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Jan 02, 2011, 10:14 PM
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Member Since: Jan 2011
Posts: 95
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Hello DancingAlone ...
I have had OCD for many, many years now and have experienced its morphing from one obsession or compulsion into another over the course of time.
I can identify with your issues regarding the inability to read at a comfortable rate. While not having to perform the rituals that you have mentioned, I have some of my own.
However, I think that you may just want to investigate a mid to high level dosage of Zoloft (i.e. 100 to 200 mg / day range), depending on how much you feel your OCD is interfering with your daily activites - AND - whatever drug interactions it may have with your current regimen of medications.
I've been on 200 mg of Zoloft for several years now (having previously been on 80 mg / day of Prozac) and I've found that the Zoloft has a better effect with regard to the severity of my OCD. It tends to "blunt" or "lessen" the amplification of OCD when it occurs and makes concentrating a bit easier.
Granted, it may or may not work for you as your body chemistry / genetic make-up / other medical or physical conditions / etc. tend to be main factors in how well your body and brain adapt to it. You and your doctor will have to work out a trial and error period in which to find the dosage that works for you.
You'll have to be patient and allow for the possibility of side effects to occur, but don't let that dissuade you from persevering on the Zoloft route.
If anything, with regard to your issues with reading, you may want to invest in some audio books on tape / CD / etc. so that you can listen to a particular book that you may be interested in.
I'd suggest locating a book on tape or CD first, then obtaining the book itself (via a bookstore or your local library) and then playing the tape / CD along with the book as you read it.
It will keep your mind from becoming stuck on the various rituals and will allow you to maintain a bit of a cadence. If it becomes problematic, you can always rewind the tape / CD and begin once again. Anything to alleviate that urge to read or reread something (or trace the letters as you mentioned).
Give it a try.
I suggest you get an idea as to what book titles are out there which are available in audio format by heading over to Amazon . com, then double checking to verify that there is a hardcopy of the title (i.e. hardcover or paperback that you can hold in your hands), and either purchasing both, or checking the stacks at your local library to see if they have said audio titles / hardcopy texts.
Hope this was of some assistance to you.
Best wishes,
vertebrae 
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