Advice for flare-ups?

[MothFir]

New to the site, so as a bit of introduction:

I’m 45 and have had OCD since about age 10. I started out with a mix of checking, washing, and religious scruples. Nothing was crippling but I still spent hours ruminating and washing. I hid it well and the severity came and went until my mid-twenties, when after a period of dormancy the checking and ruminating returned. I finally told my family doctor and he prescribed an SSRI.

This took enough of the edge off that I was able to do some CBT with self-help books (Brain Lock, Stop Obsessing!, etc.). During the last 15 years or so my OCD has been relatively manageable – I have a more mature spiritual outlook that helps me stamp out rituals before they develop, and my checking is a minor nuisance that usually takes only a few minutes a day. Several years ago I was able to cut back on the SSRI, though I still take a low dose.

My main problem these days is that I tend to have some kind of major OCD episode every 6 to 18 months. Currently I’m experiencing a resurgence of washing and contamination fears, which I haven’t had since the days of Crocodile Dundee and the fall of the USSR. I wasn’t expecting them, and they’ve gotten the upper hand before I knew how to respond.

Usually these episodes last two or three weeks (too short for an increase in SSRI dose to do any good) but this one has been going on for about six. I hate to permanently take a higher dose of medication when I’m usually fine without it, but I’m tired of these grueling periods of anxiety popping up out of the blue. Does anyone have advice on dealing with OCD when it makes a resurgence or takes a sudden new direction? I’m thinking that establishing a relationship with a therapist might give me some support when I need it. I’ve also considered finding a local support group. And I’m not opposed to permanently upping my medication if there’s no other option, but it’s not my first choice.

I have an annual physical scheduled in a couple weeks so I can discuss this with my current GP, who is very knowledgeable about OCD and will hopefully help me develop a plan. I wanted to post this here, though, in case anybody has any similar experiences and words of wisdom.

Sorry for the novella – thanks for reading!

[Hidden]

Welcome to the OCD Support Network.

We are here for each other through this journey of OCD in our lifes.

I feel sorry to hear that you having been going through a difficult time with OCD.

I have severe OCD, and I do get flare ups frequently.

Usually, it happens if there is something stressful going on in life.

OCD can get stuck on anything, and will create obsessions and checking rituals for me.

Sometimes when OCD latches on anything, it can go on for many days, weeks, years.

I have OCD since 25 years of my life. and sadly, I have go through many flare ups of OCD.

I hope you feel better.

Take Care.

[MothFir in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for the support. My current obsessions do seem to have been triggered by a stressful event a few weeks ago.

[Rain2]

Hello MothFir,

I get a flare up in my OCD when I am overly stressed. I take extra (prescribed) anxiety medication until it smooths out. I have finally given in to taking more fluvoxamine than I want to take, but it really does help. Being able to recognize that these episodes are going to happen and that they will pass in time is of some comfort.

My adult son has more severe OCD than I do. He takes seroquil (anti-psychotic) as well as fluvoxamine and an anti anxiety medication. The county where we live runs a center for anyone with a mental illness that provides peer support and activities 6 days a week. That has been a recent blessing for him to interact with other people who do not judge. He has actually found the community of peers to be more helpful than a therapist at this time of his life.

I hope you feel better soon.

[MothFir in reply to Rain2]

Thank you. I have taken alprazolam for short-term relief a couple times in the past, and even at a low dose it made me a bit TOO calm. I would not have cared if the earth were falling into the sun, and it put me to sleep. I'd really like to find something that just takes the edge off when I'm having a bad episode. Meditation/mindfulness work when the obsessions are mild but not so much on my worst days.

Best wishes to you and your son.