Can ocd cause weird intrusive thoughts like existential ones?

[Danzdanz123]

I have ocd not the cleaning kind, and not to self diagnose but have aimed to try get diagnosed for adhd but never get round to doing it. Can it cause constant panic attacks like non stop when under a great deal of stress and feel like you are insane? Keep getting scared that I’m going to start hallucinating or just die. Just have this awful feeling I can’t even describe it really but it makes me feel alone super alone.

[grab0001]

I am not a doctor so dont take my word for it but maybe its DPDR? Its atype of anxiety disorder that can cause you to think you are going crazy or stuck in a dream or that you are hallucinating everything (whenyou really arent) and believing nothing is real. Its a disorder I have and some of the things you are sayinf match up BUT again not a doctor 😅

[Danzdanz123 in reply to grab0001]

Can you get that visually and not visually cause I have suffered with that visually for a long time but now it’s more like a feeling, I’ve learned to cope with dissociating as I do almost everyday at some points after experiencing anxiety or not sleeping enough, but it’s more of this weird feeling like I’m trapped in my own mind and that I’m going insane or that these thoughts and feelings are going to make me insane.

[grab0001 in reply to Danzdanz123]

For me ive defiantley had both. For instance visually, ill just be walking down the street and the buildings will start looking weird or my hand starts to look like "not my hand" or ill stare too hard at myself in the mirror and i start to longer recognize myself or start to have some sort of existential crisis. Ive also experienced it as more of a feeling that often times comesout of knowwhere and like you said its definatley hard to explain. My old roommate remembers vividly me going through my worst DPDR episode of mejust curled up crying yelling how terrifyed i was that nothing seems real and im going insane and was so spacey and my thoughts were so disorganzied and was at points begging her to take me to the hospital. One thing to hold on to is to know that you AREN"T going insane and also understanding where this feeling comes from helps. So derealization and depersonalization when happening when needed is actually a survival tactic the brain uses when in life or death situations. For example if you are in a burning building and need to get out your mind will put you in this state in order to keep you calm so you can calmly get yourself out of there. (I could be wrong but thats what my doctor told me) But when it happens outside of dangerous situations or for no reason thats when it becomes a problem and raises anxiety and causes us to think we are going crazy.

[Danzdanz123 in reply to grab0001]

I read this and instantly felt calmer it feels like the whole world is just going to collapse on me and then I think about why I’m feeling like that then think I’m crazy and go into panic. What helped you?

[designguy]

You might find the youtube and website of Paige Pradko helpful, she is a therapist that had OCD and anxiety and healed herself and now helps others. Another good one is Matthew Codde at Restored Minds, he also has good helpful youtube videos and is a former OCD/anxiety sufferer that is now a therapist and helps others. Both offer clear, practical information and advice.

[Danzdanz123 in reply to designguy]

thank you i listened to one of their videos yesterday was helpful!