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Help living with OCD/depression
Im looking for any help I can get with my husband who sufferes with OCD, depression and anexiety. He currently takes Lexapro for depression and I've got him to take inositol telling him it's for his overall health. At one time he was having heart palps and he still gets them occasionally but refuses to take Ativan. If it were up to him he would be off the Lexapro as well. Are there any somewhat natural remedies or supplements that I may be able to get him to take. He doesn't see his problem to be bad enough to take meds and he's always been against them but I can't stand watching him being depressed all the time. He obcesses about things he has and things he doesn't have literally all day long. When he gets home from work he's on the computer looking for things to buy or things he can't afford. He is very unfocused when it comes to prioritizing his goals. I've tried to tell him to make a list in order of importance and every time he accomplishes something he will have something to feel good about. So far I haven't been able to break the cycle of being on that computer every free moment. His mind seems to race being worried about what he doesn't have and what needs to be done with his limited means. I feel partly to blame for our financial status because I'm no longer able to work. We aren't broke just not well off so his projects have to wait because they are expensive and there are many. We have been going thru fertility treatments so that has added to the stress as well. Finally we are expecting but not sure yet if it's going to end up being a miscarriage. I know his OCD and depression play a huge part in why he does the things he does but I don't know how to change things so he will be happy. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Ginger
Ginger
What you are saying makes sense but when he was seeing the previous GP he was told to talk to someone because of all the problems on our plates. He flat out refuses. We now have switched insurances and are going to my GP which I have had for years and who asks him how he is doing and he replies that he notices nothing while his mother and I notice a huge improvement from no Lexapro. He does take a low dose and I think he could benefit from a higher dose but the GP says he will let us decide if he needs it or not because he doesnt want to be in the middle of me saying YES he needs it and him saying NO I dont need it. The Insitol has worked for him too, actually he is still doing a little better on it then he was without it. His mother notices the same thing. I feel bad tricking him into taking things but I do care about his best interest and dont want to see him suffer. Yrs ago I was put of a bunch of different antidepressants for migrains. They really made me feel like I wasnt myself and he complained about the way I acted on them. I think this is where his hesitation comes in along with just in general never even having to take a tylenol or advil. Im hoping he will be down enough the day we see the GP so that he will be open to trying something else. As for a psychyatrist I can tell you he wont go. He has never been one to go to the doctor. When he started having heart palpatations and we made three trips to the ER in a couple weeks time and they fed him a bunch of BS he really is hesitant to go now. Honestly I cant blame him but I do want the best for him. I will push at his next appointment for a change in his meds. Wether its an increase or a complete change IDK but I will be happy to see any type of improvements in his outlook on things.
Your husband does sound like he has a lot of things going on at once. Also, I think you are doing all the right things. Unfortuantely the old saying that you can lead a horse to water but can't make him drink probably applies here.
So he is depressed enough that he doesn't want to go to work. He comes home and obsesses about having or not having certain things and is on the computer the entire time looking for something to buy. He has anxiety for a variety of reasons, the biggest one probably being financial and then to add to the mix the fertility treatments and now that you are pregnant, will it go to term. WOW!!!!!
So there are several studies out there showing that inositol does help with OCD. The Lexapro, while being an anti-depressant, should also help with OCD but he may not be on the correct dosage or the drug itself is not the correct one for him. Was there ever initial improvement on the Lexapro? or the inositol for that matter?
My B-in-L has clinical depression, couldn't get out of bed, etc. He at one point was taking too much medication and he was forgetting things, had a flat affect, etc. He finally had to quit his job and go on disability. But what worked the best for him was Wellbutrin. Now I take Wellbutrin for my own OCD. I'm not saying that is going to work for your husband, but keep it in mind as my B-in-L tried every drug out there and this was the one that worked the best for him.
