Mom with OCD

[JessBean1985]

Hey everyone...wondering if there are an fellow Moms/Dads who experience high anxiety and OCD...I struggle with intrusive thoughts which feel like a living hell most days. I have struggled since I was pregnant and have had many highs and lows. Recently I had what I've read to be an "anxiety relapse" and I felt like all of my progress quickly went down the drain. Anyone have some words of encouragement? ;(

[jessy]

Hi I'm a mum with anxiety & depression going through a though time . Feel free to pm me any time .
I used to have bad OCD when I was younger but that has got easier through therapy & time .
What is your OCD based around ? X

[JessBean1985]

Scary aggressive thoughts, usually....it's embarrassing to even write, as its so far from my character.

[alankay]

Are you on a ssri like luvox? Any ssri might help allot. Alankay

[JessBean1985]

I'm actually not on any medication...trying to deal with this without pills. I have nothing bad to say about people who take meds, I've just learned that they aren't for me. A lot of m anxiety is based on medications....Some days are so hard I reconsider, and will be going to see a psychiatrist in Oct.

[str8trippin]

Hey There...I'm a single mom of a five year old and I struggle with anxiety (a lot of health anxiety) and the same kind of OCD you are talking about with intrusive thoughts. I've been doing really good, overall, but I honestly feel like I'm having an existential crisis of sorts at the moment. I've never been the type of person to question my existence and what it means and blah blah blah, and I've never considered myself to be a person that feared death, but since having anxiety it's constantly on my mind and I'm getting really overwhelmed by it. It's so out of character for me. I just turned 27 years old and I'm tired of thinking about it all the time. I'm young...I want to live my life without constantly feeling like that is overshadowing me. It's beginning to feel like I can't move forward in life because I'm stuck in such a place of fear and dread. I have a hard time making decisions or thinking about the future. I'm in the same boat with medications...they're not for me, so I'm coping on my own at the moment. Therapy has been a bust so far as well.

[JessBean1985]

Str8trippin, I feel your pain. My worries are sometimes centered around my health, as I am struggling with quitting smoking and always beating myself up...I am filled with a lot of guilt and shame. My intrusive thoughts ruin my life. I have been to see therapists, ER doctors, psychiatrists, my family doc, and have attended group therapy in the past two years...they calmed down or a while, but I heard a horrific story on the news about child abuse and the questions started flowing like mad..."What if I was capable of doing something like that?" "What if tis isn't actually anxiety, but I am a crazy person??" I'm sure you know the drill. I watch my little girl through the week while my fiancée works...Nothing bad EVER happens so one would think that my brain would click in to the fact that it's absolutely ridiculous. It seems to be fading a bit...like, it's not right in the front of my mind all day long anymore. But I still have a hard time. I look forward to weekends, but when they come I find I am worrying about Monday...Ugh. I hate this

[brightenmyday]

Hi! I definately feel your pain as I suffer from intrusive thoughts as well! I've only known I was unexpectadly pregnant for 2 weeks and the anxiety and intrusive thoughts has been through the roof! I found myself wishing to miscarry even though that would devastate me and I was also having thoughts like "what if I get frustrated with the baby or I'm not coping and I physically hurt them" "I can't be alone with the baby" and it scared me to think like that and I was petrified to say it out loud because I thought people would be waiting for me to give birth to take my baby away but I told my psychologist how I was feeling and she said there is no way you will hurt that baby! She said every single person has intrusive thoughts from time to time and it is very common for mothers to think that way but while most people can brush it aside people who suffer from OCD dwell on it and obsess over it and fear acting on such thoughts. It doesn't make you a bad person and you are NOT your thoughts! The reason that we feel that way is because in reality we want to protect out babies from all the scary things in the world that our mind makes us believe that we are a threat which leads to heightened anxiety and more intrusive thoughts. It's important to remember how many times have you actually acted on intrusive thoughts? My guess is rarely because we know we don't like them! Sorry that its long but I hope this helps you! Don't fight the thoughts just ride them out, observe them, acknowledge that it is just an unhelpful thought and move on! Wishing you the best!