Some disorders related to OCD

[ellion]

People with OCD may be diagnosed with other disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, social anxiety disorder, bulimia nervosa, Tourette syndrome, compulsive skin picking, body dysmorphic disorder, trichotillomania, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.Many who suffer from OCD suffer also from panic attacks. There is a higher risk of drug addiction among those with any anxiety disorder . Depression is also extremely prevalent among sufferers of OCD.

[Johnfloyd6675]

What is called "obsession" features prominently or covertly in many disorders with no relation to one another except that Freud would have recognized them all as neuroses. Obsession can be as powerful a brainfunction as mania.

As for depression, I think a) a very understandable dysthymia weighs down on many people with mental illness, and certain disorders, like OCD, can be more symptomatically upsetting and therefore invite a deeper dysthymia. It's also possible for major depression to exist in an OCD brain. You'd need a very good shrink to differentiate the two.

[Sparrowhawk1161]

OCD!

It's an anxiety disorder.  It's listed as one.

What does this mean?

Obsession.

You need something right!  Everything around you must be exactly so... or it changes world...not for the better...but, creates anxiety.  Your world is exactly how want it.  If it's not?  So, if it's not exacly how you want it....it must be made to be able to conform to your world.  This world is based on anxiety.  So everything has to be exacly how you want it.  Change is your enemy.  Finding the answers to these changes is your friend.  So, you must find these answers.  You know these answers are impossible.  But, you must find them to be safe in your world.  So you make your world conform to something that is has order.  In your mind.

You grocery store.  If everything is the same.  You know everyone and how they react?  It's your friend.  It's safe.  You don't have to worry about something that could happen nthat upsets you.  Any upset brings about negative emotions... you don't want them.  Questions in your mind?  "How can I deal with it?  Will it get the better of me?  Can a casual conversation harm me?"

You don't want that!  You will do anything to make sure that doesn't happen.

Compulsion.

We make sure that nothing can get the better of us!  Germs...can get us!  Must we make sure that they don't.  Health?  We make sure that we are totally healthy!  we have make sure nothing can get the better of us.... contuinued   

[Sparrowhawk1161]

The image was jumping on me.  I hate that...so I continue.

Germs are your enemy...cause they can take you for loop!  Everything must be exact...because...how will anything be found?  You don't want to be taken for loop and find frustration.  So everything must be exact...were it is!

Are you safe?  How many times have you checked the door.  You don't anyone desturbing your world.  So check the door everytime.  And, you must make sure it's locked.  You check it... three times.  Everytime!  You must make sure you check it three times.  Best to be safe than have something happen?

Right?

Do have ritual.  Rituals are friend.  By doing them...you are made sure that anything unsafe is taken care of.  So, the ritual makes you feel secure.  IUt's takes away anxiety.  Do you do something repetative?

I must listen to music and rock back and forth.  I have to do this,  or... I get more anxious.  I have doing this since I was two years old.  I still do it.  I must listn to music...a nd rock and forth... to go into my own world.  A safe world!  My imagination!

I guess that is why I am writer...because I imagine do death!  Always imagining a perfect world...that is not mine!

Do you feel that way?  Do you have to do things that others feel are odd?

You do them because it lessons anxiety and you must do it to feel less anxious.  Anxiety is normal.  We all have it.  You can't get rid of it.  Do you feel anxious?  We are supposed to do this.  When their danger... adrenaline flows in us.  We two choices.   We either run away from danger or we have to fight it.  It's actually normal.

What if you are down a dark alley? You hear something that ells you that someone is there?  A bottle moves?  A sound.  Your body throwsm adrenalione into yur system.  You must find an answer.  You either flie...or fight the threat.  This is normal.  Imagine...if you get this without a threat.  Do feel like you are doing to die...because heart is racing and you feel it?  You are feeling a threat with nothing to substantiate it.  This is anxiety.  Coming for no reason!  Your body goes through it...and you no choice.  Adrenaline is going through you... yet, the reason is unclear.  Nothing is wrong....so you feel everything....even though your not supposed to.

Welcome to anxiety.

OCD means everything has to be right...our a threat happens...even though you might know it not possible...but you have to do it.  None the less.  If you don't do the ritual...you feel anxious...and it's not a good feeling.  That's OCD!  Obsessive thinking and a compulsion that makes you do something to conteract the anxiety.  The anxiety is real!  You have it!  It might not make sense?  But, you have it none the less!  So is it in your mind.

