ocd obsessions

I posted this on the ocd page, but there aren't as many people there and I almost never get a response so I thought I'd ask you folks. Note* I do explain my obsession so if you are prone to taking on other peoples fears you might want to skip this post.

does anyone else have obsessive thoughts/fears/images? Most recently my fear is of devoloping schizophrenia. I've never had any symptoms but whenever I worry about this I obsess over my inner talk, wondering if it's that. I'm in therapy and on meds, they are taking their sweet time to work so I need help until then. ANY comments would help. It's like I make myself have symptoms. I don't know how else to describe it. As usual, I pretty much just need some reassurance. I have studied anxiety disorders obsessively (pun intended), so I know this is a symptom of my ocd. Somehow knowledge isn't helping anymore. My ocd has gotten to the point that I avoid places and people I love because of intrusive thoughts. I feel like I'm missing out on the world around me. I feel like my daughter is missing out on having a mother. I just want out of this horrible jungle of fear.

[nursegirl6572]

Well, the good news is....you already know the answer.  You're very knowledgeable about anxiety and OCD, down to the terminology.  "Intrusive thoughts", while sometimes are horrifying and awful, are just that, thoughts.  You don't have Schizophrenia.  You are already being treated and have already been diagnosed.  The professionals you are working with would recognize if you were suffering from something different.

You need to try to stay focused on your treatment.  Dive into your therapy...ask your therapist what kinds of things you can do to help yourself outside of your sessions.  As you already know...it takes time to treat anxiety and OCD....it doesn't happen overnight.  The kindest thing you can do for yourself is try to be patient and realize that relief WILL come, it will just take time and work on your part.

Hang in there....feel free to post any questions or comments that you think would help you.

[cj29]

Nursegirl pretty much hit it on the head.  I was diagnosed with it years ago and it can definitely be a battle, but for me talk therapy is key to confronting this.  There are good days and bad days on the road in learning about this, so I always stress patience to people that are trying to learn to deal with this.  I know 'patience' is probably one of the last things you want to hear right now, but it does take time and it can be tough.  The good thing for me, is I believe I am a much better person for going through this.  I have learned so much about it and believe it or not, you would be surprised how it can actually be an advantage sometimes.

I also believe you have the right attitude.  It looks like you have accepted it and are willing to do what it takes to confront and deal with it.  It took me a long time to even accept it, so I already believe you are on the right track.  Keep us posted!

[Paxiled]

Keep in mind that intrusive thoughts and obsessive thinking is common to all mental disorders, including plain old anxiety and depression.  OCD requires repetitive behavior (the C part) to truly be OCD.  A lot of people are misdiagnosed with it, because all us with anxiety are obsessive thinkers or, according to doctrine anyway, we wouldn't be creating all this wonderful anxiety.  So you'll find this community pretty much in line with OCD people except those of us without it don't keep washing our hands, we just keep thinking about whether we washed our hands or not out of some irrational fear or other!

[hmf099]

Lol I'm the one that washes her hands and wonders if she did it! I have some compulsions too, just not nearly as bad as the obsessions.

[hmf099]

Thank you guys sooo much. You've been amazingly helpful.