If im bipolar have ocd and suffer from anxiety should i see a counselor?

Question

In what way could they help me, I have been through a lot but try fight it to the best of my own abilities. Any personal experiences would be helpful. Im not on any meds but was wondering whatway alcohol affects people on ocd. Also my main concern with taking meds is that the ultimate goal would be to come off them in which case you have to adjust to life on your own devices anyway so whats the point? I would really appreciate any advice!

Heres a little about me:

Im 19 years old ever since I was 6 I have felt compulsions to do things, carry out certain actions and say things my justification for this was that something bad would happen otherwise. I used to sit and cry if my parents werent home by a certain time-and was full sure they had been involved in a car accident. I had to go to the toilet an even number of times and I even went through a period where I was afraid of public toilets convinced I would get aids. Say certain prayers etc. I suffered from anxiety and alienated myself from friends, dreaded going to parties, sleepovers etc so much that I just wouldnt go crying hysterically to my parents that I just couldnt. I comfort ate as a result and gained weight. This cycle went on until I was 17, then my grandmother died to who I was very close and the depression which I had always suffered from also became worse. Later that year something happened I woke up one morning and things started to ease, I lost 4 stone and gradually over a period of a year made loads of friends, started going out etc. I was always extremely bright which was the one thing I always clung to-doing well in school. I started studying law in college etc. But my moods were up and down I could flip over nothing. I would be almost hyper for weeks and then crash, then I could fly into a fit of rage for no reason. Little things bothered me. Alcohol made me worse-one drink and I was 10 times more high than when on a high but the next day the depression was far worse. Then in Jan my grandfather who had lived with us and one of the people who I was most close to in the world died. I spent his last few days with him and watched him die. It was awful-after I couldnt deal and started blocking it out-I drank, stopped attending lectures reg and going shopping anything to make the thought of it go away. My moods are now even more erratic. After passing my exams miracuously I managed to realise I needed to get things back on track. I finally beat the bulimia which had plagued me for a year and things are gradually getting better however my moods can flip for no reason and the euphoria i feel when on a high is too much to handle while the lows are so painful. Has anyone ever experienced this? I can be fine for months and then suddenly bang im horrible.

Answer 1

I think you should seek medical help (better consult a psychiatrist). You're a strong and intelligent person but your changing moods are brought about by a biological causes specifically related to the neurotransmitters in your brain. Certain medications can stabilize your moods by correcting these causes; putting your life back to normal and maximizing your potentials.

Answer 2

I think you should go to the doctor, there is no way you can self-diagnose, a doctor can give you medication and refer you to therapy that will start your journey to get better.  Stop drinking for a while until you begin to feel better, alcohol will only worsen your mood.  You may be bi-polar with the extreme mood swings you are describing, if this is the case, you will need medication.

Go and see your doctor asap.

Answer 3

Alcohol is actually a really bad thing for someone who is bipolar to consume.  It's not the OCD that you should worry about, it's the bipolar.  Many people that are bipolar use alcohol as a way to regulate emotions and it becomes something they need.  You should see a psychiatrist about what has been going on.  Medications wont change your personality but it will help you cope when you are having the downs and take the manic edge off of the highs.  It is important that you try and get a handle on this as early as you can.  It will help for your next school year and it will help you as a functioning adult.  As for the OCD and the anxiety, they come hand in hand.  Therapy can actually help you deal with this also.  It can make it easier for you to function as well.

Answer 4

Hello,

First I just want to say that you've been very brave dealing with the illness for so long and then using Answers as a way to reach out and get some feedback.

I am a counselor and have also had depression and ADD for as long as I can remember. I didn't get diagnosed until I was about 22 and it was actually such a relief to get the diagnosis. I mean, I always knew something was wrong, but just didn't have any word for it.

Since then I've come to understand mental illness as just the same as any physical illness. The problem is not the depression, anxiety, mood swings, etc - these are just the symptoms. What you are experiencing is the result of certain chemicals in your brain being out of their proper balance. Think of it as just a physical problem. This isn't a good parallel, but consider someone who can't drink milk because their stomach doesn't produce the right enzymes to break dairy down. Well, your brain isn't producing the proper levels of chemicals for you to be at your best and have proper moods and reactions and to generally feel right. It's all about these chemicals - though in the brain we call them neurotransmitters. As you found already, when you drink the imbalances become more severe. Basically, you'll probably never be able to drink (bummer I know!)

The most important thing to understand is that this is not "just how you are". This is not "You". This is "You" with a mental illness. Which means that to become the real You, you need to treat it. Basically, there's no reason for you to continue dealing with this. It's totally treatable! Judging from some of your terms I'm guessing your British? That's interesting because I've noticed that Brits are much more hesitant to recognize mental illness and seek treatment then we Americans are. In my opinion you guys are better than us in most ways but this is one area where we're definitely doing better. We Americans have no shame at all about taking medication for a mental illness and/or seeing a therapist to work through even regular life problems.

The old way of thinking about mental illness is that you're either crazy or normal. This is c**p. Calling someone with mental illness "crazy" is like calling someone with, say, diabetes "broken". Forget shame - there's no shame. There's only the choice - do I suffer or do I live my life? Because mental illness will always impair your ability to live your life.

As far as treatment options go - the first thing would be to get to a psychiatrist and get on meds. And no, the point is not to eventually get off the meds. You'll have bi-polar disorder for the rest of your life - this is a bummer I know, but it doesn't go away. It'll either be treated bi-polar disorder (able to live a normal life, have good  relationships, a shot at happiness and fulfillment) or un-treated bi-polar disorder (constantly being held back by behavior and a state of mind that are out of your control).

You'll need to be on medication for the rest of your life most likely. If you don't like that (who would, I know) then weigh it against how much you don't like the suffering you've gone through. Believe me, I've been through these choices myself, as had most people I know. We've all got something these days it seems. I know that for me, my life would be h**l if I refused to treat my depression.

You can email me if you have any other questions about it. Good luck with everything.

-Sean

Answer 5

Good counselors can work wonders but you have to do the work also, they can help you change your thoughts...if you change your thoughts, you change your behavior, if you chage your behavior, you change your actions, you change your actions, you change yourself and if you can change yourself you can change the world.....

Answer 6

Yeah I see one just for OCD. You really should.