OCD-Not a real illness ??

[Clareville Communications]

I believe it is a condition. We should help and understand those who do suffer with it as I am sure it is hard. You will no doubt get people who claim they have OCD to get out of things like work, however wrong it is you can't change some people.

 

[asonda]

Hi All,

I haven't been around on UKBF for some time and it actually stemmed from an OCD Related illness.

I'm really happy a thread like this had been started, even if it was to ask if OCD is a Genuine Illness or not, after reading the thread I see what Jovial attitude has been taken....and I like it, if you read below you'll see why.

When I was at school, I suffered terrible from bullying, I would always do my homework, turn up on time, I didn't have one detention. I had a few close friends but of course being the kid that doesn't get in trouble, gets you picked on constantly.

At about 14, I started to wash my hands constantly, I would have no reason for it. I just kept washing them and washing them. I didn't necessarily think my hands were dirty or I had to get some contaminant off them, I just kept washing.

After about 2 months, my hands were in pieces, I needed to wrap them, they'd constantly bleed from all the dry skin and it wasn't a nice affair. One day I was standing at the sink with my bleeding hands, stinging in pain from the soap I had just rubbed in and my brain clicked and said "What the **** are you doing?" from that day up until 2008, it never reared its ugly head.

I did like this whole, shake my pillow so many times etc, but they were tiny tiny things that even now I don't do.

In January 2008, I was doing a task and I had convinced myself of something. Instead of seeking professional help, I went on the internet and started looking up ways in which it could affect me (I still don't want to say what it was that affected me), instead of taking the logical approach, I went in no uncertain terms, crazy.

I started by washing my hands to get the contaminant off me, it then moved a step further to which I couldn't be in my parents house, even spending one Christmas with my Girlfriend in a rented flat eating a Microwave Xmas meal, this is after we moved at great expense into a flat beforehand and had to give it up a week later as I thought it had been contaminated. I had a car on finance that I stopped driving because I thought it had been contaminated, I couldn't eat with my hands at all even if I washed them, to this day I haven't had a meal at my parents house.

I've been living with this completely disastrous and disabillitating illness that nobody except my family and close friends know about.

The road to recovery started when my Mum and Sister (Dad was at work and is unfortunately now suffering from Anxiety problems which I worry I started) went to the Dr's Secretly to get his advice. When they came back and told me what they had done I was absolutely disgusted, how could they do this etc, I was managing this by myself etc, truth be told, seeing my Mum, Dad and Sister Crying their eyes out at me, not being able to understand the mental and physical struggle I had brought on myself...I went to get help.

I have never taken a pill for it, I refused to. Being a Mental illness I didn't want to have to depend on anything. I went to talk to councillors, shrinks. The works.

Even with all the advice, the talking, nothing was helping, It wasn't until I got that moment again, that click where I said to myself, "this is ****, I need to try and stop".

So I did everything in my power to eliminate the possibility the original cause even was dangerous (which it turned out it wasn't) and ever since, I've been trying to reprogramme my brain to be normal, which is much harder than you think as I doubt the official tests and don't know what to believe, that is the hardest part. Being trapped in your own mind is the worst kind of hell you can be in.

I lost customers over this, I had to get a normal job, Me and my other half lost everything we had and ended up in quite a bit of debt.

My love and respect for my partner for standing by me through all of this makes me happy to be alive. I am thankful that I am physically a Healthy person and that I do believe that I am a very lucky person for having such a loving, caring, beautiful woman in my life.

THIS whole chapter in my life, has genuinely made me a more focused person, I already was but now I have a principle and foundation for carrying on with my future.

For those that fake the illness to get pay, time of work, have something to chat about, I envy them, if they had gone to the verge of not getting out of bed for 6 months and eating nothing but one tiny meal a day and being a 5'11" man and weighing about 8 stone, they should be happy they have not had to deal with this.

I'm now 24, I'm doing my best to do everything I can to rebuild my life and future and recently took on a new business venture that is already doing very well. I've got my whole life ahead of me and can't wait to enjoy the success.

This was just my 2p's worth Sorry if it was a little....dark but it is my true story

 

[Nuno]

Thanks Asonda. Brave share. Very best of luck and success.

 

[Root 66 Woodshop]

Good to see that you're on the mend (as it where) Asonda!

