OCD and Sertraline

[coco09]

Does anyone here has experience with OCD and taking Sertraline for the first time? I’ve always been a big control freak to the point that I developed OCD. Now that I’m on Sertraline my body goes into survival/panic mode all day and night long. I believe that’s because my body senses that it can’t have control over my feelings and what this medicine does to me. Everything is changing which just triggers anxiety in me so much. So that’s why I’m freaking out.

Any tips? Maybe to tell yourself over and over again that you are still in control over your feelings? 

I’ve noticed that distraction helps a lot. Usually I was always against distractions since it felt like I would give up a little of my control over myself. But it helps now. It’s just the moments when I’m alone and it’s quite that are brutal. 

[Dempsey1919]

I'm on sertraline they help me the best of all tablets for ocd. Don't forget ocd is the doubting disease, it could all be your mind playing tricks with you.

[coco09 in reply to Dempsey1919]

Thank you so much for this! I have never looked at OCD as a doubting disease but now that you say that, I notice that I’m doubting a lot and feel very unsure. Trusting is a real challenge. So I’m really trying to trust the process here and how much time it takes. Because that is the thing that scares me in the end, that I’ll never get better. That could be OCD as well.

[coco09 in reply to Dempsey1919]

May I ask on how many mg you are on? And what dosage helps the best for you?

[Dempsey1919 in reply to coco09]

I'm on 150 mil a day. Yes ocd is called the doubting disease,it makes you second guess everything you stand for,attacks your morals,values ect. Only people who worry get ocd as anxiety fuels ocd. Without worry I don't think there will be much ocd with my type if ocd anyway which is harm ocd and bad people don't worry and seek help,but good people do. I hope that helps a little. And remember try not to get reassurance as much as that is a big compulsion of ocd.

[Dempsey1919 in reply to coco09]

And remember with ocd we all like to feel in control and have absolute certainty. But life can never be certain, you have to embrace uncertainty, once you do that by saying I can't control everything you will feel anxious at first but it will get easier for you. You have to live with uncertainty that's what ocd craves is certainty you have to have the mindset I can't control external things but I can control me,internal things.

[coco09 in reply to Dempsey1919]

You are right, thanks so much for reminding me!

[Dempsey1919 in reply to coco09]

It's OK, remember most of our problems don't even exist they are all in our head. They do not exist.

[DocdMom]

speaking for my son’s experience. When he first went in Sertraline his anxiety skyrocketed for the first few weeks and after any increase. He was very sensitive to increases so the doctor had to very slowly adjust (by smaller dose increases than normal). Afterward we did genetic testing and realized it was not a great match for him based on how he metabolizes that med. We are now trying something else, however I am beginning to think that the Sertraline actually addressed the OCD issues better than the med we are on now. Unfortunately.

[coco09 in reply to DocdMom]

Thanks for your comment. I can also feel that Sertraline is really testing my ocd. I’m trying to accept that and see it as a helpful thing to learn to let go more. But once your body reacts so intensely to it, it’s really hard. It also feels like it’s all going so fast. My mind and body are trying to keep up with each other. But it has not even been a week for me yet so I hope that it eventually balances out. Has your son’s anxiety gotten better now?

[DocdMom in reply to coco09]

yes he experienced the same racing brain. It did eventually slow down as he adjusted. I don’t know how large your dose increases are, but he couldn’t handle more than 25 mg at a time. Hang in there!

[Dempsey1919 in reply to coco09]

I hope you find meds that help with you. To me sertraline works great,it's not a sedative but it is I ssri which is specifically for ocd. I was on wrong medication for a while and when I saw my psychiatrist he told me I'm on the wrong medication for ocd. In Britain there really ain't enough help or understanding for ocd. It is a very complex condition. I've had it since 15 but was not diagnosed till 24 and very little help. Now I'm 42,I know everything about my ocd but it's hard to stop my rituals which is mostly mental.

[Dempsey1919 in reply to coco09]

Practice mindfulness and I don't mean just do it once or twice,really Practice it. I've been doing it years,completely self taught. I have become very good at it. Go in play store and install medito. It's completely free and will teach you from scratch how to Practice mindful meditation. I've become so good at it,I no longer need to be guided. I do ten mins each session.

[Dempsey1919 in reply to coco09]

It takes 4 to 6 weeks for sertraline to start working.