Prozac for obssessive compulsive behavior

[peeler_feeler]

I had my first visit with a psycho therapist today who also specializes in sex therapy. I thought I needed to obtain some control over my "addictive" sexual behaviour. He suggested that along with the addiction there may be a component of (OCD) obssessive compulsiveness in my case. By the end of the hour I knew he was heading toward treatment that will eventually involve high dose of Prozac for OCD. He mentioned he disagrees with a non-pharmaceutical approach as advocated by Bellwood (an addiction treatment facility in GTA). The eficacy of the drugs with OCD have been proven in many studies and he argued in favour of their use.

I left his office disappointed because I really do not believe in this approach but I am still willing to attend a few more sessions before I totally give up with this doctor.

He mentioned I may not be motivated enough to change because I kept it a secret from my spouse and have managed it well for almost 20 years. Most of his patients are there because their wives have found out about adverse sexual behaviour/affiars/escorts/etc.

 

[kk56]

prozac

1.most likely it will help., takes away your libido/ability to "come"., sorry to miss you here at TERB..

 

[peeler_feeler]

Anyone have any experience with Prozac in general?

 

[shakenbake]

Anyone have any experience with Prozac in general?

I have, and it was way too negative in many, many respects. It depends on the individual as to how it affects sexual performance. One SSRI I took screwed me up so bad it made me suffer more depression due to the frustrations that it brought on.

Drugs only if necessary, I say, and unfortunately, the medical people jump too fast on the drug wagon without loking and trying the alternatives, or to find the real causes of our problems.

Whatever drug you take, make sure you also receive therapy with it.

 

[ricardo47]

I attended Bellwood a fews years ago and would whole heartedly recommend it.
My problem was alcohol and after many attempts with drugs and local hospitals, I wished I had gone to Bellwood first. A few years later the doctor put me on prozac and it I found there are way too many side effects so I would stay away from it. Non drug is the best route IMHO.

Good luck whatever you decide.

 

[champ]

I have been on Celexa for 2 years.

I have a high stress job and was dealing with major anxiety to the point where I was having issues coping.

It has really helped me balance things out. The only person who I have told was my wife. She notices a huge change. I am able to deal with a lot more stress.

At times I have experienced a minor lack of my usual agression / sense of urgency at work ( which sort of made me effective ) but the upside outweighs that with my ability to "deal" with stuff.

I knew I needed some sort of help when I was driving home in traffic and got off the phone from a stressful conversation with my boss. I had to pull over and I literally sat there hanging onto the wheel. I felt like the world was coming to an end and my whole body was in a state of pure panic. I was completely irrational.

Scary, scary stuff. I would not wish that state on anyone. Yuck!

I see my Doctor twice a year and she asks me questions and we consider coming off the meds. Maybe I should but I don't ever want to go through anything like that again.

At times I feel like a weak person and I am ashamed of the condition and that I have to medicate to deal but I am better so I just let the feelings go.

I also believe that I should consider counselling for some of my agression / anxiety issues but I don't know where to start and frankly some of the underlying stuff is too painful. I guess that's part of the visious circle.

 

[swalbr]

Prozac worked wonders for me in controlling my anxiety and need for sexual stimulation. It may not work for everyone but it saved my life. Although I can still get aroused,it is somewhat more difficult. I would like to find a drug similar to prozac that does not affect my libido.

 

[peeler_feeler]

I attended Bellwood a fews years ago and would whole heartedly recommend it.
My problem was alcohol and after many attempts with drugs and local hospitals, I wished I had gone to Bellwood first. A few years later the doctor put me on prozac and it I found there are way too many side effects so I would stay away from it. Non drug is the best route IMHO.

Good luck whatever you decide.

My doc was against Bellwood's approach because they do not recommend using drugs. My doc. is an older medical doc, I think he is very much old school.

 

[shakenbake]

One other thing you might want to consider-Prozac is the anti depressant that was mentioned as a cause for increased number of suicides by patients taking the drug a few years back.

Many of the SSRI group of drugs seem to have that effect. Prozac, Luvox, Paxil, and others. But, it also depends on the individual and his/her body chemistry. There is no one fool-proof drug for every one.

 

[ricardo47]

My doc was against Bellwood's approach because they do not recommend using drugs. My doc. is an older medical doc, I think he is very much old school.

Well I attended Bellwood back in the 70's. Back then, the treatment there was very much progressive in comparison with what was going on in those days.
I don't know how old your doc is but perhaps he/she is locked in this "give 'em a drug to fix it" culture. When you think of it, if your trying to stop your dependency on something, why substitute it with something else just a dangerous and perhaps just as addictive? That's like taking up smoking cigars because the doc said to quit smoking cigarettes. At Bellwood, they treat the what I believe is the route of addictions and that's the mind...without the use of drugs. Might not be for everyone but it worked great for me. And I admit to having an addictive personality.

 

[Eli]

If I'm not mistaken Prozac is metallic based and is in essence a chemical lobotomy. Side effects are extensive and apparently it was money that got the drug passed (or overlooked) by the FDA in the first place.

 

[Hard Idle]

Many of the SSRI group of drugs seem to have that effect. Prozac, Luvox, Paxil, and others. But, it also depends on the individual and his/her body chemistry. There is no one fool-proof drug for every one.

Everyone I've ever talked to ended up negative side effects from each of those drugs. Paxil especially fucks up the stomach and liver.

Both of the people with OCD & severe anxieties who I persuaded to ditch the drugs can't believe how much better they're feeling physically since they got that crap out of their systems. They could not fully realize how sickly and lethargic they had gradually become while taking anti-depressants.

