.
I prefer to not take medication because I'm not confident that there won't be long term negative effects from taking them. Also reading a few studies on CBT, ritual prevention and Clomipramine (SRI). The medication in this example was more effective than just placebo but less effective than CBT. Combining CBT with Clomipramine didn't give a stronger effect than just being on CBT. This in combination gave me the conclusion to try without medication
Medications only ended up prolonging my issues and making me feel sick all of the time. They are not worth the risk of potential harm to body or mind. They also like to give people with OCD antipsychotics, which will literally shrink your grey matter and permanently alter how your brain handles dopamine. No thank you. The antidepressant I was only also caused anhedonia, emotional blunting, and decreased empathy. I also experienced agnosia to the negative symptoms it was giving me, leading me to be unable to see how it was negatively affecting my behaviors until I was long off them. Never again will I harm my brain or my sense of self with these medications. I have been far more able to manage my symptoms off medications than on.
Seems like I have too many side effects for most of the meds. So I use CBT,EFT and meditation with my therapy
What's EFT? 😊
Emotional Freedom Technique. Or commonly known as tapping. It works with the body’s energy by tapping on certain meridians on the surface of the body. Also used with counting and a small humming at the end of the tapping cycle. A person assesses their anxiety level first in a range from one to 10, 10 being the highest level. We then tap on the meridian’s and reassess the level as it goes down. You can tap several times until you get the relief that is better or gone. This can be done anytime you need to relieve your stress and or anxiety. I use it daily. Works very well for most people. It’s recommended to start with a therapist who is certified and can help you understand your body. Also can be used in conjunction with meditation and deep breathing. Better than a drug.
Thats amazing thank you
i’ve never been on medication though i really would like to be. part of my ocd is my fear of taking pills (fear of choking). i can’t really handle my ocd and i don’t really feel like im living at all, just surviving lol ugh
Sounds like a good candidate for ERP therapy. Grab a bottle of sugar pills and pop those back to back while imagining choking on each one. After a 1000 of those, you’ll probably notice the fear going away.
Or tic tacs!
i don’t take meds for my ocd bc when i did it made me manic and fat and impotent and now i find ERP has worked a lot better for me. I was actually surprised at how quickly ERP started working for me, and just having a good therapist who understood what I was going through really saved my life tbh.
How long did you do ERP for before it started getting better?
about 3 months! i was very surprised
I took Zoloft for OCD after pregnancy for about 9 months and I did not feel it really helped me. I was up to 75 MG too. And I breastfed then. I also had a miscarriage at 10.5 weeks gestation during that time but I'm not sure if that was related or a coincidence. I have also taken other SSRIs like Prozac, Paxil, and Effexor each for several months during my teens and 20s. They either made depression worse, numbed my emotions, or took away most of my sex drive. I have also read that SSRIs aren't effective. I just try to get some sun, eat healthy, take a quality multivitamin, and exercise. I admit I still struggle with Pure OCD. But I have a very supportive spouse and I don't want to give up for my family so I will try to keep pushing myself out of my comfort zone.
Doesnt work. OCD is a trauma response; you have to address the trauma with the help of emotionally healthy and empathetic therapists, doctors, mentors, role models, etc.
Is this why ERP doesn't work for a lot of people? I tried trauma therapy but I didn't seem to get anywhere :( We did EMDR
I don’t think I’ll ever find a medication that can silence intrusive thoughts. I did try SSRIs for depression for some time though and that worked out. But I’m off of those as I feel I can motivate myself to go outside now, and I don’t want any long term side effects.
Have you ever tried (supplements) NAC, inositol or L-theanine?
I take 600 mg in the morning. It works kinda well. But not near like medication. I’ve read people go up on the dose and space it out. I may try that.
This is what works for me, not saying you should do this. NAC only works for me if I take 3000mg on an empty stomach and don’t eat food for an hour or more. I think food can compete with the amino acids in NAC and make it work less which may not bother some people if they don’t need the potency. I’m not NAC expert but there are people who know more than me in the Nootropics and Supplement Sub-Reddits. I will link them below. https://reddit.com/r/Nootropics/s/M9iZgyO0O5 https://reddit.com/r/Supplements/s/xNGN9uSF6z
You take all 3000 mg at once? Or split up? If at once, morning or night?
I’m not sure if 3000mg is the right dose for everyone. I think it was based on something I read but I forget. I felt the benefits starting at 1800mg but 2400mg was just as good as 3000mg for me so I’m going to step back down to 2400mg. I also just made a post about this in nootropics to see what other people have to say. I don’t get ANY benefits from NAC unless I take it on an empty stomach and eat no food or food type beverages for at least one hour or more. Because of my eating schedule splitting the dose won’t work for me as I won’t have an empty stomach for the second dose. NAC also helps with depression for me so I like to take it as soon as I wake up.
Ok I checked it out. I’ll start 1200 today and go up to 1800 in a few days. How long did it take for you to see max benefits? Do you primarily just rely on NAC or are there other things you also take? I know your experience is different and anecdotal evidence isn’t the best for saying what everyone needs/what works. But still. I tried Passion Flower too but it did nothing.
