GettingWellAgain
10-22-2003, 01:01 PM
Hi,
As some of you might know, I have always had OCD, but due to a mysterious illness that I developed, my OCD is "full-blown" and out of control. I can't work right now due to illness and the constant obsessing about it. Anyway, my schedule was waking up at 3 or 4 in the afternoon, and going to bed at 5 or 6 in the morning. I was depressed on this schedule as I never saw the light of day and hope about recovering from my illness was deteriorating so I decided to change my sleep schedule. I stayed up all night one night and the next day, as I had to get my wisdom teeth out. After getting the teeth out, I started sleeping from the middle of the afternoon to about 2 or 3 in the morning, and then staying up all day. This was also not an ideal schedule, so I once again stayed up all day, all night, and went to bed early the next night to get on a schedule of going to bed early and waking up early. I knew this was unhealthy, but it had to be done. I couldn't sleep because I was so overtired, and it took me days, but now I'm finally on the schedule that I wanted to be on. During the past few days, due to being tired, I suppose, I have had horrible mood swings, and have been obsessing so much that I even had a mini-breakdown and was sure that I was going "crazy." Today, I woke up and feel fine. I have only obsessed a little bit, and although I'm overjoyed, I can't help but wonder why today my obsessions are better. Is it because I recovered from my sleep deprivation? Could sleep have had that much of an effect on my mental health? Also, I went down on my trazodone in the past month, which is helpful with obessions. Sorry about the lengthy post, and thank you for reading. Take care :)
As some of you might know, I have always had OCD, but due to a mysterious illness that I developed, my OCD is "full-blown" and out of control. I can't work right now due to illness and the constant obsessing about it. Anyway, my schedule was waking up at 3 or 4 in the afternoon, and going to bed at 5 or 6 in the morning. I was depressed on this schedule as I never saw the light of day and hope about recovering from my illness was deteriorating so I decided to change my sleep schedule. I stayed up all night one night and the next day, as I had to get my wisdom teeth out. After getting the teeth out, I started sleeping from the middle of the afternoon to about 2 or 3 in the morning, and then staying up all day. This was also not an ideal schedule, so I once again stayed up all day, all night, and went to bed early the next night to get on a schedule of going to bed early and waking up early. I knew this was unhealthy, but it had to be done. I couldn't sleep because I was so overtired, and it took me days, but now I'm finally on the schedule that I wanted to be on. During the past few days, due to being tired, I suppose, I have had horrible mood swings, and have been obsessing so much that I even had a mini-breakdown and was sure that I was going "crazy." Today, I woke up and feel fine. I have only obsessed a little bit, and although I'm overjoyed, I can't help but wonder why today my obsessions are better. Is it because I recovered from my sleep deprivation? Could sleep have had that much of an effect on my mental health? Also, I went down on my trazodone in the past month, which is helpful with obessions. Sorry about the lengthy post, and thank you for reading. Take care :)
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franjava22
10-24-2003, 02:31 PM
I totally believe that sleep dep. is the reason your OCD was out of control. Sleep deprevation can affect all mental health issues (depression, anxiety, OCD, even mental illnesses such as Schiz, and can cause people to desire their addictions -drugs, alcohol - even more than usual.) Sleep is when our brains and bodies both rest. I don't believe these morons who say they function just fine on 5-6 hrs. of sleep. I need 8-9, and I'm still a grouch! Find a sleep schedule that allows you freedoms of soicializing and doing the things you love, but lets you get a good amount of sleep. Then, stick to it! Staying up late one night a week for a party or something is fine, but take a nap the next day if possible. Avoid caffiene after 4 or 5 PM, too. Sweet dreams!!
hangtenvetter
10-24-2003, 10:20 PM
Hi, Solstice. Glad that you have gotten on the schedule you wanted. And double glad that the obsessions have gotten better. I don't know how good sleep affects ocd, but I just wanted to say good luck.
joey2276
11-20-2003, 05:30 AM
I would say it is probably your sleep. Can I ask what is the other symptoms you are having? this mystery illness? I had a mystery illness for 6 years till they diagosed it.....fibromyalgia......it is an illness that affects one out of 50 people and basically you get really bad deep stage sleep and as a result you are depreesed, have joint stiffness, cognitive problems, horrible fatigue; feel jet-lagged all the time....its the pits......I have had OCD for 3 years; before that had perfect brain chemistry and I believe the OCD was brought on by 2 things; one was a major change in meds for me; lowering 2 powerfull meds that dealt with seratonin and dopamine; the other is the sleep deprivation from the fibromyalgia. I know on days that I sleep well my OCD is much better; on my bad sleep days or when I am more exhausted my OCD is much worse. I believe if they come up with a cure for the fibromyalgia (with gene therapy or stem cell research) and I can sleep normal again everything will resolve.
Anyway for your question though; could be the medication adjustment too but sleep could really have put you into an OCD flare in my opinion.
Joey
Anyway for your question though; could be the medication adjustment too but sleep could really have put you into an OCD flare in my opinion.
