Help! OCD and Anxiety/Panic attacks are ruining my life!
Hello everyone. I am 27 years old and have been living with severe anxiety and panic attacks since I was 6 years old. It has kept me from having a normal life, and has prevented me from doing fun things in life. I am terrified of leaving my "comfort zones" which is basically anywhere further than an hour from my home.
I get scared and anxious in public places such as malls, movie theatres, restaurants, etc. I have an anxiety with night time, and I have developed a fear of going out at night, which is anything past 7 pm. I have tried several medications, such as Paxil and Celexa among others, but they don't really help me, and they make me gain an extreme amount of weight. When I last tried Celexa, I gained 40 lbs from it! I have been off of it for a while now, and still have not lost all the weight I gained from it.
I also have lived with OCD on and off throughout my life, but it is recently back, and worse than ever! It has taken control of my life. Simple tasks that should take 2 minutes take me 30 mins, and it has taken over parts of my life that I don't understand. My job is affected by it. Mailing a simple letter will make me crazy, and because my mind is running all day and night with obsessive thoughts, I have become mentally and physically exhausted. I know I am not the only person in the world like this, but I feel like I am. This is my first post or message board ever. I am hoping someone will read this and can relate to me. Does anyone know of any tips or suggestions on what I can do? I have seen counselors, and therapists before, but they don't help, and cost a lot of money. Also, does anyone know of any safe, anxiety/OCD medications that don't list weight gain as a side effect? My doctor said that my body could be extremely sensitive to weight gain, and that all antidepressants will probably make me gain weight. I feel helpless, and need someone to respond. Please! I appreciate any feedback that you can give me.
Re: Help! OCD and Anxiety/Panic attacks are ruining my life!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Star83
Hello everyone. I am 27 years old and have been living with severe anxiety and panic attacks since I was 6 years old. It has kept me from having a normal life, and has prevented me from doing fun things in life. I am terrified of leaving my "comfort zones" which is basically anywhere further than an hour from my home.
I get scared and anxious in public places such as malls, movie theatres, restaurants, etc. I have an anxiety with night time, and I have developed a fear of going out at night, which is anything past 7 pm. I have tried several medications, such as Paxil and Celexa among others, but they don't really help me, and they make me gain an extreme amount of weight. When I last tried Celexa, I gained 40 lbs from it! I have been off of it for a while now, and still have not lost all the weight I gained from it.
I also have lived with OCD on and off throughout my life, but it is recently back, and worse than ever! It has taken control of my life. Simple tasks that should take 2 minutes take me 30 mins, and it has taken over parts of my life that I don't understand. My job is affected by it. Mailing a simple letter will make me crazy, and because my mind is running all day and night with obsessive thoughts, I have become mentally and physically exhausted. I know I am not the only person in the world like this, but I feel like I am. This is my first post or message board ever. I am hoping someone will read this and can relate to me. Does anyone know of any tips or suggestions on what I can do? I have seen counselors, and therapists before, but they don't help, and cost a lot of money. Also, does anyone know of any safe, anxiety/OCD medications that don't list weight gain as a side effect? My doctor said that my body could be extremely sensitive to weight gain, and that all antidepressants will probably make me gain weight. I feel helpless, and need someone to respond. Please! I appreciate any feedback that you can give me.
A zoloft side effect is weight loss. I've had the same problem finding a doctor who actually could help me. Find a doctor who does Behaviorial therapy, Exposure and response therapy or ERP.
Re: Help! OCD and Anxiety/Panic attacks are ruining my life!
Star83,
You are not alone, and I can relate to your situation because I too have OCD.
I'm sorry to hear that you've been having trouble managing your signs and symptoms. It also seems like you haven't felt much relief by taking medication. From what I've gathered, medications don't affect everybody the same way, and I think it can be tricky finding the right combination based on your body and symptoms. I hope you're able to consult a psychiatrist to help you determine what works best for you. As for the weight gain, that's something that you control. I don't mean to sound harsh, and I know it can be difficult, but by exercising and watching your diet, you can temper that side-effect.
As for the signs and symptoms of your OCD, I would like you to consider reading this book: "Brain Lock: Free Yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior" by Jeffrey M. Schwartz, M.D. with Beverly Beyette. I can tell you that its four-step treatment method has helped me tremendously. You don't have to suffer for the rest of your life. Accept the fact that you have OCD, take control, and take the right steps to overcome it. This book can help you achieve these goals. You can start taking on your anxiety as well by practising some relaxation techniques, such as meditation. You will find there is a link between your OCD signs and symptoms and your anxiety level.
I wish you all the best, and take care of yourself!
Re: Help! OCD and Anxiety/Panic attacks are ruining my life!
Hello, I also suffer from OCD, panic attacks, and I don't sleep at all without prescription meds. I am 28 years old, my OCD ruins everything i do basically, I don't trust anyone cause I feel they are all out to hurt me. I don't go out with friends, (i don't really have friends) i stay at home, i clean constantly because my boyfriend of 6 years will move stuff just to annoy me.. It's pretty bad, the remotes have to be turned a certain way, towels need to be hung up evenly and so you can't see the tags on the towels.. i have problems at work because anything that is repetistious drives me crazy, the xanax do not help for the panic attacks either.. I can't stand humming, tapping, singing, chomping of food... I am a mess, I feel like I'm alone, My boyfriend of 6 years says this is just all in my head and i should be able to cure myself. He just doesn't get how hard it is to deal with OCD.. I have been diagnosed with OCD for 6 years now, but now i also feel that i may be Bipolar, i could be in a good mood one minute, and the littlest thing could make me snap, and it feels like my blood is boiling.. I take Prozac, Xanax, and Ambien for sleep.. I tend to drink alot of beer on the weekends, it seems like the only time I'm truly happy and worry free.. I hope I'm not alone, someone please tell me I'm not the only crazy girl out here in this world..
