OCD / Tinnitus

OCD and tinnitus is awful. My psychiatrist is trying to find the right medication but so far I have bad reactions to the medication. Going to try a new one in a few days.

 

I am pretty sure there is a big link between those who struggle with T and those who are on the obsessive spectrum (speaking as one who is).

Obsessive behaviour is actually a very useful attribute when it is focussed on doing something positive like fixing complex problems for others. However it is sometimes a problem when we start to obsess about ourselves!

So try to focus on other more positive outward things in your life if you can. It is is difficult I know, but once you get engrossed in something else you should find that you won’t notice your T for longer and longer periods.

 

If have OCD and S-OCD and T..... And indeed try to find something positive ... your mind will let go of the negative or better your mind will let go of the thing that is totally useless in the firstplace to look out for. It is mind over matter and habituation of all symptoms your mind sees as a thread

 

Hi @Alfredo17. I have OCD too. I rejected medication and chose CBT (Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy) instead. Have you tried it? CBT is very different from conventional talk therapy. I believe it saved my life and I can't recommend it highly enough.

I am skeptical about medicating OCD. Usually antidepressants are prescribed. But OCD is not a form of depression. According to the doctors, some OCD patients respond to antidepressants, but they don't know why. Personally, I don't believe a pill can change my thoughts.

At any rate, the medication is usually combined with CBT ~ the idea being that the medication will enable the patient to engage in the therapy. And if that works for some folks, then great. They should do what they can to get relief.

Is your OCD the result of your tinnitus or was it something you had before tinnitus? I had OCD since long before tinnitus.

 

OCD is never useful. OCD is not a matter of being focused on a task or having an exemplary work ethic or being detail-oriented. OCD means taking something (whatever it may be) to such an extreme that it renders you dysfunctional.

I think there is a big misunderstanding about OCD that many people have that it is about being neat or organized or focused. A more accurate image of a person with OCD is someone who can't go to work anymore because they spend several hours per day standing under a scalding hot shower scrubbing their skin off, and crying because they don't want to be doing this but they have to or else the worst thing in the world will happen.

I think I will write a post on this subject since it is something I know much too much about.

 

I said obsessive behaviour, not OCD! I recognise the difference, but what I’m saying is that the obsessive part can on it’s own make it difficult to move on from T.

 

I see your point. It's easy to become obsessed with the noise and then not be able to distract from it.