OCD taking a toll

[Strongest123]

Hello everyone on here. I’ve had OCD all my life, ever since I was a child. Lately it’s got me second guessing a lot of my actions. If I write a text to a friend I’ve gotta check to make sure I didn’t write anything derogatory. If I’m in my house and I use the bathroom sink I’ve gotta check it over and over to make sure I’m not creating a flood, it’s utterly exhausting. Anyways I am on medication for it, Zoloft, but I think I may need to change meds. I’ve also been trying to cut caffeine cause I’m sure it doesn’t help with the intrusive thoughts. Any advice would be most helpful. Thank you. SAMSON

[Mom2DnJ]

Are you doing ERP with an OCD specialist. Trintellex.

[Sallyskins]

If caffeine makes it worse, by all means cut it out. But I'm not sure that is necessary. Just as long as you don't take too much, I think it's all right.

Caffeine is my only recreational drug, and I don't want to cut it out! But I do limit myself to 2 cups of coffee a day - I don't limit my tea, as the caffeine uptake from it is lower.

Medication can help greatly, but it isn't enough on its own. I too am on sertraline, but without CBT/ERP I would be struggling much more.

CBT and ERP aren't easy to do, but the medication helps to make it less painful. It involves not checking and tolerating the discomfort for as long as possible, and waiting for the panic to subside.

So if you text a friend, trying checking once, and then leave it. Resist the temptation to check again. The feelings of panic will swell, but they will subside, particularly if you get on with other things so that your mind is distracted.

Similarly, if you use the basin in the bathroom, check briefly to make sure the taps are turned off properly, and then leave it. Don't go back and check again. Again, the feelings of panic will swell, and then subside - it's likely that you've forgotten all about it!

The proof will be when your friend texts back normally, or when the place isn't flooded.

But best to get a CBT/ERP practitioner to help you. Books can help - I always suggest Overcoming Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and The OCD Workbook, which are CBT-based and which have exercises you can adapt to yourself.

[Strongest123 in reply to Sallyskins]

Thank you for your response. I’m currently on Zoloft and Tintrillex. I’ve been on those two medications for quite sometime. I actually ran out of my Tintrillex recently and was off of it for a few days. Maybe that’s what’s triggering the OCD episodes? Maybe, maybe not. And of course stressful situations don’t help the OCD, only exacerbates it. SAMSON