What an I really?

For the past year I have undergone changes in my general personality and demeanor.  I am more anxious than I have ever been and I constantly worry that I have some form of major mental illness.  Every time I feel anxious I believe that it is the manic phase of bipolar disorder or if I hear a faint sound I believe that I am exhibiting positive symptoms of schizophrenia. The sounds are never really in my mind, other people hear them, but I can not escape the possibility that they might be.  I also constantly stress over doing something horrible, such as running around naked or punching a complete stranger, for an arbitrary example.  Let me clarify that I do not intend to do anything inappropriate but merely worry that I might.  Does this make sense?  I am taking effexor for acute OCD, which I do not dispute that I have, but it does not seem to be working.  (Paxil was an even bigger bust.)  Also, I am much more irritable now than I have ever been.  My question is this: asides from OCD, what else do I have or possibly have?  Thanks.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

It sounds most like ocd, and I am not surprised about the medication.  You need therapy, counseling, to unravel what is going on, you can't depend on medication alone.

[ledwards]

I agree about the counselling, it is invaluable.  My therapist SWEARS by Luvox for OCD.  She said it was developed for children initally and therefore has a side effect profile that is less than the meds you discussed.  I am planning to switch from Zoloft to Luvox in a couple of weeks after I get married.  I'll let you know.  She also said she has seen "miracles" with Luvox.  (She said that happens at about 4-6 weeks after starting to take the meds..less if you are switching from another SSRI)

[beckett]

I have tried, and retired, a variety of SSRIs and general anitdepressents, and found that Luvox works best for me.  I was on a combination of Luvox and Clomiprimine for almost 8 years, which seemed to be quite effective.  Ater having been diagnosed with OCD in 1993 (after seeking help for addictions; which,as you all know, either exaserbates or masks OCD symptomology) my psychiatrist and I tried a number of drug therapies and combinations; including what is referred to as potentiators like Busporin.  In the end, after trial and error (too many errors to count it seemed) we came up with the Luvox/Clomiprimine combination.  After having been on the two now for 8 years, I have managed, through a slow process of decreesing the Clomiprimine, to be on simply the Luvox, and things seem to be going incredibly well.  I must add, 4 years of psychoanalysis have been an encredible help; in fact, I can honestly say that it has work miracles along with the proper meds.

[newdad115]

I have been coping with OCD, depression and anxiety for about 5 years now. I have been on several different meds but am currently on Paxil. I woke up one morning about a year ago and all of the sudden realized everything was ok. I felt great and healed all of the sudden! Life was good again and things were in focus. I was living it up and enjoying things all over again. Only recently have things started to creep back in my life. i have been married to my high school sweethear for 4 years now and we just had our first child. I have a good job, some really great friends and even started to break into my dream of becoming an actor. Things are really looking well for me and my family. Then w/out reason or cause .. I was on my way home listening to talk radio , when a relatioship counselor began talking to people about failed marriages. People were calling in with stories of divorce, cheating and marriage breakdowns. All of the sudden I became really depressed. I began to feel like all marriages would eventually end in divorce. It felt like no matter what that divorce would always be inevitable. This scared me very much. My wife and I have a great relationship and are loving being new parents. This didn't really seem to matter .. it all felt like it would someday end. My parents divorced when I was in 9th grade. It devistated me b/c the marriage seemed perfect! All I knew was that something that seemed perfect could end seemingly over night. My parents wanted to discuss details with me but I told them I didn't want to know. I still don't want to know. I am worried that the reasons may ruin my image of them I guess. When I got home I told my wife about my episode, and she consoled me. I felt better. Yesterday, I got depressed again .. I have no idea why. I was getting bored and all of the sudden it turned to depression. Then I started to beat myself up b/c I was thinking that i was a bad father b/c I was letting all of this come back into my life and what kind of a father would do that!? I can't help it , and I hate that about myself. I pray every night that my son isn't inflicted with the same handicap as myself. The guilt I put on myself for reasons that don't even exist is incredible. How do I stop these feelings?? Also , I get bad thoughts sometimes. Things pop into my head that shouldn't. I am the type of person that would not hurt a fly , however I have really brief thoughts of hurting someone. The thoughts disgust me and I would never act on them .. I always feel guilty about them though. There seems to be nothing I can do about them. I am scared to tell anyone b/c I would be mortified if anyone took it the wrong way or was scared by the fact. Does anyone else have these problems?  I have tried several different meds but Paxil seems to be the one for me ... so far.

God Bless

[Timmy256]

I seem to have the same thoughts you have.  One day I woke up and I pictured myself with a gun to my head.  It escaladed into having thoughts of hurting someone, which I would never do.  I keep telling myself that I would never do this but the thoughts won't go away.  Someday's are better than others.  I was on effexor for about 4 months and it did't seem to help that much.  What other meds are there for OCD?