Yes.  Is real...Yes!  You are feeling it...because of brain chemicals... so it's very real!  It's as real as danger can be.  It's chemicals in your brain giving you these things.  Your not weird.  You are not crazy.  The brain is telling you it's real.  So, it's real as it gets!

continued...

[Sparrowhawk1161]

So what do you do...to conteract OCD?

Believe it or not... you have to do the same thing.  You check everything.... it's comfortable.

No life is the next step.

Go to the grocery store in the middle of the night when no one is their.  Take note of everyone there.  As you do this... you find them in the store doing the same things... Over and over again.  Same people.  Same thing.  Now, you have found a safe place to go.

Try during the evening.  We all have to get soemthing during the evening.  So go to the same safe place.  Where are they?  Doing the same thing.  everytime you talk to someone.  Remember what you did!  Very important.  Write their names down.  Recall what they looked like.  Go to that same person everytime.  And, you find a pattern.  Patterns are friend.

But, you push...find another area...another check out person... you find pattern...it's the same....remember every conversation that is ad lib...and give pat on the back... never forget that.  Find the pattern.  Soon, Walmart will be a safe place.  The early morning?  The late morning...the evening?  It's the same.  Sameness is your friend.  Same people...acting same way...and, everytime you see them...you remember you got through it.  I no longer have fear of going Walmart in my town.  I feel confident because I know what they will do...and, I know that...any conversation...with them...I can do.

Now, you have gone from... a perfect world...in your place to WALMART!!  That's good step!!

Go for bike ride!  It's better than a walk.  Because people will not want to talk to afast rider...on a bike?  I live in tourist town.  If someone asks me something...it's directions!  I know... I know that town like the back of my hand.  If are like me.... you know your town very well...every knock and crany is their... you know it!  So, if someone asks you directions... you are helpful and they say, "thank you."  Thank you is great!  OCD sufferers love being useful... you feel good that you did something useful.  You just helped someone.  Good feeling!

Going for a walk is one thing.  too many people saying hello and judging you.  A bike ride... no one has the chance to do that!  You are more useful on bike ride than a walk.  Get a bike...Walmart?  $50 bucks... you have a bike.  You ride around and everyone as they don't ask you anything... accept for the tourist who has no clue how to get of toen.  Tell them..."Thank you.  Thank you!"  Over and over again!  That's cool.... and you escape into your own private world doing abike ride.  But, you are getting out.  Aren't you?

Guess what...when feel comfortable?  Try another store.... my point is this.  Do have a $1.10...in your pocket?  Do you?  Maybe at some point... you can go for coffee!  Just sit there ignore everyone.  Let the coffee flow.  Just listen to everyone.  If someone picks you out...you leave!  But, in coffee shop?  It's the same people...everyday... same people same things talked about same personalities... same everything!  Until you realise it's the same...

Imagine..being a part of the coffee shop.  You are just a part of the woodwork...everyone knows you are their.  But, everyone accepts you as part of it.  Conversation?  Don't give yourself away...at first.  Then, they accept you as part of the coffee shop.  I have gone to coffeee shop and someone gives hard time... the others in coffeee shop see this... and they actually that person... shut up!

The others become defensive for you... and tell those people, "shut up!"

It's happened.  To hear someone tell someone else in your worst fears.. to leave you alone... because you are one them... it's weird feeling.  You are included...you a part of it!  You are not just an anxiety sufferer.  You are part of something... and, get defensive for the strangest reasons...until realize... you are included... a coffee shop is your best friend.  Now, you have to wonder.  As an anxiety sufferer?  What does this mean?

From your safe room...to coffee shop with all these people and your their?  Now you have re-evalute yourself and what happened.  If I can do this?  MAYBE... I can do other things.

I know big step...but, it is completely true...it happened to me?  It can happen to YOU!  You can do it.  Step by step inch by inch... you get to that point where you suddenly realize?  Anxiety is completely relative to yourself and how you approach it.  Imagine yourself among friends in coffee shop you can to go to?  Very difficult.  Not impossible.  It just takes steps.  Take the steps.   And, it can happen for you