:Anxiety thoughts vs ocd thoughts and if CBT actually works?

[phil06]

I have decided after much deliberation that my months of suffering may be anxiety thought based rather than ocd. The reason is I did compulsions and they stopped working so I no longer did compulsions.

That got me thinking a lot of people with anxiety suffer negative thoughts and intrusive ones without the ocd element. I believe this is what I suffer and I have never formally been disgonised ocd by a psychiatrist.

Also in the past I used an anxiety elimination programme to beat my mild ocd type band washing and let’s be honest we all check doors and coolers to make sure they are turned off yet we are not ocd.

Also regarding Cbt I posted before how Cbt has not worked for me the tipping point was touching a bin I’m sorry but some people will wash there hands after touching a bin I’m not the only one who would do this there can be old food waste it can be slushy and a wheelie bin is dirty a public bin is different.

So my conclusion is Cbt for me isn’t effective. To beat the negative thoughts which appear ocd based the cure is to beat the anxiety. I’d be interested to hear if anybody else feels they have been misdiagnosed ocd on forums or if they feel Cbt isn’t effective for everybody?

[MyNameIsTerry]

So, you are no longer doing compulsions? But aren't your compulsions more about replacement and throwing away which makes them less of a daily volume than someone who does a lot of checking? Hence you are forced to not complete them as it's also a logistical matter?

What about mental compulsions? Reassurance seeking?

What do you mean by anxiety? OCD is an anxiety disorder so do you mean more GAD? If so, it's certainly possible to have OCD tendencies in anxiety but not sufficient enough to warrant a separate co morbid diagnosis. OCD is also not diagnosed because you do OCD things, because everyone probably does, but that it is sufficient to be affecting your life.

Why wouldn't someone wash their hands after touching the bin and that would be considered wrong? I may not always do that, it depends on which bin and if it looks dirty for a start. But in therapy for contamination they do things that are considered a step beyond normality because in ERP they believe we have to go slightly further to prove to the subconscious that last step has been advanced beyond. I've seen this cited in articles about where ERP is conducted wrong and this is what they advise.

There was a TV programme about people with severe anxiety on a couple of years ago on ITV. It was one of the better mental health programmes, none of this OCD Cleaners nonsense. One guy was performing ERP by putting his hands down a toilet. And this was a severe OCD case at a specialist mental health hospital in the UK.

I know you have said people on OCD UK have said to do things like this but I question whether they are trying older "flooding" based methods rather than ERP which works you up gradually?

CBT isn't for everyone. But there is a big question to consider. Have you had CBT? Much of the CBT we have is restricted to certain elements of CBT. You don't access others until you reach more advanced stages of therapy. When CBT was made the basis of treatment in creating the IAPT framework professional associations even stated this. They feared it would be watered down.

But how many sessions have you had? I had about 12 and I can tell I learnt a ton more about CBT after I left from reading about it. Much of my "high intensity CBT" didn't cover half of what CBT does.

But no therapy is 100%. Something else may work better. And which CBT are you talking about? There are different forms, some people seem to respond better to one over another. Ask pulisa about her impression of ACT over CBT which she has seen recently. She was positive about that form what I remember and I'm sure she has been through CBT by now too. ACT is a "third wave" form of CBT.

Treating anxiety is general is also a good way, I wouldn't dispute that and think we should do it. I'm more for a holistic approach of things in the toolbox than committing to one approach. But I do question whether that means writing CBT or whether it should be alongside or a section of that toolbox full of tools from CBT.

[rcs]

Hi Phil06

I found CBT initially very textbook and full of acronyms and like doing a psychology school lesson and it basically bored me, later on i realized my cynicism and stubbornness were holding me back. My anxiety in my subconscious was basically rejecting any logical thought against CBT or any type of recovery. I have recently read a book about CBT and partially understand where it is going ie avoidance, ruminating , catastrophising etc but it is a very dry and academic course with lists and flow charts written by professionals no doubt with the best intentions . I think with CBT you must believe in it before you start and fully commit to it and spend time like college course on it .
I understand is facing up to anxieties is an unsettling feeling and it will make you feel a bit worse before better and the last thing you want is to feel worse , ironically it is the same paradox with SSRI's. NHS Councillors can be bit clinical when explaining topics and i have had some very compassionate people trying to help me from the NHS and some not so good.
The books and online courses are all taught from the same basic ideas and i feel some of it is a money making venture so you have to search for genuine help. Mindfulness is something i have researched and have tried and i see the method behind it but my self discipline lets me down, i am the first to admit will power and skepticism are a constant stumbling block for me.

I have mild to moderate OCD as well Generalized anxiety disorder and it is a complex condition because my compulsions make me feel better like checking my doors locked 3 times ( always 3 times) , cleaning my flat , before bed i have rituals which have to be done every night and going to toilet even when i do not need to . My friends and family have pointed out my compulsions as i was unaware of most of them/ I wash myself quite a lot but i feel that's a good compulsion compared to checking door locks and going to the toilet every 30 mins.I must have every detail of an upcoming event including insignificant details that no one evens considers and i plan every thing days in advance as i don't do surprises.
Invasive thoughts are about the only OCD condition that i seem to have dealt with and it give me hope that the others are as well because it is the most distressing symptom for me and i am sure for many others.

At Least my OCD compulsions allow me to have very good personal hygiene and a clean and secure flat and car, but i find friends and family cannot tolerate my compulsions as they find them stressful and time consuming and selfish . Anyway understanding this condition helps dealing with it but i find searching for solutions is part of the journey without using too many cliches many of the modern treatments are designed to make the individual face there fears and anxieties and that is a difficult and complex process as our subconscious is a complicated and some what engrained but we must at least try.

Take Care