WrongPlanet.net
WP Members: > 75,000



Aspie Affection

New Today: 17
New Yesterday: 34

OCD Previous  1, 2, 3, 4  
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Wrong Planet Autism Forum Index -> Bipolar, Tourettes, Schizophrenia, and other Psychological Conditions     
bonuspoints
Phoenix
Phoenix


Joined: Aug 24, 2009
Posts: 598
Location: Washington state - *Do I get bonus points if I act like I care?*

PostPosted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 1:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have, I assume, mild OCD. I consider it mild because I can usually avoid the triggers. I have compulsive checking OCD and used to spend a great deal of my day fighting it. Now that I avoid the triggers (heat sources mainly, I was always convinced I would do something that would start a fire) my symptoms have become less of a hurdle. It is a but annoying not being able to cook or have candles lit...I do miss out on things.
_________________
Those who cannot tell what they desire or expect, still sigh and struggle with indefinite thoughts and vast wishes. - Emerson

Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live. - Oscar Wilde
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Mama_to_Grace
Phoenix
Phoenix


Joined: Aug 02, 2009
Posts: 915

PostPosted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 10:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am posting here because my daughter has been displaying strange rituals for the past 9 months. This came after 6 months of taking a SSRI for anxiety. Prior to that she had barely any OCDish behavior although she did have very typical autistic stims (like chewing and rocking). However, this started in March when she began pulling out her eyelashes. She was having a very difficult time in school and I thought it was due to that. She is 7. This began when she was 6. The eyelash pulling has almost gone away completely but in it's place has been:
pulling her hair out in chunks
tapping her dresser drawers in order whenever she opened one to get something out.
handwashing for long periods (she had to sing happy birthday over and over).
Counting in the shower and while she was doing other tasks.
Now she is picking at her body and flicking her arms. She is doing this more and more. I am unable to discern whether this is OCD or a stim. How can you tell? She does it without thinking. She is not doing it to prevent something bad from happening. She doesn't want to stop.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. OCD meds (typically SSRIs ?) are out because of her previous bad reactions.

Thanks.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Mama_to_Grace
Phoenix
Phoenix


Joined: Aug 02, 2009
Posts: 915

PostPosted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 10:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh and she also had a period of holding her urine and not going to the bathroom. This caused some medical problems and has gone away mostly.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
just-me
Magic is upon us....
Phoenix


Joined: Mar 07, 2008
Posts: 2386

PostPosted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 6:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

my ocd is much better now that i have been on Prozac for a while. i dont check things over and over and i am not panicking over irrational fears anymore.

I used to be anti meds but i am now seeing the light. they never worked for me growing up but they work now. and thank god! cause out of all my disorders i find ocd the most troubling.

and i have had alot of problems psychosis , ptsd, depression, and so on. but with ocd the perceived fear makes me feel like i might die at any moment if i dont do x y and z.

and to have that calmed by the medicine is a god send.

I still have high anxiety and lots of fears but i am no longer in a constant state of panic.
_________________
Just-you is now my Fiance!!

Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
just-me
Magic is upon us....
Phoenix


Joined: Mar 07, 2008
Posts: 2386

PostPosted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 6:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mama_to_Grace wrote:
I am posting here because my daughter has been displaying strange rituals for the past 9 months. This came after 6 months of taking a SSRI for anxiety. Prior to that she had barely any OCDish behavior although she did have very typical autistic stims (like chewing and rocking). However, this started in March when she began pulling out her eyelashes. She was having a very difficult time in school and I thought it was due to that. She is 7. This began when she was 6. The eyelash pulling has almost gone away completely but in it's place has been:
pulling her hair out in chunks
tapping her dresser drawers in order whenever she opened one to get something out.
handwashing for long periods (she had to sing happy birthday over and over).
Counting in the shower and while she was doing other tasks.
Now she is picking at her body and flicking her arms. She is doing this more and more. I am unable to discern whether this is OCD or a stim. How can you tell? She does it without thinking. She is not doing it to prevent something bad from happening. She doesn't want to stop.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. OCD meds (typically SSRIs ?) are out because of her previous bad reactions.

Thanks.


This sounds more like Tourette syndrome click the link and read more.

also, if it started suddenly it could be pandas. link that can be cured by antibiotics and a little bit of therapy.

if it appeared suddenly then you definitely need to make sure it isn't pandas. because if it is pandas that means the strep throat infection is attacking and killing needed brain cells.
_________________
Just-you is now my Fiance!!



Last edited by just-me on Sun Nov 21, 2010 6:19 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Smike
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl


Joined: Nov 07, 2010
Posts: 136
Location: Manchester

PostPosted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 6:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've always been obsessive compulsive but have had full-blown OCD since late 2007. I am meant to be getting treatment for it down south next year, if the NHS agree to fund it
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
PabiGoBoom
Butterfly
Butterfly


Joined: Oct 26, 2010
Age: 25
Posts: 16

PostPosted: Wed Nov 24, 2010 2:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mama_to_Grace wrote:
I am posting here because my daughter has been displaying strange rituals for the past 9 months. This came after 6 months of taking a SSRI for anxiety. Prior to that she had barely any OCDish behavior although she did have very typical autistic stims (like chewing and rocking). However, this started in March when she began pulling out her eyelashes. She was having a very difficult time in school and I thought it was due to that. She is 7. This began when she was 6. The eyelash pulling has almost gone away completely but in it's place has been:
pulling her hair out in chunks
tapping her dresser drawers in order whenever she opened one to get something out.
handwashing for long periods (she had to sing happy birthday over and over).
Counting in the shower and while she was doing other tasks.
Now she is picking at her body and flicking her arms. She is doing this more and more. I am unable to discern whether this is OCD or a stim. How can you tell? She does it without thinking. She is not doing it to prevent something bad from happening. She doesn't want to stop.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. OCD meds (typically SSRIs ?) are out because of her previous bad reactions.

