Flowers4992: Coping with OCD after quiting medication?

[Flowers4992]

Hello,

 

I am fairly new to this community. I have been researching a lot but unfortunately can’t find much about OCD and coping without medication. I was wondering if anyone has any insight into this? 
 

thank you 

Edited January 2 by FireflyFyte
Updated title

[FireflyFyte]

Hi Flowers4992,

 

Welcome to SA. Please summarize your drug history in your signature by following the instructions at How to Summarize Your Drug History in Your Signature. Would recommend that you create your signature on a computer versus a mobile device.

 

Here are a few resources about coping without medication -

• Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms
• Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) for anxiety, depression, and withdrawal symptoms

If you don't already see a therapist, it might be something to consider in learning skills to address your OCD.

Thanks,

 

Firefly

[mstimc]

Hi @Flowers4992 I have dealt with OCD ad anxiety for several years, and I've learned some very effective coping strategies that are far more effective than medications.  Have you looked into any CBT or ERP based therapies?

[Flowers4992]

Hello, yes prior going on to medication I tried some cbt and also tried some erp but she just kept saying my ocd was too severe for therapy and I needed medication. 
I have also been told by other doctors I might need long term medication because my ocd is so severe

I don’t want to do that, I want to be able to come off from medication and cope without it because I don’t think the medication is healthy for my body.

I think it helped me during a crisis period but I don’t want to be on it long term 

[Flowers4992]

@FireflyFyte

 

It’s just really disappointing a lot of ocd therapists said to me my ocd was so severe that I needed medication  

I am only on a low dose of setraline at 25mg now and am stable as was going through a crisis but I don’t want to be on this long term and want to be able to cope with my ocd without medication.

Its just in this community I don’t see too much written from people with ocd  

[FireflyFyte]

1 minute ago, Flowers4992 said:

It’s just really disappointing a lot of ocd therapists said to me my ocd was so severe that I needed medication  

 

While it might be difficult, would try to find a therapist who is willing to work with you regardless of medication or not.

 

1 minute ago, Flowers4992 said:

Its just in this community I don’t see too much written from people with ocd  

 

OCD does come up here. I would use the search functionality (How to find just about anything on this site) to find applicable threads. 

[mstimc]

3 minutes ago, Flowers4992 said:

Hello, yes prior going on to medication I tried some cbt and also tried some erp but she just kept saying my ocd was too severe for therapy and I needed medication. 
I have also been told by other doctors I might need long term medication because my ocd is so severe

I don’t want to do that, I want to be able to come off from medication and cope without it because I don’t think the medication is healthy for my body.

I think it helped me during a crisis period but I don’t want to be on it long term 

I had OCD quite badly--health anxiety, impostor syndrome, self-judgementalism, you name it.  Medication really can't address the underlying thought patterns and negative thinking habits that cause OCD.  If I learned to manage mine, anyone can. My therapist gave me "homework" and made sure I practiced what we discussed during our sessions.  That constant practice really helped. That's the kind of therapist I'd look for. 

[Flowers4992]

Yes I don’t think it can reduce the compulsions, the medication just numbs me enough to stop ruminating as much and sometimes with the medication affecting my short term memory I sometimes even forget what I was trying to ruminate about but I know the medication isn’t healthy for my body.

it’s just frustrating because a lot of therapists just said where I kept going around in circles about my ocd obsessions in the session that I needed medication to start working on the ocd 

[FireflyFyte]

12 minutes ago, Flowers4992 said:

it’s just frustrating because a lot of therapists just said where I kept going around in circles about my ocd obsessions in the session that I needed medication to start working on the ocd 

 

Since you are currently on medication, I would work on a therapist to begin building skills to address your OCD and rely on them when you are ready to start tapering.

[Flowers4992]

@FireflyFyte

im just worried when I come off the medication that my ocd will be too strong to use the skills I have learnt 

[mstimc]

Just now, Flowers4992 said:

@FireflyFyte

im just worried when I come off the medication that my ocd will be too strong to use the skills I have learnt 

That's your OCD and anxiety talking. Its making you play "what if" games in your head.  OCD always demands reassurance.  It wants you to think you have a unique form of OCD that can't be managed by coping skills.  It wants to keep you trapped between worrying about taking medication and worrying about "incurable" OCD, so it freezes you in place.  Ask yourself if you're happy where are now.  If not, then where would you like to be? I'm assuming free of medication and able to manage your OCD.  Work toward that instead of being afraid of the what-ifs. If one type of therapy doesn't work, you can always try something else, but being stuck where you are now isn't where you want to be. 

[Flowers4992]

I don’t think it’s just an anxiety worry, I think it’s because my ocd got so bad again that I had to go back on medication so I’m worried that would happen again

[mstimc]

3 minutes ago, Flowers4992 said:

I don’t think it’s just an anxiety worry, I think it’s because my ocd got so bad again that I had to go back on medication so I’m worried that would happen again

Then you need to ask yourself what you intend to do. You want to be off the meds but you're afraid being off the meds will make your OCD worse.  What would you like to do?

[Flowers4992]

Well I don’t want to be on the medication but I also want to be able to cope with the ocd, I’m just worried what I want wont be possible 

[Doctorsrcrap]

I dint like the term OCD I prefer the term worrier. OCD is a label which is unhelpful and quite frankly demeaning. Where as worrier just shows you are a kind caring person. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with you. You just worry more than most. This isn't a life long sentence. By finding ways of dealing with the worry thoughts you can break the cycle. The cycle cam be broken. 

Please dont label yourself with something that can be changed. 

Welcome to the community 

[Flowers4992]

Hello, I understand labels can been quite unhelpful sometimes, but I do feel like I have obsessive thoughts and I do have compulsions to carry out rituals 

[Doctorsrcrap]

That may be so but that doesn't mean there is anything wrong with you and that you need to be on a drug. 

Have you ever tried hypnotherapy? 

[Flowers4992]

No I did try a bit of hynotherapy but it didn’t really help that much.

The numbing of the medication did help with some of the distress from the worrying but I wanna know how I can cope without the numbing 

[FireflyFyte]

On 1/3/2024 at 7:24 AM, Flowers4992 said:

The numbing of the medication did help with some of the distress from the worrying but I wanna know how I can cope without the numbing 

 

If you do a slow taper, you can see how you can manage your OCD as you lower your medication dosage.

[Flowers4992]

Hello,

 

I am trying to do a micro taper from 25 mg of setraline using a water suspension.

 

I am really struggling with getting the suspesion correct.

I feel like it is not accurate.

I did 24.9 ml yesterday and tried to do 24.8 ml today but strangely didn’t have enough water in it and only managed to get 24.4ml even tho there was 50ml of water when I originally made it.

I don’t understand what happened to the water.

I feel like the residue of the medication is also being left in the jar.