Joey
GettingWellAgain
11-20-2003, 12:48 PM
Joey,
I'm sorry to hear about you having fibromyalgia. I've always been interested in fibro since it seems so complex, but I think what I have is an inner ear disorder. I list that I DO have one because I'm almost positive. I saw an ear, nose, and throat doctor a few months back and he couldn't give me a clear diagnosis, I had an MRI which was normal, but I have a neurology appointment in February. (In FEBRUARY, can you believe it!?)The ear nose, and throat doctor said that I DO have fluid in my inner ears, but couldn't provide me with anything but a change in diet, which didn't help. My main symptom is the vertigo, and then there is the muscle weakness, trembling to the point of almost convulsing, having heart palpitations, numbness in my tongue and my face, pain in the back of my neck and head, and then the depression and anxiety which is made worse by the illness, of course. Also, I think I may be hypoglycemic from being overweight and losing so much weight than I'm now underweight, so I also have an appointment with an endocrinologist coming up. I wish you the best of luck with the fibro, and hope you have more good days than bad. Take care:)
Dina
I'm sorry to hear about you having fibromyalgia. I've always been interested in fibro since it seems so complex, but I think what I have is an inner ear disorder. I list that I DO have one because I'm almost positive. I saw an ear, nose, and throat doctor a few months back and he couldn't give me a clear diagnosis, I had an MRI which was normal, but I have a neurology appointment in February. (In FEBRUARY, can you believe it!?)The ear nose, and throat doctor said that I DO have fluid in my inner ears, but couldn't provide me with anything but a change in diet, which didn't help. My main symptom is the vertigo, and then there is the muscle weakness, trembling to the point of almost convulsing, having heart palpitations, numbness in my tongue and my face, pain in the back of my neck and head, and then the depression and anxiety which is made worse by the illness, of course. Also, I think I may be hypoglycemic from being overweight and losing so much weight than I'm now underweight, so I also have an appointment with an endocrinologist coming up. I wish you the best of luck with the fibro, and hope you have more good days than bad. Take care:)
Dina
TerryB
11-20-2003, 07:13 PM
Katalina, I do believe that OCD is worsened by sleep deprivation. I also suspect that there is some connection between autoimmune disease and OCD. We already know that some people have OCD directly as a result of Strep antibodies. My 4 yr old daughter has Rheumatoid arthritis and the two conditions wax and wane together. There is a research interest ongoing right now regarding immune factors and OCD.
GettingWellAgain
11-20-2003, 08:08 PM
TerryB,
That's incredibly interesting. Can you give me some more examples of autoimmune diseases? I actually know nothing about them, and I feel dumb asking this, but is an inner ear disorder (a vestibular disorder) an autoimmune disease? Because I always had anxiety, but I developed OCD with vestibular disorder....
That's incredibly interesting. Can you give me some more examples of autoimmune diseases? I actually know nothing about them, and I feel dumb asking this, but is an inner ear disorder (a vestibular disorder) an autoimmune disease? Because I always had anxiety, but I developed OCD with vestibular disorder....
TerryB
11-20-2003, 10:07 PM
MS, Type I Diabetes, Scleroderma, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriasis, Lupus, Inflammatory Bowel Disease. There are about 60 AI diseases from what I understand. OCD centers around the country have received Federal research grants to study a link to autoimmunity. I still think personally that most, if not all, people with OCD have a genetic susceptibility. But the question is "what brings it out". If you want to know more you can do a Google search. The researcher that I met personally was studying cerebral spinal fluid concentrations of "tumor-necrosis factor" (TNF) in children with OCD at the Yale Child Study Center. TNF is an inflammatory mediator. There are anti-TNF medications for Rheumatoid arthritis already. I don't know if Fibromyalgia is an AI disease or not but that ought to be easy enough to research online.
GettingWellAgain
11-20-2003, 10:35 PM
TerryB-
Wow, you're extremely educated on this subject. I'm definitely going to do some research myself, that is such interesting information, thanks for that:)
Wow, you're extremely educated on this subject. I'm definitely going to do some research myself, that is such interesting information, thanks for that:)
lklaho
11-25-2003, 02:58 PM
Hi
I am certain that sleep depravation is a large factor. The first time I started to get serious obssessions, in the past two years, I was working and travelling non-stop. I had symptoms before, but it became unbearable. (and I didn't know what it was for a year and it took 11 months to get help once I realised what it was). I, rather foolishly, did another marathon travel work session a month ago - and had to go to the hospital because I could not stop shaking. They did not seem too surprised that I had deteriorated so much. So - now I am trying to keep myself rested and it makes a huge difference. I hope have had some releif too.
I am certain that sleep depravation is a large factor. The first time I started to get serious obssessions, in the past two years, I was working and travelling non-stop. I had symptoms before, but it became unbearable. (and I didn't know what it was for a year and it took 11 months to get help once I realised what it was). I, rather foolishly, did another marathon travel work session a month ago - and had to go to the hospital because I could not stop shaking. They did not seem too surprised that I had deteriorated so much. So - now I am trying to keep myself rested and it makes a huge difference. I hope have had some releif too.