Posted by Questionmark on January 31, 2005, at 5:49:31
In reply to Re: Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder, posted by lars1 on January 30, 2005, at 2:02:58
> Are any drugs effective for OCPD, or is the treatment exclusively psychosocial? Do drugs that work for OCD (SSRI's, Anafranil) work for OCPD?
i definitely have OCPD and i have not found any drugs to have any significant benefit-- including Paxil, which, as an SRI, should be one of the more promising or helpful, and Nardil, which has been extraordinary for my depression and anxiety but has done nothing really noticeable for my perfectionistic and obsessive-compulsive thoughts and behaviors.
i *have* noticed that when i miss enough Nardil doses (currently at 4 pills or 60mg per day) to cause a noticeable withdrawal-type feeling (which doesn't take much or long), i get much more obsessive-compulsively perfectionistic and what not-- as Paxil withdrawal also did. Despite what some naive researchers and psychiatrists might say, however, i do NOT believe that this is an indication that the Nardil is significantly benefitting my OCPD symptoms. It's simply that withdrawal makes them worse.
*Although i have not found any substances to noticeably help my OCPD, there are many substances and factors that can easily/significantly aggravate it.* For example, stimulant use can make me much more obsessive-compulsive, especially in the "come-down" phase. Insufficient food intake (i.e., the hunger and mental effects that accompany this) can as well. Probably the worst factors for inducing and aggravating compulsive perfectionistic behaviors in me are stress and anxiety. They can make me a crazy obsessive-compulsive freak-- being perfectionistic to the point where i begin telling myself (in my head) that i need to stop doing what i'm doing and trying to improve every little minute insignificant detail.. yet STILL conTINue!! And it drives me freaking inSANE!!
But so, yeah, anyway, i haven't found any medications to be helpful in any noticeably significant way.
i seriously doubt it, but i do wonder whether a benzodiazepine might be at all helpful. i've taken Klonopin a number of times but i can't remember how it affected my OCPD. Also, i've never taken a benzo daily for that long and wonder whether that may be helpful at all. But again i doubt it.Oh, to all of you OCPD people: you must find a good therapist and get ongoing therapy. It (particularly CBT) is the only effective.. the only POSSible way that one can overcome OCPD to any significant extent. i have been seeing a great therapist for almost two years now and, in minor but very important ways, have been helped a great deal (espECIally in at least knowing what kind of things i have to do to get better). Ultimately, i still have hardly improved at all (sadly), but this is primarily if not solely because i haven't followed his instructions and advice very well at all (due to my horrendous procrastination problem and the inexplicable complexity of my mind and of my obsessive & perfectionistic ways & needs)... (and NOT because i distrust or doubt my psychologist [i don't distrust or doubt him]-- as i understand many OCPD patients are said to do-- among other problems that make therapy difficult for them).
But yeah, this sickness, this disease, has totally prevented me from bettering my life. It has exponentially increased my regrets, for which depression and anxiety had already made immense. If anyone knows of any miracle cures for this and lets me/us know, i will be in debt to you for life.
Hope this post is helpful.
poster:Questionmark
thread:441138
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050128/msgs/450467.html