Hi everyone, I am 60 years old and have had ocd since childhood. My question is does anxiety trigger the ocd thoughts or vice versa. It seems like they bounce off each other. The anxiety is what bothers me the most. Then I guess depression creeps in from the anxiety.
I am currently on 100mgs of Anafranil for 30 years. A year ago . 5 Rexulti was added because of a ocd/anxiety flare. I have health anxiety which seems worse with age. Hang in there everyone and keep pushing forward!
I asked myself the same question, does anxiety trigger the ocd thoughts , or is it the reverse? I also asked myself a similar question in regard to normal fears. When I encountered a bear at a turn in the path (true experience), was I afraid because I thought the animal was dangerous, or did I think the animal was dangerous because I felt afraid? In other words, am I relying on my feelings to decide what is potentially dangerous, or is it my thinking that determine whether I feel fear or not?
I think it's a little bit of both. What I perceive elicits some spontaneous emotions in me (for instance, seeing a snake may alarm me), but my thinking can control my emotions to some extent (if, for instance, I realize the snake is non-poisonous or I keep a safe distance from it).
It may be the same with OCD. For instance, seeing some items out of order may spontaneously arouse some discomfort in me, but if I get used to it or think I can live in an environment not in perfect order, that discomfort will most likely subside. However, if I dwell on that discomfort and feel some relief when I rearrange things in what I consider a perfect order, I may foster an OCD behavior pattern.
Let me take another example. A thought pops into my mind: if I don't take excessive preventive measures, bad things will happen to me or others. Question: if I were in good spirits and had good self-esteem, would that thought occupy my mind as much? Maybe not. Mood does affect our thinking. The company of others sometimes prevents us from falling into an overly pessimistic thinking pattern. Other question: if I deemed that thought in question wasn't worth my attention, would it raise my anxiety so high? Maybe not. Our thinking affects our state of mind. If I believe it's not the end of the world if the worst-case scenario does happen, it may be easier to stay serene in spite of difficult circumstances.
Conclusion: "The prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the limbic system are two brain regions that work together to create a balance between logic and emotion. The PFC is located in the front of the brain and is responsible for logical thinking, while the limbic system is located in the core of the brain and is responsible for emotions and impulses (Google)."
Thanks for you great reply. It does make sense. Take care
OCD Cycle
Intrusive thought, image or urge>Attach meaning to it>Distress(fear, anxiety, disgust, shame, guilt, etc,)>Mental or physical compulsion to negate distress(in attempt to achieve certainty that doesn’t exist)>temporary relief(this reinforces the obsession). The cycle will continue to repeat and get more ingrained as it’s based on operant and classical conditioning unless the cycle is broken. The good news is that it can be broken with appropriate help.
Hello Coffeelove4444. How it works for me is I have an intrusive thought which triggers anxiety in few seconds after the thought has risen. I agree with you, anxiety is the worst. Without anxiety I can deal with the thoughts.
Phoenix, thanks for the reply. I agree . If the anxiety stays away OCD stays in the background.
I find it helpful if I allow feelings anxiety and OCD thoughts to exist in my consciousness without attaching to either ie not focussing on either and not pushing away. They are forms of energy impinging on my consciousness, that’s all. Energy eventually dissipates. Focusing or trying to not focus on them gives them more energy.
Peacefully co-edit with the feelings and thoughts in a neutral, non reactive way.
PS this is not easy
It takes a lot of understanding the condition and practice to be able to do this. It works for me
THL1, thanks for the reply, I am working on not panicking when I feel anxiety. I guess it is the racing feeling I hate.
peacefully co exist I meant
hi there - I’m very new to this and have been living with what I believe is ocd my whole life. I’ve not had a diagnosis but I’m speaking to a psychiatrist. I have these intrusive thoughts that I find very disturbing and a huge wave of anxiety/shame/ fear comes over me and I feel I can’t breath. I’ve even started questioning my own reality in a way a has my entire past been a lie? Have you found medication works?
OCD Struggles
Struggling with OCD and Anxiety, I am new here
Every kind of OCD symptom imaginable-help
