OCD Rituals Moving to Phobias

[infoseeker74]

Does anyone with OCD have multiple rituals and phobias that move around. For example, issues with perfection of body features and then if something  springs up related to perfection beyond your body like scratches on your floor or a messed up paint job your rituals and focus move onto that? Also do some of you have a combination of rituals related to perfection and also phobia of germs/diseases?

If so, have drugs like the typical SSRIs helped you or has cognitive behavioral therapy helped more or a combination thereof? If the cognitive behavioral therapy worked, did you need to essentially have therapy sessions for each very different ritual and phobia?

You can answer below or PM if you don't want to share your story with the entire forum.

[ILADVOCATE]

I have all of these issues but I have schizoaffective disorder but was originally diagnosed with ocd and may have that as well. When I took Anafranil (the only SSRI anti-depressent that was available then) it was helpful. I just can't tolerate medications in this category because of the bipolar aspect of schizoaffective. So despite a good recovery from schizoaffective disorder I still have some aspects of ocd. I avoid people who cough and sniff from contamination fears although no part of me believes it is rational.
  But someone I know who is diagnosed with ocd, did do well on SSRI anti-depressents. And as well cognitive behavioral therapy. Before the SSRI anti-depressents were invented that enabled him to stop taking daily 4 hour showers to avoid contamination fears. As well when those medications were available they were of further help. So a combination of medication and behavioral therapy and as for any psychiatric disability talk therapy is generally helpful. If other people answered who have specifically been through these treatments perhaps their advice was more specifically helpful but I have personally seen people who were able to make a good recovery with this combination.