{"id":20028,"date":"2022-12-13T11:12:38","date_gmt":"2022-12-13T16:12:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/?p=20028"},"modified":"2023-03-13T09:21:33","modified_gmt":"2023-03-13T14:21:33","slug":"turns-out-i-didnt-just-have-anxiety-i-also-had-ocd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/patient-stories\/turns-out-i-didnt-just-have-anxiety-i-also-had-ocd\/","title":{"rendered":"Turns Out I Didn\u2019t Just Have Anxiety \u2014 I Also Had OCD"},"content":{"rendered":"

I grew up tortured by anxious, intrusive thoughts. I coped in the best way I could: In elementary school, there was a period when I had to close my closet door the \u201cright way\u201d so my grandma wouldn\u2019t die.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As I got older, I found relief in a new way. I began confessing my thoughts to those closest to me. If I couldn\u2019t remedy them on my own, reassurance from my loved ones was the next best thing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I continued this <\/span>obsessive thought-confession-repeat cycle<\/span><\/a> for a few years. All the while, I assumed my obsessions were either related to the anxiety diagnosis I received in high school, or worse, that I was a horrible person.<\/span><\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until I was 27 that I learned that seeking reassurance could be a <\/span>compulsion<\/span><\/a>, a key component of obsessive-compulsive disorder. I made an appointment with a licensed professional counselor and got confirmation that my symptoms were indeed consistent with OCD.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My diagnosis changed everything. I was finally able to get the help I needed \u2014 and my quality of life improved. I\u2019m telling my story to create more awareness around a disorder that is frequently misrepresented in our culture.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

The danger of \u2018I\u2019m so OCD\u2019<\/h3>\n

Today, phrases like \u201cI\u2019m obsessed,\u201d or \u201cI\u2019m so OCD\u201d are commonly used to express approval for something or to show a preference for cleanliness or organization.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These statements can be <\/span>detrimental<\/span><\/a> to people who live with OCD\u00a0 because of how narrowly they portray the wide range of OCD subtypes. In fact, in a <\/span>2013 study<\/span><\/a> in which participants\u00a0 heard a short story describing someone with OCD, two-thirds of respondents could not correctly name OCD symptoms.<\/span><\/p>\n

About 2<\/span> million to 3 million Americans<\/span><\/a> struggle with the disorder. While OCD can present at any age, most cases appear by early adulthood.<\/span> OCD can also be confused with other mental health conditions including schizophrenia or generalized anxiety disorder, says Kristina Orlova, a licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes in anxiety and OCD. Some research shows it can take an average of up to 17 years for someone to get <\/span>appropriate OCD treatment.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

OCD is characterized by obsessions and compulsions, says Martin Seif, a psychologist and co-author of <\/span>Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts: A CBT-Based Guide to Getting over Frightening, Obsessive, or Disturbing Thoughts.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span><\/i>An obsession is a thought that arrives with a \u2018<\/span>whoosh<\/span><\/i>,\u2019 feels repugnant in some way [and] has some desire for action,\u201d says Seif. \u201cA compulsion is something that we do to try to reduce the distress that’s caused.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While everyone has distressing thoughts and obsessions at times, the fifth edition of the <\/span>Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders<\/span><\/i> (DSM-V)<\/span><\/a> differentiates OCD as being particularly \u201ctime consuming\u201d and leading to \u201cclinically significant distress or impairment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Obsessions vary from person to person and can be influenced by factors such as familial upbringing, stressors and value systems. Obsessions aren\u2019t always thoughts, they can also be unwanted urges, feelings or impulses. And many times, they can be taboo. Some might have thoughts about germs and contamination, while others might have fears of committing violence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s really a disorder in which our imagination beats us up,\u201d says Seif.<\/span><\/p>\n

Likewise, compulsions can take on numerous forms. These can be external, like avoiding triggers, sanitizing or seeking reassurance from friends or family. They can also be internal, like counting, praying or performing other similar rituals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Breaking the cycle<\/h3>\n

To treat OCD, medical providers help their patients break the obsessive-compulsive cycle.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This can be accomplished through a variety of therapies, many of which fall under the category of<\/span> cognitive behavioral therapy<\/span><\/a>, which aims to help patients understand and modify unhelpful thought patterns.<\/span><\/p>\n

One type of CBT that is especially useful for treating OCD is <\/span>exposure response prevention.<\/span><\/a> In ERP, patients are exposed to obsessions, and the goal is for them to accept discomfort, let time pass and get back to the present moment without performing a compulsion. Over time, ERP can reduce the anxiety associated with thoughts that trouble someone with OCD.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Acceptance and commitment therapy<\/span><\/a> is another approach that focuses on helping a patient develop a willingness to sit with uncomfortable feelings and emotions without acting on them. Orlova says these therapies complement each other and intend to help patients \u201cno longer fall into the bottomless hole of compulsions and get stuck in OCD Land.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Someone with OCD may try these therapies on their own, or with the help of a therapist who specializes in OCD. Orlova notes that most clients seek professional assistance when their OCD symptoms begin to interfere with daily life.<\/span><\/p>\n

When therapies are not effective on their own, treatment may be supplemented by medication.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While you may associate <\/span>selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors<\/span><\/a> with treating anxiety and depression, they can also treat OCD. I treat my disorder with an SSRI and work with a therapist on ERP exercises.<\/span><\/p>\n

One form of ERP that has been especially helpful for me is creating so-called <\/span>imaginal exposure stories<\/span><\/a>. I write a short script featuring the worst possible outcome of one of my intrusive thoughts. Then, I read the script over and over, and sit with any discomfort that arises. At first, I was too scared to even write down some of my most extreme obsessions, but as I practiced, I was surprised to find my worries started to feel boring. By leaning into discomfort, Seif says, you can build neural pathways that make it easier to deal with distressing thoughts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Life outside of \u2018OCD Land\u2019<\/h3>\n

While it can be incredibly hard to talk about OCD, it\u2019s important for me to discuss my own experience in the hope that fewer people will suffer in silence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Through this process, I\u2019ve realized that everybody has thoughts they don\u2019t like sometimes. It is how you respond \u2014 or more appropriately, <\/span>don\u2019t <\/span><\/i>respond \u2014 that makes a difference. Learning more about OCD has also helped me understand myself and my values more clearly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Like Orlova says, successfully managing OCD doesn\u2019t mean you never have an intrusive thought again, but instead \u201cwhen you do fall, being able to get up, take that next step, or two, or three, and move on.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As I continue learning how to live with OCD, I am focusing on doing just that.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Need a doctor\u2019s appointment? Find one on\u00a0Zocdoc<\/a>.<\/h1>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After I was diagnosed at 27, my cycle of anxiety finally made sense. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":93,"featured_media":20029,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[231],"tags":[12,41,71,106],"class_list":["post-20028","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-patient-stories","tag-anxiety","tag-mental-health","tag-therapy","tag-treatment","reviewer-dr-nassim-assefi"],"yoast_head":"\nTurns Out I Didn\u2019t Just Have Anxiety \u2014 I Also Had OCD - Patient Stories<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"After I was diagnosed at 27, my cycle of anxiety finally made sense.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/patient-stories\/turns-out-i-didnt-just-have-anxiety-i-also-had-ocd\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Turns Out I Didn\u2019t Just Have Anxiety \u2014 I Also Had OCD - 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