[pacman_789]

Anyone else on here have co-morbid Bipolar and OCD? Just wondering how you are getting along. I've been off medication for the last 2 weeks since they always help one problem but make the other worse. Treat the OCD, and you have hypomania; treat the hypomania, and you get OCD and depression lol. I'm going to see a therapist in a few weeks and hopefully learn some coping mechanisms for the mood swings. It's always hard when you get used to one mood you're in only to have it shift and then have to adjust to that one.

[sophiebunny]

I have OCD and bipolar 1 disorder with psychosis. I'm far more manic and psychotic than depressed. OCD medication makes mania worse for me. You are right there's no good solution... for me at least.

[franz kafka]

I have severe OCD alongside schizoaffective bipolar type. Meds don't work for my OCD without causing mania, so my treatment for OCD is ERP (exposure and response prevention) therapy. It works but unless I'm really careful the OCD sneaks back in.

[*Beth*]

Sometimes what appears to be OCD is actually an aspect of dysphoric mania. At least, that's what has happened for me.

[yellow_fleurs]

I was diagnosed with bipolar by my psychiatrist, and my therapist thinks I have OCD. I am certain I have a mood disorder and cannot take SSRIs and have OCD, but my therapist has not seen signs of bipolar and is skeptical of that diagnosis. Either way, I am in the situation of having OCD and not being able to take the traditional medication treatment. ERP is what the treatment will have to be for me, but I have heard it can be quite successful. Have you looked into it? I found the podcast The OCD Stories informative, and made me feel less alone in case you're interested.

[cashart10]

Originally Posted by BethRags

Sometimes what appears to be OCD is actually an aspect of dysphoric mania. At least, that's what has happened for me.

Same here. Every. Single. Time.

[depressedIRL21]

Hi pacman!

I only have bipolar 1 however I know a friend who has OCD and I have seen good and bad times with her. She also has a seizure disorder which means shes highly medicated but refuses to treat her OCD with medication. She treats her OCD with crystals and oils. She just started seeing a therapist for exposure therapy since her OCD is causing her to outright avoid things.

However I digress. What I am wanted to say is that unfortunately alot of the mainline treatments for OCD are SSRIS and other anitdepressants. For someone that is bipolar, SSRIs and other antidepressants are more likely to make us maniac which is what you've gone through. I am hoping that your therapist gives you alot of useful tools and that you begin to feel better!

Praying for you

[pacman_789]

Originally Posted by yellow_fleurs

I was diagnosed with bipolar by my psychiatrist, and my therapist thinks I have OCD. I am certain I have a mood disorder and cannot take SSRIs and have OCD, but my therapist has not seen signs of bipolar and is skeptical of that diagnosis. Either way, I am in the situation of having OCD and not being able to take the traditional medication treatment. ERP is what the treatment will have to be for me, but I have heard it can be quite successful. Have you looked into it? I found the podcast The OCD Stories informative, and made me feel less alone in case you're interested.

Hi, I have actually done CBT in the past (a little bit of ERP as well). It did help me, but my main problem now is the hypomania. When OCD was my main problem, I could handle it b/c like you said, therapy can be very effective. Not so much with bipolar. Ever since I took Zoloft for the OCD, my hypomania has been harder to control, so I've been on and off mood stabilizers over the last year. Most of them made my OCD and depression worse than they were when I was not taking meds, so that's why I'm back to square one. I'm just concerned my mind will never get back to where it was pre-zoloft. I long for the days when OCD was my only problem.

[pacman_789]

Originally Posted by depressedIRL21

Hi pacman!

I only have bipolar 1 however I know a friend who has OCD and I have seen good and bad times with her. She also has a seizure disorder which means shes highly medicated but refuses to treat her OCD with medication. She treats her OCD with crystals and oils. She just started seeing a therapist for exposure therapy since her OCD is causing her to outright avoid things.

However I digress. What I am wanted to say is that unfortunately alot of the mainline treatments for OCD are SSRIS and other anitdepressants. For someone that is bipolar, SSRIs and other antidepressants are more likely to make us maniac which is what you've gone through. I am hoping that your therapist gives you alot of useful tools and that you begin to feel better!

Praying for you

Thanks for the encouragement!

[pacman_789]

Originally Posted by BethRags

Sometimes what appears to be OCD is actually an aspect of dysphoric mania. At least, that's what has happened for me.

Yeah, I've heard that, although I was diagnosed with OCD prior to bipolar. The bipolar dx only came after taking an anti-depressant, so sometimes I am skeptical about it. However, I know that a lot of people in the medical field see OCD as being part of the bipolar umbrella (if you have both) since the OCD is worse when your mood is low and virtually non-existent when you are hypomanic - that seems to be true in my case.

[yellow_fleurs]

Originally Posted by pacman_789

Hi, I have actually done CBT in the past (a little bit of ERP as well). It did help me, but my main problem now is the hypomania. When OCD was my main problem, I could handle it b/c like you said, therapy can be very effective. Not so much with bipolar. Ever since I took Zoloft for the OCD, my hypomania has been harder to control, so I've been on and off mood stabilizers over the last year. Most of them made my OCD and depression worse than they were when I was not taking meds, so that's why I'm back to square one. I'm just concerned my mind will never get back to where it was pre-zoloft. I long for the days when OCD was my only problem.

That makes sense. I am sorry you are dealing with all of this. Although I don't know if' it's hypomania for me my moods have definitely felt less stable than before I took Lexapro and it also affects my OCD. I always dealt with depression episodes, but it seems to cycle faster for me now. When I am depressed, I have more intrusive thoughts and anxiety. For me Lexapro intensified my OCD while I was taking it and I had very loud, racing intrusive thoughts. I hope you are able to get to a better place mentally. I wish there was a medication that could help both at once.

[*Beth*]

Originally Posted by pacman_789

Yeah, I've heard that, although I was diagnosed with OCD prior to bipolar. The bipolar dx only came after taking an anti-depressant, so sometimes I am skeptical about it. However, I know that a lot of people in the medical field see OCD as being part of the bipolar umbrella (if you have both) since the OCD is worse when your mood is low and virtually non-existent when you are hypomanic - that seems to be true in my case.

Many people are dx'ed with bipolar after taking an anti-depressant, if the anti-d causes mania.

OCD can definitely worsen when your mood is low. With regard to dysphoric mania, though, OCD/anxiety/agitation can run together.