ashley6 Posted March 14, 2014 Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 I haven't talked about this on here I don't think, but toward the end of my adderall usage, I began practicing many OCD behaviors. I thought that the adderall was the culprit (which I still think was), but the OCD hasn't left me. It'a not like my room needs to be clean OCD. It's so strange that it's embarrassing to even talk about some of my OCD behaviors. I've realized lately that it has gotten worse. I mean, basically, my brain comes up with these ridiculous thoughts that I HAVE to do something....a lot of it revolves around counting how many times I do things. If I made a list of examples, you all would think I'm crazy. It's getting really exhausting. Have any of you dealt or deal with OCD? I know it's a form of anxiety but my gosh, it's wearing me out, and I wish I could just STOP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassie Posted March 14, 2014 Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 You mentioned you were on wellbutrin. Doesn't wellbutrin cause anxiety? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeHereNow Posted March 14, 2014 Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 Ashley I have a few random OCD behaviors I've had since I was like 12. Adderall made it worse. A dr told me that it's very treatable.... but I never tried to treat it. Unfortunately none of mine are related to cleanliness, planning, or punctuality :/ Do you feel like its getting worse? If so you might want to treat it ASAP before it becomes too deeply entrenched. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashley6 Posted March 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 Cassie, Wellbutrin has the potential to cause anxiety, but I don't think it's the sole reason. I've struggled with this, like I said, since using adderall. Occasional, I went through a period when I was younger....probably around 12 too when I had some OCD behaviors....then it went away completely. Yes, I do think it's getting worse now. OCD is weird because I feel like once I started the ritualistic behaviors, they started revolving around more and more things in my life. I think you're right. I need to address it. Did they mention how it was treatable? I'm guessing cognitive behavioral therapy.....exposure therapy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoBadItsFunny Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 Ashley, one of my key realizations that I REALLY needed to stop taking adderall was when I started obsessing over strange, and too embarrassing to mention, habits. When it first started I didn't think anything of it, but then the compulsions started taking over HOURS of my life. I had no control to stop my behavior. While in the act I would literally be telling myself to stop over and over and over again and no matter what, I couldn't stop. Not only was I frustrated with myself, but I was also concerned. On days that I didn't take a pill (or 4) because I ran out, I noticed the behavior was not nearly as intense...but it was still there. I think whets important is to note that the more you do something, the more you will do something. Is it possible that the OCD the adderall brought to the surface is nothing more than bad habits? Whether it be cleaning or counting; physical or mental... the more you practice the behavior, the more habitual the behavior becomes. I know, easier said then done. Breaking bad habits is difficult and a process, but vital. If you think this could be whats causing your OCD and need some pointers I'd be happy to share a few hits that have helped me in the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassie Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 Have you tried yoga and/or meditation? That might help calm your mind and increase your awareness. I asked the question about Wellbutrin because I remember when I took it in the past (pre Adderall) it made me anxious. I don't know a whole lot about OCD but I remember before Adderall having some bad habits, like picking at my cuticles a lot. I don't know if that's the same thing though. Stopping that entailed becoming aware every time I was doing it and just slowly cutting down until it was stopped. Do you think maybe once you start working full time some of these behaviors will go away on their own? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formydaughter Posted April 30, 2014 Report Share Posted April 30, 2014 Ashley, I have severe ocd. The adderall has definitely made my symtoms worse. My obessions and rituals became more frequent while i was taking a high dose of adderall. The form of ocd that i have is a rare form. Most people dont have it the way i do. I take 80 mg of prozac to help with the obsessions. My ocd is more mental. I get thoughts stuck in my head that i cant get rid of unless i perform a titual which can be time consuming!!! Let me know if i can be any help to you!!! I totally understand the ocd and adderal thing!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeHereNow Posted May 5, 2014 Report Share Posted May 5, 2014 Cassie, Wellbutrin has the potential to cause anxiety, but I don't think it's the sole reason. I've struggled with this, like I said, since using adderall. Occasional, I went through a period when I was younger....probably around 12 too when I had some OCD behaviors....then it went away completely. Yes, I do think it's getting worse now. OCD is weird because I feel like once I started the ritualistic behaviors, they started revolving around more and more things in my life. I think you're right. I need to address it. Did they mention how it was treatable? I'm guessing cognitive behavioral therapy.....exposure therapy? Sorry Ashley, I'm just seeing this now! They didn't say how it was treatable, only that it was treatable. I imagine probably like you said, therapy and maybe medications. SSRI's are supposed to help right? I need to stop picking my face. It's really hard not to. I've tried to stop so many times in my life and I just can't. Adderall made it way worse, but I still pick at least a little bit every day and I'm scared that it's going to prematurely age my skin. Did you ever look into this? How are you doing with it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashley6 Posted May 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2014 Formydaughter, I believe adderall was the culprit of my OCD. It was terrible on adderall, but two years off of it, and I still struggle. I exhibited OCD behaviors for a short period when I was younger but not like this. I think there are some things that don't necessarily subside after quitting, but SO many (most) bad side effects do!!! I hope you choose to quit if you think it would benefit you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashley6 Posted May 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2014 Occasional, I haven't really looked much more into it. It's definitely worth researching, though. I would be so happy to be without the ritualistic behaviors! I'm sorry to hear you still pick your face. Did you do it before adderall??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeHereNow Posted May 5, 2014 Report Share Posted May 5, 2014 Old habits die hard-- Its been a habit since I was 12....so almost 20 years now. Wow that's scary to say! Telling myself not to do it has never helped. A few times I've come to realize that i don't actually want to stop. But I need to, and that should be motivating. Ugh. I should probably start looking into it..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shambo Posted May 22, 2014 Report Share Posted May 22, 2014 My daughter and husband have ocd. This is the best treatment I've found and it seems to have high success rates. AND no meds. This is the wiki page so it just give you the idea. Hope it helps. Xooo http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exposure_and_response_prevention 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashley6 Posted June 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2014 AmyQ, I appreciate you posting about this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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