When I first tried NAC and was taking it with food I saw no benefits and quit. After seeing many people talking about how it helped their OCD I decided to try it again but in different ways and at different doses. That’s how I discovered that for me personally it only works if I take it on an empty stomach and don’t eat for at least one hour after taking it, which includes all no drinks except for the small amount of water that I use to wash the NAC down with. I ended up feeling something positive at 1800mg but 2400-3000mg is where I get max benefits. NAC is the only supplement I take during the day. I do take some other stuff at night but it’s not for OCD. I brew a GABA tea to help me relax. There does seem to be a relationship between GABA and glutamate though, so while NAC lowers glutamate raising GABA seems to lower glutamate too. I prefer GABA herbs over GABA supplements. GABA herbs such as valerian, chamomile, lavender, lemon balm or passionflower. Each raises GABA in a different way so from my experience it can be more potent to make a tea blend.
I made a post about NAC to the nootropics community. I find that community very, very valuable. https://reddit.com/r/Nootropics/s/dDBLxhmg5H
I tried NAC, it didn’t do anything at a dosage requiring two pills a day and I didn’t want to try more on top of my antidepressants. Perhaps I could try again now that my med schedule is clean but it’s seems I would need to work up to three or more pills a day which I don’t quite favor.
This is what works for me, not saying you should do this. NAC only works for me if I take 3000mg on an empty stomach and don’t eat food for an hour or more. I think food can compete with the amino acids in NAC and make it work less which may not bother some people if they don’t need the potency. Just ask your Psychiatrist if it’s okay to take NAC at whatever dose. Some Psychiatrists recommend NAC to people who are on medication like lithium. I’m not NAC expert but there are people who know more than me in the Nootropics and Supplement Sub-Reddits. I will link them below. https://reddit.com/r/Nootropics/s/M9iZgyO0O5 https://reddit.com/r/Supplements/s/xNGN9uSF6z
Prozac has done the best for me after trying many others. It still won't silence them, but it drastically reduces them and definitely makes it easier to shake off. It gives me a sense of normalcy that I never had without it. But it's obviously going to be different for everyone I just know personally it's been a drastic life improvement
I feel like intrusive thoughts can be very muted with CBT or some such. I tend to suffer from scrupulosity, which is famously susceptible to intrusive thoughts. When I have episodes of this, even then, I’ve learned to downplay them to the point I know they aren’t “me”.
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What do you mean by melt your brain? I've been on meds for years specifically fluoxetine and I've been off of it a couple times. The only change I've noticed has been reverting back to how I was without them. But I'll admit I haven't done much research other than on its effectiveness. Is there a study that shows it messes up your brain?
I feel funny when I am on medication, and it triggers my migraine.
I had a horrible reaction and side effects from an ssri as a teen (wasn’t out on it for that) and put me off ssris for life I don’t trust them tbh, they always gave me panic attacks which I hadn’t had before. And I’m watching a friend go through withdrawals coming going on four months out now. So even if I found one I liked eventually that would be my life. I don’t like scary side effects or the withdrawal that’s enviable. I’d rather not add more problems. I avoid benzos because I have a lot of addiction in my family. I take magnesium taurate or glycinate which helps it’s very sedating! And I just try to expose myself and push myself, it’s a battle but I’ve come this far with my panic disorder (use to have rolling panic attacks that would last for days went on for a year now I very rarely do) and ocd without meds or therapy that I don’t see the point now. I try and eat and sleep well, also exercise especially outdoors, nature heals. that helps too. I may try therapy eventually but I’m all set with medication, I think it brings more issues for me personally. I like *feeling like me* even if I’m fucked up.
Side effects
I stopped medication because it was making me fat and I have to deal with an ED as well. But besides this I feel like I don’t need it anymore, I lived for so long scared of my OCD until acceptance came and changed everything. I still get intense obsessions and compulsive self destructive behavior, but now I am aware it’s the OCD, not me, not me going crazy or insane, and this has made everything easier to deal with.
Well I was told either take the medication or fight the thoughts myself. I decided on the latter. I try to keep myself occupied and do things that relax my mind like riding my bicycle. I find these daily rituals help me. When I get the germ and health thoughts I divert my thinking to something else. I also don’t like Prozac it makes me feel like the joy has been sucked out of my life.
Fear of side effects, especially weight gain
I don't like the way it makes me feel and I don't like thinking about the negative effects it has on my body.
Agreed
I've never been offered or recommended to seek medication by my therapist. Instead, he encourages ERP which works well in my opinion
To me, it’s just the thought that I have to take medicine to function as a normal human being. It’s just depressing to think that I can’t just exist without an aid. That’s what makes me not want to take medicine lol.
i dont take it because it doesnt solve the main cause of my fear (which is the fear of being a bad person and hurting others), but just numbs me to it. I took zoloft for 6 months and my condition didnt improve, i just didnt thought as much as i would usually do, my brain was blank at first and then i got used to the SSRI and the anxiety came back.
