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Feeling Depressed And Brain Overwhelming With Thoughts Since Childhood. Loosing Focus In Conversation. Could I Ask A Doctor?
Question: hello Doctor, iam 26yro guy
I have this situation where im getting depressed every now and then. While in any type of conversation with people i get attacked by "bad thoughts" like that guy will die or other negative stuffs. I have been having this situation of brain overwhelmed with thoughts since childhood and it did not bother me so much but now its affecting my performance severely and sometimes i feel like smashing my head(not so aggressive as it sounds). Is this a clinical disorder that can be treated using medication? Its causing me to loose focus in conversations and everything else.(Right now unemployed and single so its not the work pressure). I usually forcefully supress these thoughts in my head but i dont think suppressing is a solution. Is there a thought supressant medication because im not able to stay idle for even a minute without some bad thoughts sneaking in. Tried meditation but very difficult in the suppressing thought part. I will be really grateful if you could suggest me a routine or medication etc .I would gladly follow whatever you suggest.
Thank You
I have this situation where im getting depressed every now and then. While in any type of conversation with people i get attacked by "bad thoughts" like that guy will die or other negative stuffs. I have been having this situation of brain overwhelmed with thoughts since childhood and it did not bother me so much but now its affecting my performance severely and sometimes i feel like smashing my head(not so aggressive as it sounds). Is this a clinical disorder that can be treated using medication? Its causing me to loose focus in conversations and everything else.(Right now unemployed and single so its not the work pressure). I usually forcefully supress these thoughts in my head but i dont think suppressing is a solution. Is there a thought supressant medication because im not able to stay idle for even a minute without some bad thoughts sneaking in. Tried meditation but very difficult in the suppressing thought part. I will be really grateful if you could suggest me a routine or medication etc .I would gladly follow whatever you suggest.
Thank You
Brief Answer:
Anxiety Disorder
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome to XXXXXXX
I have read our question and understand your concern. You are a 26 yr old guy with no significant past history, with main complaints of repeated bad thoughts and you are not able to control these thoughts. These thoughts are dominating your mind and cause significant stress which is a reason behind poor performance and depression.
See such type of thoughts are part of OCD or these are obsessions. Individual fail to control obsessions and the thoughts cause severe stress. It is a form of anxiety disorder. The thoughts are the reason of depression only.
I would recommend you to try relaxation exercises like breathing exercises, muscle relaxation, yoga to build up your confidence. Behavior therapy by a psychologist will also help you.
Medicines like SSRI as fluoxetine, flovoxamine, paroxetine or TCA drugs as clomopramine etc can effectively control these intrusive thoughts. The medicines are very effective and free of significant side effects. Please visit a psychiatrist for detailed evaluation and prescription.
For SOS control of anxiety due to obsessions I would recommend you to take benzodiazepine like Etizolam which will help to decrease anxiety symptoms.
And yes the disorder can be effectively treated, please don't take unnecessary tension.
Thanks, if you have more questions you can ask again.
Anxiety Disorder
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome to XXXXXXX
I have read our question and understand your concern. You are a 26 yr old guy with no significant past history, with main complaints of repeated bad thoughts and you are not able to control these thoughts. These thoughts are dominating your mind and cause significant stress which is a reason behind poor performance and depression.
See such type of thoughts are part of OCD or these are obsessions. Individual fail to control obsessions and the thoughts cause severe stress. It is a form of anxiety disorder. The thoughts are the reason of depression only.
I would recommend you to try relaxation exercises like breathing exercises, muscle relaxation, yoga to build up your confidence. Behavior therapy by a psychologist will also help you.
Medicines like SSRI as fluoxetine, flovoxamine, paroxetine or TCA drugs as clomopramine etc can effectively control these intrusive thoughts. The medicines are very effective and free of significant side effects. Please visit a psychiatrist for detailed evaluation and prescription.
For SOS control of anxiety due to obsessions I would recommend you to take benzodiazepine like Etizolam which will help to decrease anxiety symptoms.
And yes the disorder can be effectively treated, please don't take unnecessary tension.
Thanks, if you have more questions you can ask again.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hello Doctor
Thanks for the reply. I went onto search what OCD meant and i realized its exactly what i'm suffering from.
Its a great relief to know that its a condition that exist with many people and i was afraid anyone would understand what i was having inside my head.
I had this feeling that if i don't suppress the bad thoughts in my head ,bad things will happen etc but now that i know its a form of illness will it help if i just let the thoughts come and go inside my head instead of suppressing them?
I'm a little reluctant or discouraged to take any medication fearing the side effects so i would be more grateful if you can suggest me all methods other than taking medication/visiting a psychiatrist that will be helpful in curing me from this condition. How long will it ideally take for me to completely get cured from such a situation?( i know its too much to ask but ironically i'm relieved as well as a little scared to know that im suffering from an 'illness'.Also visiting a psychiatrist is frowned upon by most people in the society as its seen as the person is crazy etc so im afraid of that too.)
Does benzodiazepine like Etizolam require any prescription and causes any side effects?
Really Grateful for the help!
Thanks for the reply. I went onto search what OCD meant and i realized its exactly what i'm suffering from.
Its a great relief to know that its a condition that exist with many people and i was afraid anyone would understand what i was having inside my head.
I had this feeling that if i don't suppress the bad thoughts in my head ,bad things will happen etc but now that i know its a form of illness will it help if i just let the thoughts come and go inside my head instead of suppressing them?
I'm a little reluctant or discouraged to take any medication fearing the side effects so i would be more grateful if you can suggest me all methods other than taking medication/visiting a psychiatrist that will be helpful in curing me from this condition. How long will it ideally take for me to completely get cured from such a situation?( i know its too much to ask but ironically i'm relieved as well as a little scared to know that im suffering from an 'illness'.Also visiting a psychiatrist is frowned upon by most people in the society as its seen as the person is crazy etc so im afraid of that too.)
