I suffer from extreme OCD. My OCD torments me 24/7. I get no relief, not even for a second. I'm 20 and I feel that my life is completly ruined and I feel like a complete loser because of my OCD. I have never been able to act like a normal person. School was a living nightmare. All of the other kids and even the teacher made fun of me and laughed at me because of all the crazy rituals I did. I couldn't take it any more so I dropped out of school in 7th grade. They usually don't let kids drop out until highschool, but for me they made an exception. So here I am now. I'm 20 and I have missed 6 years of school. I'm going back to school this year. But my OCD is just as bad, if not worse than it was back in grade school. I have tried different medications, but they don't phase my OCD. So I feel hopeless.
You could try inositol, which is a natural substance in your body. It isn't considered a vitamin because the body can manufacture it, but you can think of it like a vitamin. My son is taking it for his OCD symptoms but he just started so I don't know yet if it is going to work. In one study that was done (but with only 13 people) it was found to help these people that had not responded to medication.) It is a little expensive, but you can find it online for a lower price. (You can get it at a health food store.) It takes 6 weeks to work, and I think you need to continue to take the inositol permanantly, but the only side effects are that some people get gas and diarrhea for a few days, but it usually goes away as the body adjusts.
This is the usual protocol:
Week 1 - 1 teaspoon/2x per day
Week 2 - 1 teaspoon/3x per day
Week 3 - 1.5 teaspoons/3x per day
Week 4 - 2 teaspoons/3x per day
Week 5 - 2.5 teaspoons/3x per day
Week 6 - 3 teaspoons/3x per day
You can look up more information about this online. It is also helpful for trichotillomania (hair pulling).
At 20, you're life is really only beginning. Don't let OCD ruin your life. It's not OCD itself, but maybe the way you are trying to manage it. If medications have not helped, have you tried therapy? Also, there are some really good books on this subject that maybe can help you to start to manage. My OCD started at age 21 but it wasn't until I was 26 that I actually found out what I had and after I bought the book "Brain Lock" by Jeffrey Schwartz, I slowly started to get a handle on it but it's still a work in progress. I have great days, and I have miserable days but I feel much more informed then when I was 21 and the rituals consumed every minute of my day. It's unfortunate that you had to leave school and it's a great thing that you're going back, but if your OCD is still so prominent in your life, there still may be difficulty ahead. Try to buy some books on the subject or seek out a therapy group, maybe try a different medication once you've seen a doctor but definitely do not give up hope that you can regain a sense of happiness even with OCD. It is treatable, you just have to find the right combination that will work for you.