Thanks.



Take a look at this...sounds like what your daughter may have:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichotillomania
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
zweisamkeit
Raven
Raven


Joined: Nov 21, 2010
Posts: 100

PostPosted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 11:39 am    Post subject: full blown OCD Reply with quote

when i was around age 11 i had full blown OCD. Walking through doors 3 times, praying 3 times at night, walking up and down stairs 3 times. washing hands 3 times...

haunting thoughts... like i was afraid i would do something bad. Like push someone down the stairs. It's really hard to explain, but i thought i might just push them even though i didnt want to.

I felt like if i didnt do my routines, then my family would die.

I do have a bit of OCD right now.... i count things a lot. over and over.... if someone starts counting i have to keep counting til it reaches a number ending in zero...

kitchen has to be spotless but the rest of the house is out of order...I cant handle the kitchen being dirty at all...or else i feel like life is chaotic.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Azolet
Deinonychus
Deinonychus


Joined: Aug 04, 2010
Posts: 349
Location: Bababooeyland

PostPosted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 12:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mama_to_Grace wrote:
pulling her hair out in chunks
Now she is picking at her body and flicking her arms. She is doing this more and more. I am unable to discern whether this is OCD or a stim. How can you tell? She does it without thinking. She is not doing it to prevent something bad from happening. She doesn't want to stop.


Have you ever heard of dermatillomania or trichtillomania? They are under the category of OCD and, in addition to having full-blown OCD, I have the former. I'm still struggling with it, but, for some reason, it actually improved significantly after I went on ADD meds. I do not "pick" at my body because I want to stop something bad from happening - I do it when I'm stressed or overwhelmed, or have just finished doing something mentally exhausting. So yeah, for me anyways, I think it is more related to autism than to OCD. Also, have you heard of exposure therapy? She might be too young to be able to do it, but it's basically where you force yourself into situations that you fear (ex. not washing your hands, even when they "feel dirty"). Also, I've heard tricyclic antidepressants can help with OCD.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Azolet
Deinonychus
Deinonychus


Joined: Aug 04, 2010
Posts: 349
Location: Bababooeyland

PostPosted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 12:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Chronos wrote:
Yes.

And it is not caused by demons. It's a neurological disorder, caused, in part, by white matter abnormalities which impair communication between the basal ganglia and frontal lobes.

It's not caused by stress but stress lowers ones ability to cope with it.


Yeah, and it's also caused by abnormalities in the amygdala.

Wanna hear something really really weird? When I was in fourth grade, I gave my intrusive thoughts "voice" the name Inner Mind, because of where I felt like the thoughts were coming from in my brain - the lower center portion. And where, I found out later, the amygdala is located.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
OddDuckNash99
Hypercoaster
Phoenix


Joined: Nov 16, 2006
Posts: 2527

PostPosted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 1:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Azolet wrote:
When I was in fourth grade, I gave my intrusive thoughts "voice" the name Inner Mind, because of where I felt like the thoughts were coming from in my brain - the lower center portion. And where, I found out later, the amygdala is located.

Wow! I've never heard anybody else say that they have a place where they feel their OCD thoughts come from! And guess what? That's EXACTLY the spot where I feel my intrusive thoughts originate! Only I feel it is probably the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), not the amygdala. While the amygdala is associated with all anxiety disorders, the OFC/basal ganglia connection is unique to OCD.

Question for you, Azolet- have you ever been able to "feel" an obsession coming, starting to originate in your head? Sometimes, I'm able to shake it away. Other times, it just comes full force.
-OddDuckNash99-
_________________
Helinger: Now, what do you see, John?
Nash: Recognition...
Helinger: Well, try seeing accomplishment!
Nash: Is there a difference?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Azolet
Deinonychus
Deinonychus


Joined: Aug 04, 2010
Posts: 349
Location: Bababooeyland

PostPosted: Sat Dec 11, 2010 1:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

OddDuckNash99 wrote:
Azolet wrote:
When I was in fourth grade, I gave my intrusive thoughts "voice" the name Inner Mind, because of where I felt like the thoughts were coming from in my brain - the lower center portion. And where, I found out later, the amygdala is located.

Wow! I've never heard anybody else say that they have a place where they feel their OCD thoughts come from! And guess what? That's EXACTLY the spot where I feel my intrusive thoughts originate! Only I feel it is probably the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), not the amygdala. While the amygdala is associated with all anxiety disorders, the OFC/basal ganglia connection is unique to OCD.

Question for you, Azolet- have you ever been able to "feel" an obsession coming, starting to originate in your head? Sometimes, I'm able to shake it away. Other times, it just comes full force.
-OddDuckNash99-


Yep. Sometimes I can feel it coming on, and I'm like "oh for God's sake, stop it!" to myself. Some are stronger than others, and it is harder to fight when I am overtired/stressed out.

That's interesting, I have never heard of the OFC/basal ganglia connection. I will have to do more research about that! I have read that children with OCD have misshapen amygdala's, compared to children without OCD.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Wrong Planet Autism Forum Index -> Bipolar, Tourettes, Schizophrenia, and other Psychological Conditions   
Previous  1, 2, 3, 4  

 
Read more Articles on Wrong Planet



Wrong Planet is a Registered Trademark.
Copyright 2004-2013, Wrong Planet, LLC and Alex Plank. Alex does public speaking for Autism.

Advertise on Wrong Planet

Alex Hotchalk / Glam 

Alex Plank  Aspie Affection 

Terms of Service - You must read this as a user of Wrong Planet | Privacy Policy

Subscribe: RSS Feed  Wrong Planet News  Wrong Planet Forums




fine art