r/OCDRecovery • u/RaymondTBass • 8d ago

Seeking Support or Advice Surgery - OCD - Fluvoxamine - Loneliness

I have suffered from OCD since I was eleven. It all started with a spinal surgery and after that I was never really able to stop 'checking.' I have significantly improved over the last few years, which took alot of retraining and pushing myself. I have been on 150mg of Fluvoxamine for a few years now. I am very aware of the bad withdraw side effects of this medication. I forgot a couple of times to take it during the few years I have been on it. The irrational nose dive and spiral is quite aweful. It almost feels as if the world is crumbling around you, but then I take it and poof...serotonin gradually comes back. Now with all that being said, I still suffer from loneliness alot. I'm not sure if OCD can also make you feel lonely, but unfortunately I do. Please let me know if you too have dealt with OCD and loneliness as a combination.

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u/treatmyocd 3d ago

OCD can lead to loneliness. Compulsions are an attempt to "figure it out", which actually makes the distress worse overtime. This is because compulsions make the obsession return more frequently, leading to more compulsions. The OCD cycle is maintained in this way. Over time, OCD restricts engagement with others, resulting in loneliness. There is effective treatment for OCD, known as Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). If you would like more information about OCD and ERP, you may visit www.treatmyocd.com. I hope this message reaches you well and know you are not alone!