As for their OCD, after a breif "bottoming out" they realized that it isn't really any worse without the drugs, and surprised themselves how much they could do to overcome it - in small increments - once they stopped rellying on the drugs as a crutch.

Of course the doctors had helped to convince tham that they were powerless without the "medication". Actually I don't view these doctors any differently from drug pushers on the street.

The only thing these antidepressants acomplish long term is to genereate repeat prescriptions and sales...

 

[Eli]

I suggest smoking a joint. In fact you may be able to get a perscription for it. Seriously, after a few tokes I have very little compulsion to do anything .

Also you could try obsessing over something that is actually productive like detailed cabinate making or creating a more realistic form of Artificial Intelligence.

 

[herames]

If I'm not mistaken Prozac is metallic based and is in essence a chemical lobotomy. Side effects are extensive and apparently it was money that got the drug passed (or overlooked) by the FDA in the first place.

Eli...i am sorry i don't agree with you....i know a number of persons that praise Prozac for sustaining their lives in positive way. I don't suggest someone use it long term. Talking about it(therapy) and the meds in tandem are keep people in the must part level headed. Would you suggest them got take St.Johns wort?..that shit doesn't work!. i can say that i have tried many meds from Paxil to effexsor and Celexa ..sure you might be numb.But it doesn't make you desire taking your life for 95% of the population. The up side to the prozac was it prolonged some...and i heard some had taken it for Premature Ejaculation. If you want to hear conspiracy about drug manufacturers and biological weapons for spreading depression (wasting) read this about "Mycoplasma Fermentas"
http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/mycoplasma.html
says that the drug companys in world war 2 on the US/Brit side manufactured biological weapons for spreading depression (wasting)


i apologize if this hijacked the thread ..just was a touchy subject.

 

[Eli]

On the other hand good counseling and going to the root of the problem psychologically will do more good than hard fixing with drugs.

 

[herames]

Oh..side note to what Robynn says..NLP(neuro lingust programing) seems to work for some.

 

[3Tees]

I left his office disappointed because I really do not believe in this approach but I am still willing to attend a few more sessions before I totally give up with this doctor.

He mentioned I may not be motivated enough to change because I kept it a secret from my spouse and have managed it well for almost 20 years. Most of his patients are there because their wives have found out about adverse sexual behaviour/affiars/escorts/etc.

First-off, trust your instincts. There are many therapists who work without drugs.

Second I took Celexa a number of yeras ago. I was able to handle stress much better, but I felt lobotomized in certain situations. That is, I never felt quite like myself on it.

Finally, I am absolutely shocked to hear that a therapist would conjecture that you are not "motivated enough to change" because you weren't found out by your SO. The fact that you are there in the office (on your own accord, I assume) in the first place suggests that you are motivated to change. That kind of thing is taught in Therapy 101, if you will. The guys whose SO's found out "must" change, or their world will collapse. Now, in fact, that is indeed a kind of motivation, but you are motivated too, or you wouldn't be there. If a therapist thinks that a drug will somehow get you motivated "enough" to change, then methinks this therapist may be a bit too lazy. It is the therapist's job to motivate you further, if he feels that needs to be done.

 

[3Tees]

If it helps put it in the frame of a drug addiction or something equally tangible for you (yes...it sounds corny but trust me) - sexual addiction still has a stigma of being something you just "stop already" or "get over".

While I agree, it's the stigma attached to most any addiction, by any non-addicted person. Just get over your gambling addiction - hell, just get over your grief and move on. You're addicted to junk food - just stop it!!! If only it were so easy.

To tie it back to the original thread - it is much easier for someone who has been hit with the consequences directly to get over it in the short term, and much more difficult for someone who may have just walked in to get over it immediately. The question is, for someone who is confronted by the shock of the situation - how long before the shock wears off and the person returns to the addictive behaviour to begin with? Has the shock caused any long-term changes?

What really interests me is that we live in a society where answers and changes are supposed to come at the speed of light. If you've been addicted for 20 years to anything, and have managed to survive it, don't expect 20 therapy sessions, 20 does of Prozac or whatever your drug of choice is combination of both to cure it. It's a long-hard road, and for most, it should be - you've been at it for 20 years!!! There may be some - and I stress some - who can shed an addiction easily, but for most, it takes a long time and a lot of work. Even if you're addicted for a shorter period of time, the psychological factors that caused the addiction have likely been a part of a person since childhood.

 

[peeler_feeler]

.....
What really interests me is that we live in a society where answers and changes are supposed to come at the speed of light. If you've been addicted for 20 years to anything, and have managed to survive it, don't expect 20 therapy sessions, 20 does of Prozac or whatever your drug of choice is combination of both to cure it. It's a long-hard road, and for most, it should be - you've been at it for 20 years!!! There may be some - and I stress some - who can shed an addiction easily, but for most, it takes a long time and a lot of work. Even if you're addicted for a shorter period of time, the psychological factors that caused the addiction have likely been a part of a person since childhood.

1) It's true that we expect change at the speed of light. Thanks for reminding me that this may take years to fix or at least control. The doc said there is no room for demi solutions i.e. not somewhat control the behavour. You either have full control or no control. I'm not sure I agree with that statement. I figure if you have some control it's better than none.

2)The doc also mentioned the behaviour is based in some psychological factor from childhood. The only thing I can think of off the top severe shyness as a child. No neglect, or abuse at all. Loving parents.

 

[BottomsUp]

I was on it for about 9 months a few years ago. I experienced the opposite reaction to what many have. It dramatically increased my libido and was horny all the time. It also diminished my inhibitions and I did and said things I wouldn't normally. All in all I had a great time while on it, and had no serious side effects.