Re: OCD gets only worse without SSRIs?
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news:qjr0a5t59rcd6t898...@4ax.com...
> My family doctor has told me that OCD will get only worse without
> SSRIs such as lexapro. Is this true? I have had OCD for years and went
> off my lexapro six months ago since when it has indeed got a lot
> worse.
> Have I reached the nadir or will it get worse unless I take lexapro?
I've never heard this idea before, and I don't see any particular reason for
it. If you still had OCD symptoms despite taking SSRIs, it would be usual
for OCD to get worse if you stopped taking them, but I'd expect that to be a
one-off effect. Take away the effect of the drug, you're left with OCD that
is exactly that much worse. Of course I'm not a doctor, but I've read a lot
about OCD and all the treatments for it, and I've never heard of such an
effect.
> I am not interested in CBT. I hate therapists.
Could you explain why? CBT is nothing like psychoanalysis, if that's what
you're thinking. If not, what ARE you thinking? CBT really is a great
method, if you could manage it.
I've cross-posted this to uk.support.mental-health, just to try and increase
the chances of someone seeing it. Not that anything much seems to happen in
that group.
A. B.
Loz
> My family doctor has told me that OCD will get only worse without
> SSRIs such as lexapro. Is this true?
Utter nonsense.
I have had OCD for years and went
> off my lexapro six months ago since when it has indeed got a lot
> worse.
Your OCD didnt get worse. Your brain was craving lexapro and you felt
worse. When that happens it feels like our OCD symptoms are worsening
even if they aren't.
I assume you are from North America? I think it's scandalous that your
shrinks get paid for prescribing pills to patients.
> Have I reached the nadir or will it get worse unless I take lexapro?
Your OCD may get better or may get worse. In my humble opinion your
intake of lexapro will play no part in what happens to your OCD through
out your life.
> I am not interested in CBT. I hate therapists.
CBT is the main way imho to tackle OCD. I've had good therapy in England
and from this Europeans point of view it is far more effective than
chucking pills down your neck.
Best wishes
Lawrence
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>Your OCD didnt get worse. Your brain was craving lexapro and you felt
>worse. When that happens it feels like our OCD symptoms are worsening even
>if they aren't.
Any doctor can tell you that nobody gets withdrawal symptoms from stopping
SSRIs.
But as a matter of fact, some people do. I don't know why the "experts"
haven't cottoned on to this yet.
> I assume you are from North America? I think it's scandalous that your
> shrinks get paid for prescribing pills to patients.
I heard that American doctors get commission on the medicines they
prescribe, is that true? (I'm from England by the way.)
> Your OCD may get better or may get worse. In my humble opinion your intake
> of lexapro will play no part in what happens to your OCD through out your
> life.
I've heard that SSRIs do improve the symptoms of OCD (for some people - all
drugs are slightly variable in their effects, but SSRIs are more so than any
other drug I know). But that's ALL they do - treat the symptoms. They will
not get rid of the OCD permanently by themselves, and when you stop taking
them their effects will disappear.
It occurs to me that what your doctor said could be true in a way. OCD does
tend to expand by itself if you don't control it, running into different
subjects and more complicated rituals and so on. If it's so strong without
the SSRIs that you can't control it enough even to keep it as it is, it
might get even worse over time. But if not, or if your OCD is fairly stable
anyway, I don't think you need to worry about it getting even worse.
Please could you say exactly why you object to CBT? It really isn't like
other forms of "therapy".
Hope this helps,
A. B.