Personally I've accepted my little eccentricities I know of people who are extreme and I'm quite glad that I'm no where near as bad as that, even to the extent of my Psoriasis I'd pick specific areas and stick with those in the house not venturing anywhere else because I was conscious of the mess I was leaving behind with my skin and that I knew I'd only end up all day cleaning...

But top banana to ya!

 

[Talay]

I think we could all have been diagnosed with one disorder or another had we wanted to shirk responsibility for our actions and live a life on benefits.

Seems like every other kid has a problem nowadays. Then again, every other kid is a lard ass waste of space so perhaps there is some sort of correlation ?

 

[Cylon]

Thanks for sharing asonda and sounds like you have a great family supporting you.

 

[Cylon]

Good to see that you're on the mend (as it where) Asonda!

Personally I've accepted my little eccentricities I know of people who are extreme and I'm quite glad that I'm no where near as bad as that, even to the extent of my Psoriasis I'd pick specific areas and stick with those in the house not venturing anywhere else because I was conscious of the mess I was leaving behind with my skin and that I knew I'd only end up all day cleaning...

But top banana to ya!

I can relate to this AA, I used to have Psoriasis on my shins and head and elbows but after a while my shins and head patches went away but my elbows still remain and I find myself slipping my hand up my sleeve to pick at the same spot on both elbows. Its so bad that sometimes the sofa I sit on at home looks like someones spilt dry porridge all over it.

I've tried loads of treatments but the best to keep it under control was sea salt I found, or even better a dip in the med.

 

[kate1]

It is a terrible condition to cope with, my friend had to go to a mental institute to get help and stayed in two weeks - she's doing very well now.

 

[Cylon]

It is a terrible condition to cope with, my friend had to go to a mental institute to get help and stayed in two weeks - she's doing very well now.

Glad your friend is doing well now, but did she have the correct diagnosis as OCD can be used too much as a 'catch all' and doesn't really cover people who think they are a tea pot.

Sorry I don't really mean that and the paragraph above is more a knee jerk reaction based on what I presume is society's ignorance and ill-informed perception of a serious illness that is too often used to describe anyone is who is a bit weird. When in reality OCD is very serious indeed and often a break away from society and the correct one to one treatment can work wonders.

I'm also sure there are still some religious groups out there who see OCD as a form of possesion but that topic is a bit taboo on this forum so can't expand any more on it.

 

[Root 66 Woodshop]

I can relate to this AA, I used to have Psoriasis on my shins and head and elbows but after a while my shins and head patches went away but my elbows still remain and I find myself slipping my hand up my sleeve to pick at the same spot on both elbows. Its so bad that sometimes the sofa I sit on at home looks like someones spilt dry porridge all over it.

I've tried loads of treatments but the best to keep it under control was sea salt I found, or even better a dip in the med.

Psoriasis is a complete bugger for me. I have Psoriatic arthritis.

I went into hospital in 2006 for 2 1/2 months it got that bad, I couldn't lift my arms or bend my knee's my scalp was about an inch thick with plaque Psoriasis. I was covered with 90% Plaque Psoriasis.

Didn't overly bother me, other than the fact I could hardly feed myself, it was that painful.

It was because of this I decided to close my business, as I thought at the time sod it, can't cope with it any more.

At the time I was put on Cold Tar and other medications which reacted incorrectly, so I got quite ill as it goes... but again I was prepared for the worse, I was that depressed.

Now I'm having to take Methotrexate every Friday and Folic Acid every other day. I'll be honest, it's cleared it up pretty darn well... it's just the expectation of the medication causing more damage to my internal organs that I'm constantly thinking about now.

 

[SW1 Limited]

I do think OCD is a real disorder. People which do have this aren't shouting about it and it is probably extremely difficult to live with. On the other hand I do expect that some people do take advantage of it when they haven't actually got OCD, which makes it harder for the ones who do.

 

[Root 66 Woodshop]

I personally don't shout about having OCD but neither do I hide it from anyone.

I see no point in doing that whatsoever, unfortunately though some people can be quite defensive of their OCD - Obviously pending on the severity of it.

Personally, I think everyone with OCD deserve free treatment from their GP's as it is a life long thing, to some degree some may be able to get it under control - but majority of folk tend to hide behind their curtains with it... albeit extremely clean curtains...