Intrusive thoughts, sertraline, ocd, anxiety and depression
Posted , 6 users are following.
so ive posted a couple of times. Been on sertraline past 3 or 4 months now. Started at 50, now on 100mg. Been doing quite well and def improvement but still nit my old self. having a bad time this past week with intrusive thoughts coming back quite strongly which is making me very anxious and in turn, very down. I kniw logically the thoughts are not me but OCD reacting to a thought that is very disturbing. The reason i am so anxious is, because of the OCD, im scared im starting to believe that the thiughts must be true. Shoukd i increase meds and has anybody else had experience with inteusive thoughts?
thanks
1 like, 9 replies
james5166 Nervous12
Edited
Hi I've been on sertraline for 2 years now . at first I thought I was doing ok . then my meds were increased my thoughts were horrible and at times frightening . I had a really good doctor and support at home . also reading other people's experiences really helped . the medicine takes time to level out but with perseverance. and support this medicine among other things has helped so much to be me . still have the same worries but now they are all in perspective. yes I have bad days but who doesn't. Hope this helps .
Nervous12 james5166
Posted
hi, thanks so much for replying. i've been on 100mg for nearly 3 months. So difficult when you get a set back and it makes tou think this is it forever. Any tips on how to cope
andrew83432 Nervous12
Edited
hi, i suffered for nearly 10 months with intrusive thoughts, i think the medication helps but alot is down to you with ocd, check out ocdrecoveryuk on instagram it helped me lots
Nervous12 andrew83432
Posted
hi, thanks so much for replying. i've been on 100mg for nearly 3 months. So difficult when you get a set back and it makes tou think this is it forever. Any tips on how to cope
matt18802 Nervous12
Edited
hey. it takes around 3-4 months PER dose to level out and start to feel the benefits
Nervous12 matt18802
Posted
hi, thanks so much for replying. i've been on 100mg for nearly 3 months. So difficult when you get a set back and it makes tou think this is it forever. Any tips on how to cope
GodsServant Nervous12
Edited
Hi Nervous, how long have you been on 100mg?
It takes being on sertraline for 3-4 months to help with OCD/anxiety and 5-6 months to help with depression. You have to be 3-4 months to the right dosage before it really works. You can be on 25mg for 8 months but will not get much better if that is not the correct dosage. I hope this makes sense. If you've only been on 100mg for a week or two, then you need to wait it out more before this med is leveled in your system. Then it can do what is is designed to do.
Yes, OCD is unwanted, repetitious intrusive thoughts. Actually, OCD is a obsessive thought and then compulsion to help reduce the anxiety caused by the obsessive thought. But some of us are Pure O's when we think and then we think some more (compulsions) to try to reason our way out of an OCD thought. But this will not work because no reasons, no matter how valid, will not satisfy us and put the thought at rest. NEVER argue with an OCD thought. It's like a Mobius strip of a maze. It's best to break the cycle to break the obsessive thought.
Nervous12 GodsServant
Posted
hi, thanks so much for replying. i've been on 100mg for nearly 3 months. So difficult when you get a set back and it makes tou think this is it forever. Any tips on how to cope? x
GodsServant Nervous12
Posted
Lots of tips on how to cope. My first advice to you is setback is inevitable.
You have to look for triggers - things that would trigger an OCD thought and learn how to reduce the triggers, like for me - and I am female - the triggers are HALTS (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired, Stressed) and around the holidays and around the time of my monthly cycle, and when I get too emotional.
Stay on it for another month to see if you get back.
Click on my name and read my advice to others, esp recently my advice to Matt. Get the 2 books. Stop Obsessing by FOA and Phobia and Anxiety workbook by Bourne.
I too get setbacks now and then, I could feel a full-blown coming recently when we discover my husband has a huge aggressive high-grade brain tumor, but I was about to rein it in. Big sure that if you do have setback, it's a small one and doesn't become a full-blown attack.