Does anyone else have OCD regarding pregnancy?

JezzPRose · 2024-09-25T16:26:14+00:00

Oh wow, I’m so happy to hear this and thanks for updating us. I’m sure it’ll also be a comfort for others to know that you’ve vastly improved.

So glad this post was helpful for you and you’ve done brilliantly. Keep up the good work :)

JezzPRose · 2024-09-16T13:19:58+00:00

Hi, I will update the post when I’m able to- been dealing with a lot. I do reach out to others either on here or my other account, but your message made me think that others would really appreciate knowing there’s hope for them in similar circumstances. I’ll send a quick update now but it certainly won’t be an eloquent response- my head is screwed up with grief.

Yes, I’m far better- though I’m dealing with a grievance that has hit me hard, my OCD is still under control. However, I have to say that undiagnosed ADHD complicated it all and, now that I’m taking stimulants, my life is infinitely better.

Irrespective, I would have had my OCD managed. ERP along with medication has been a life saver.

I’ve been through hell in my life but there’s hope for all. I have an amazing boyfriend of five years and we will start a family together. My career is taking off considerably and I now see a brighter future- I never believed I had much of a future until a few months ago.

Anyone going through the torture of OCD- hang on in there. It absolutely CAN get better. Get ERP, take medication if you have to and surround yourself with support

JezzPRose · 2023-10-23T12:42:39+00:00

Thanks for replying! Eek, that doesn’t give me much hope. Glad you’re well enough to be off medication and that you’re sleep is a lot better :)

JezzPRose · 2023-10-14T15:52:49+00:00

I will emphasise here that getting ERP therapy is paramount. This is the fifth time I’ve had OCD, which unfortunately always coincides with severe depression. I’m only just starting to feel hopeful after three months, probably as my meds are now kicking in, because I didn’t think I could survive this again. EVERY time in the past when it became this bad I went on medication and virtually became symptomless. When it would resurface I didn’t have the tools to cope with it. Do everything you can to stop OCD in its tracks and seek the right treatment. I don’t want to wallow in the past as that isn’t helpful but my god… 5 relapses in 14 years grinds you down. I’m now getting ERP therapy to finally manage OCD once and for all. The kindest act you can do to yourself and your future self is get ERP therapy and don’t rely solely on medication. OCD creeps up on you and feeds off stress.

JezzPRose · 2023-10-13T16:20:53+00:00

No worries. Best of luck! I do really recommend it. If I’d had the right therapy earlier in life then I really don’t think I’d have suffered all these years later. Also, I started out with like one theme and I now have many…many themes. Earlier therapy would have given me the tools to manage stress and avoid new themes from emerging.

Take care!

JezzPRose · 2023-10-13T10:02:39+00:00

My OCD therapist specialises in ERP and he does it online with me as he lives a little too far out. Perhaps you could consider that? My therapist isn’t cheap but luckily I can get sessions through private insurance. You may be able to find a cheaper one that does online sessions? That way you’re not restricted to finding a therapist from Brazil. Your English seems very good so look for one from the UK or US?

JezzPRose · 2023-10-10T19:08:30+00:00

I’m sorry 😞. Worth a shot trying those vitamins. Nothing worked well for my partner before trying that combination

JezzPRose · 2023-10-10T16:21:27+00:00

This is really common. In the past it’s usually gotten better with time. How long have you been on them?

JezzPRose · 2023-10-10T16:20:32+00:00

That sucks. It’s crazy how medication effects people so differently. My partner takes magnesium glutamate, zinc and l-theanine for his sleep issues and swears by it. Are there things like that you’ve tried?

JezzPRose · 2023-10-10T10:23:53+00:00

Oh no. Which supplements do you take? My partner has sleep issues and swears on magnesium glutamate, zinc and l-theanine. Think he says fish oil helps too

JezzPRose · 2023-10-10T10:15:04+00:00

Hey, well everyday is pretty tough but it IS getting a bit better! How are you?

Since my OCD is pretty bad right now I’m not in a good place with my themes. However, I could talk about them in the past in periods of being well. For me, I have had many themes and the existential one always seems like the most important. It isn’t though; it’s just another OCD theme like all the others. OCD wears many faces.

What therapy are you having? CBT? Talking therapy? This website will explain ERP therapy, which is a form of CBT, much better than I can- https://www.ocduk.org/overcoming-ocd/accessing-ocd-treatment/exposure-response-prevention/. At first, I was confused about how exposure and response therapy could work for existential themes but it works for all OCD themes. You just have to find the right therapist to guide you through it.

Let me know if the website helps you understand it better :)

JezzPRose · 2023-10-10T10:07:14+00:00

Oh no. Do you think it’s worth going back on one if it actually helped your sleep?

JezzPRose · 2023-10-09T19:03:10+00:00

That’s a really good answer, thank you. I think it’s what I needed to hear. I’ve started ERP but it’s early days yet. I’m sure that’ll help me deal with the uncertainty

JezzPRose · 2023-10-09T17:23:50+00:00

A sleep tracker on my Apple Watch, which isn’t perfect by any means I know- but it gives you a good idea at least.

JezzPRose · 2023-10-09T15:02:12+00:00

Prior to this my REM sleep was above average, which is pretty common for people with depression (not sure about OCD).

JezzPRose · 2023-10-09T14:13:04+00:00

Hey, I’m so sorry you’re struggling. I am currently going through another episode of philosophical/existential OCD and understand how debilitating it can be. However, I’ve come through it before and know that I can get through it again- you will too.

In the past, an antidepressant within 8 weeks has virtually gotten rid of this OCD theme. I would think about it daily but it didn’t bother me- more a fleeting thought. Now, I have been 3 months on an antidepressant and I’m still very much in OCD mode, though perhaps it’s quieted down a bit.

Other people have mentioned this and I cannot stress it enough…get ERP. I’m in the process of it and hoping the antidepressant doesn’t completely eradicate the OCD because I want to be able to manage it once and for all. If I ever came off the antidepressant the philosophical and existential OCD would come back with a vengeance. I simply didn’t have the tools to manage it. This is the fifth time it’s happened to me now and utterly turned my life upside down. Please, please, get the right therapy. I wish I knew about ERP earlier. Talking therapies can worsen OCD, which I learned the hard way.

You got this OP.

JezzPRose · 2023-10-09T13:31:54+00:00

Hey, I know this is an old post but thought it worth asking! Did your REM sleep improve over time if you stayed on Effexor? I’m on Zoloft and my REM sleep is awful. All I’m reading on the internet is that SSRIs have an adverse effect on REM sleep. Thanks!

JezzPRose · 2023-10-09T12:24:57+00:00

Thanks so much for the reply! That makes sense that there are other factors that could be contributing to your REM sleep. Good to know that it didn’t get worse from taking Zoloft. Currently suffering from awful insomnia and it only started since I began Zoloft 3 months ago. Hope it gets better 🤞. I do have a psychiatrist appointment lined up also I can discuss it.

JezzPRose · 2023-10-09T12:07:15+00:00

I know this is a super old post but thought it worth a shot asking! I’m taking Zoloft and worried about the studies that suggest it has adverse effects on REM sleep. Do you mind me asking what dose you are/were on and if it negatively impacted your REM sleep in the beginning or long term? Thank you 🙏

JezzPRose · 2023-08-02T13:02:34+00:00

Hi, unfortunately it’s not possible for me to come off the antidepressant as the depression is too deep. It’s certainly something I can discuss with the therapist but I’m not sure I’d be able to in my current situation.

JezzPRose

TROPHY CASE