Also I see that you are using a GP...honestly, they are not the best people to be prescribing medication for your husband. He has many cormorbid conditions going on and a Psychiatrist is the way to go. They are much more knowledgable about what types of meds work well for what your husband has going on. The current dosage of Lexapro and whether it should be increased or changed altogether needs to be discussed. It may be that he needs two different medications, one that works well for OCD and one that works well for Depression but you don't want to have a zombie on your hands either. Also, if the doctor doesn't know about the inositol, you should let him/her know on the side since you are telling your husband it is for his health in general. Sometimes things may not have an additive effect when taken together but rather a lessened effect.
At this point, until these conditions are under control, you may not be able to get your husband to change. If it has been going on long enough, then people tend to forget what feeling good actually is. So if you can, please seek out a referral to a good psychiatrist and see that person ASAP. Your husband may balk at the idea but actually if it comes from the GP then he may be a bit more amenable.
Congrats on the baby. I'm sending lots of prayers your way and keep us informed or if you have other questions or just need to vent.
So he is depressed enough that he doesn't want to go to work. He comes home and obsesses about having or not having certain things and is on the computer the entire time looking for something to buy. He has anxiety for a variety of reasons, the biggest one probably being financial and then to add to the mix the fertility treatments and now that you are pregnant, will it go to term. WOW!!!!!
So there are several studies out there showing that inositol does help with OCD. The Lexapro, while being an anti-depressant, should also help with OCD but he may not be on the correct dosage or the drug itself is not the correct one for him. Was there ever initial improvement on the Lexapro? or the inositol for that matter?
My B-in-L has clinical depression, couldn't get out of bed, etc. He at one point was taking too much medication and he was forgetting things, had a flat affect, etc. He finally had to quit his job and go on disability. But what worked the best for him was Wellbutrin. Now I take Wellbutrin for my own OCD. I'm not saying that is going to work for your husband, but keep it in mind as my B-in-L tried every drug out there and this was the one that worked the best for him.
Also I see that you are using a GP...honestly, they are not the best people to be prescribing medication for your husband. He has many cormorbid conditions going on and a Psychiatrist is the way to go. They are much more knowledgable about what types of meds work well for what your husband has going on. The current dosage of Lexapro and whether it should be increased or changed altogether needs to be discussed. It may be that he needs two different medications, one that works well for OCD and one that works well for Depression but you don't want to have a zombie on your hands either. Also, if the doctor doesn't know about the inositol, you should let him/her know on the side since you are telling your husband it is for his health in general. Sometimes things may not have an additive effect when taken together but rather a lessened effect.
At this point, until these conditions are under control, you may not be able to get your husband to change. If it has been going on long enough, then people tend to forget what feeling good actually is. So if you can, please seek out a referral to a good psychiatrist and see that person ASAP. Your husband may balk at the idea but actually if it comes from the GP then he may be a bit more amenable.
Congrats on the baby. I'm sending lots of prayers your way and keep us informed or if you have other questions or just need to vent.
I am not a doc but I did a lot of research on depression bc my ex suffered form MD and that sounds like what he might have
Honestly I'm not sure which came first. I guess if I had to pick I would say he was depressed first. We are high school sweethearts and have been together 20 yrs. we really are able to read each other quite well so I try to stop his Sunday afternoon depression before it starts but I'm not able to. Now he is starting to carry it into Mondays. He says he dreads going to work and that's understandable. I used to do the same thing when I worked. He's taking it above and beyond just normal anexiety. I know that work isn't the root of his problems or worries either. How do you get someone to change their thought process? He admits he is unhappy and that he feels he will never be happy. I point out to him that he has a lot of things most people do not and should be greatful. Also if he's not happy with the things he has he can sell them and get something he thinks will bring him joy. We both tend to over analyze things and be very critical. I try not to add fuel to the fire and a lot of the time bite my tongue. I'm just at a loss of what can be done. I'm hoping at our next follow up appointment with our gp he will talk to dh about taking some other meds but until then I don't know what to do.
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