Does benzodiazepine like Etizolam require any prescription and causes any side effects?
Really Grateful for the help!
Brief Answer:
Hello again
Detailed Answer:
OCD or anxiety disorder that is difficult to treat. Medicinal treatment and psychological treatment both modalities are available. Combination of medicinal and psychological treatment gives best results in this condition.
Behavior therapy is commonest form of treatment that is commonly used in OCD. In this modality of treatment first of all individual is taught to relax himself by relaxation methods like Breathing Exercises or Progressive Muscle Relaxation Exercise. Both these methods can be learned with help of a psychologist. Once individual learn to relax himself, he is asked to make a list of distressing thoughts on paper in hierarchical manner. Then he is exposed to least distressing thought. Once he become anxious he is asked to relax himself by relaxation method. With time individual learn to control the thoughts.
Thought stopping is other modality of BT. So try to control thoughts by suppressing if possible.
Medicines used in OCD are very safe. SSRI medicines are free from serious side effects and dont cause dependence. The drugs start showing response in about 6-10 weeks, but they should be at least taken for about 6-12 months under expert advise. Benzodiazepines like Etizolam are given on SOS basis and they should be taken under proper prescription only.
Vitamin B12 supplements and Omega 3 Fatty Acids also help in OCD. These can be taken from any chemist.
There should be no hesitation in visiting a Psychiatrist as ultimately this disorder require treatment with expert treatment. We are living in 21st century and now psychiatry disorders are not considered as stigma. You have to decide for your health, dont think what others would think.
Thanks, if you have more questions you can ask again.
Hello again
Detailed Answer:
OCD or anxiety disorder that is difficult to treat. Medicinal treatment and psychological treatment both modalities are available. Combination of medicinal and psychological treatment gives best results in this condition.
Behavior therapy is commonest form of treatment that is commonly used in OCD. In this modality of treatment first of all individual is taught to relax himself by relaxation methods like Breathing Exercises or Progressive Muscle Relaxation Exercise. Both these methods can be learned with help of a psychologist. Once individual learn to relax himself, he is asked to make a list of distressing thoughts on paper in hierarchical manner. Then he is exposed to least distressing thought. Once he become anxious he is asked to relax himself by relaxation method. With time individual learn to control the thoughts.
Thought stopping is other modality of BT. So try to control thoughts by suppressing if possible.
Medicines used in OCD are very safe. SSRI medicines are free from serious side effects and dont cause dependence. The drugs start showing response in about 6-10 weeks, but they should be at least taken for about 6-12 months under expert advise. Benzodiazepines like Etizolam are given on SOS basis and they should be taken under proper prescription only.
Vitamin B12 supplements and Omega 3 Fatty Acids also help in OCD. These can be taken from any chemist.
There should be no hesitation in visiting a Psychiatrist as ultimately this disorder require treatment with expert treatment. We are living in 21st century and now psychiatry disorders are not considered as stigma. You have to decide for your health, dont think what others would think.
Thanks, if you have more questions you can ask again.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hello Doctor
Thanks for the useful information's. I would like to wrap up my concerns with a few more queries if its okay?
- Pardon my lack of knowledge : Should i be visiting a psychiatrist or psychologist?( i don't know the main difference between the two)
-Are there OCD specialized institutes in india if i may ask?
-Should i be enrolling on a behavior therapy session external to the Psychiatric/Psychologist appointments?
- Are there adverse effects if the pills mentioned are taken along with fever,cold tablets (paracetomol,ibuprofin etc) ?
Again thanks for the very useful information. I'm hoping i can get cured of myself from OCD in less than a year with the sessions.
Kind Regards
Thanks for the useful information's. I would like to wrap up my concerns with a few more queries if its okay?
- Pardon my lack of knowledge : Should i be visiting a psychiatrist or psychologist?( i don't know the main difference between the two)
-Are there OCD specialized institutes in india if i may ask?
-Should i be enrolling on a behavior therapy session external to the Psychiatric/Psychologist appointments?
- Are there adverse effects if the pills mentioned are taken along with fever,cold tablets (paracetomol,ibuprofin etc) ?
Again thanks for the very useful information. I'm hoping i can get cured of myself from OCD in less than a year with the sessions.
Kind Regards
Brief Answer:
Hello again
Detailed Answer:
I will be happy to answer your queries and doubts.
- You should visit a Psychiatrist, and if he thinks that psychological treatment is needed, he can send you to a Psychologist. A Psychiatrist is a trained doctor who has done post graduation (MD) in Psychiatry.
- There are no OCD specialized institutes in India, but a lot of good institutes like NIMHANS Bangaluru, AIIMS Delhi etc have Dedicated OCD clinics.
- You can visit a Psychologist for BT once you start taking medicines or if your doctor thinks so.
- These is no significant adverse reactions of SSRIs with commonly used pills like PCM or Ibuprofen etc.
Thanks, please don't hesitate to visit a Psychiatrist, I wish you a good health.
Hello again
Detailed Answer:
I will be happy to answer your queries and doubts.
- You should visit a Psychiatrist, and if he thinks that psychological treatment is needed, he can send you to a Psychologist. A Psychiatrist is a trained doctor who has done post graduation (MD) in Psychiatry.
- There are no OCD specialized institutes in India, but a lot of good institutes like NIMHANS Bangaluru, AIIMS Delhi etc have Dedicated OCD clinics.
- You can visit a Psychologist for BT once you start taking medicines or if your doctor thinks so.
- These is no significant adverse reactions of SSRIs with commonly used pills like PCM or Ibuprofen etc.
Thanks, please don't hesitate to visit a Psychiatrist, I wish you a good health.
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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