No, it probably won't be like this forever. Anxiety and obsessive behaviour is a condition that does respond well to drugs and psychotherapy. It's a heck of a battle for some, but it's rare that you see somebody fully commit to treatment and not make progress. Five years ago I said the same things as you. I haven't really dealt with any of my obsessive behaviours at all in the last three years. There was a time when I had to leave my girlfriend in a restaurant alone on our anniversary (without money to pay the bill) just so I could satisfy one of my obsessive compulsions to check my locks. I had safety OCD at one point.
I was at rock bottom, and committed to treatment at that point. I was prepared to let everything else go in order to work on myself. I realized I had no other choice. It wasn't easy. I went through several types of meds. Some caused me to lose weight, some caused me to gain it. One made me extremely suicidal and meant I had to be watched by my family 24/7. Others didn't help me enough, so eventually I came off them. Eventually I found one that reduced my anxious and obsessive feelings by around 50%. I went into therapy and learnt a lot about myself and the human brain. I took up Eastern practices like meditation and yoga, and worked on my diet. I had a few addictions too, and I had to give them up, even though that was hard. I won't talk about that here, as that was a very personal journey.
It was a long road, I won't lie. It took years to get to a point where I felt free again. It sounds like you're very new to treatment and therapy. Keep hanging on in there.
Welcome to the Anxiety Forum - A Home for Those with Anxiety, Fear, or Panic Attacks.
Reply With Quote