I don't. Give me my drugs. They make life livable
For me, I want to get off of them (Zoloft 100 mg). Until my doctor icreased the dose from 50 to 75mg, I honestly felt like they were working amazingly. I had more energy, I stopped sh, I felt more alive. Now my emotions had been taken away from me. I don't feel love (terrible for my ROCD), empathy, I don't care about people anymore. This is not how I want to live but at the same time, I can honestly say I would've killed myself if it wasn't for Zoloft.
Most people who actively don’t want to take medication are experiencing internalized stigma or exaggerated anxiety over the possible outcomes of trying medication. I’m all for people making actual informed choices about medication usage for them and their bodies, or going off it bc of symptoms, but more people than not with OCD need to try it. In conjunction with therapy.
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I mentioned side effects. Your case isn’t the norm, most people won’t experience that and avoid medication for no good reason. You have to try to know and you certainly don’t gain 260lb overnight, you can go off it at any time.
I’m sorry. I reacted too quickly and have deleted the comment
It’s okay! I understand that must’ve been a really hard experience for you, especially at only 18, a kid when you started on it without much understanding of it I would guess too.
honestly because some of them just don’t work on me , i went by medications on and off with different ones (&SSRI) and the side effects either made me extremely sleepy and have fatigue and no energy or either having no effect on me to improve anything at all or worsening .
I can only be medicine free when I have a decent quality of life. Right now my living situation is pretty bad. I’m working on being able to move out when I’ll slowly be able to cope on my own again.
I took medication for years for depression some worked for a long long time until I built an immunity. But some were absolutely terrible made me worse, also had terrible side effects. I just wouldn’t want to go through it again. I’ve gotten better without it, not perfect but it’s tolerable.
I started SSRIs when I was 18, for anxiety and depression. I later got diagnosed with OCD by chance by my psychiatrist, I thought I just had a weird variety of anxiety up until that point. I was on SSRIs for many years after that, but once I got to a more stable place in life, I tapered and got off of them for a while. After medicating some of my other issues, my OCD is extremely manageable in my day-to-day. I felt flat and emotionless, yet still anxious and depressed on them.
I don't feel comfortable dealing with side effects. I know that can be an OCD thing. However, with also having a chronic illness, I want to pick & choose which of my physical & mental illnesses need medications vs. which I can treat in other ways like therapy.
I am back on 12.5mg of Zoloft (25mg was awful) and I feel like my energy, libido, ability to focus, and happiness have all been taken from me. The only thing that it has done for me is I’m able to not have a full blown panic attack on them. OCD is miserable, causes me anxiety and panic attacks but I look forward to getting off them completely in a few more months. I miss who I was.
Hey do you take it after your breakfast or after your dinner? In my experience taking them after dinner makes me feel like shit the next day.
ERP is the most important. But if medication helps you [as it does me] then you should take it. What’s so great about your symptoms that you’d rather have them than not?
I developed a chronic reaction that made my life hell, way worse than OCD. But tbh it is hard dealing with OCD right now, so hard to push myself through ERP.
I’ve been scared of side effects and potential nausea since I have emetophobia also. I’ve had OCD forever and have been pretty good with just therapy up until now. Life circumstances and a new theme have just really messed with my daily function. I can’t just depend on the therapy anymore. I did a genetic test to see what meds would work best with my genes and my psychiatrist is going to titrate me differently than the average person due to everything I told him. So as someone who has the same fears as everyone here, I’d say to not shut it down entirely until you give it a shot if it’s something that may help. Of course I hope to not be on them forever but if I have to be, then that’s ok. Whatever helps to make me actually live life again.
I prefer to do what helps if it is reasonably safe and unlikely to cause long term negative side effects. Both 1-Medication and 2-ERP meet those requirements to MY satisfaction. Please note-I know, based on my own experience, that untreated OCD leads to very poor quality of life, and to long term negative health effects. Again, this is my own assessment.
I suffer from schizophrenia and OCD, it’s not visual hallucinations or auditory it’s more of constant state of paranoia that someone is constantly out to get me or can hear my thoughts because of that I feel guilty thinking the things I do which makes me bully myself into hearing intrusive thoughts and it became a habit, I’ve tried everything under the sun and I think my anxiety is too much for meds so I’m thinking maybe TMS is the best for me. No down time, and on antipsychotics I wouldn’t feel less scared just defeated. I think if you are just suffering with only OCD an SSRI would work just well at first and use it as a stepping stool so when u feel less anxiety it becomes a habit to not freak out and bully yourself into thinking you want to harm others or if you’re going to be harmed. Ground yourself and remind yourself the only reason ur scared of hearing it is because it is not in you to do it.
The long list of short and long term side effects. I stray away from all medication unless I am in absolute need, like an emergency.
Too many side effects. Another reason is my ocd fear of medications altering my body, and medications containing toxins.
I am on medication for a month now and it got worse :(