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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by PsychoPharmaFiender on February 2, 2006, at 20:13:37
Today I went to my doc and she decided to put me on Topamax. I have tried many meds and failed. However, every time I try a new one I think up these bizarre reasons why this time, this drug will work.For example, with Topamax. I was driving home and I determined that Topomax will work for me because of the following: Topomax begins with a T and my first name begins with a T and the day I was prescribed it (Thursday) begins with a T. Then I also dissected the word Topomax into two separtae words, TOP and MAX. Then I thought this drug will keep me functioning at A TOP level. I will the MAX amount of improvement.
What are these thoughts. Its almost like my brain does this to put me at ease each time I start a new drug to convince me it will work. I tend to try and find associations among different things to help me make sense of things. Is this OCD, Schizo, BPD, Borderline. Please Help! Thanks.
Posted by Phillipa on February 2, 2006, at 20:46:21
In reply to Strange thoughts- is this OCD or something else???, posted by PsychoPharmaFiender on February 2, 2006, at 20:13:37
Hey I think that's pretty smart you're finding ways to find the positive in the meds you take. I need to do the same thing. Thanks for the pointers. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by PsychoPharmaFiender on February 2, 2006, at 21:30:14
In reply to Re: Strange thoughts- is this OCD or something else??? » PsychoPharmaFiender, posted by Phillipa on February 2, 2006, at 20:46:21
Yeah? Thanks. Its funny how I always associate things like that as being something wrong with me. I view it as a negative instead of a positive personality trait, maybe because if you are going to a psychiatrist, there is an attitude of "something is wrong with me" (In my opinion).
When I was prescribed Lamictal I was trying to find an association between the drug name "Lamictal" and a reason why it will work for me, almost like looking for an equation or a secret code. I came up with the fact that Lamictal is 7 letters long and my last name is 7 letters long. Then if you add 7 (the amount of letters in Lamictal) with 11 ( the amount of letters in lamotrigine) you get 18. I associated that with the fact that my birthday is on the 18th.
Needless to say, Lamictal didnt work. But I keep doing these equations. My Doc doesnt think these thoughts are related to my PTSD. The funny thing is My Grandmother's brother was an OSS agent during World War 2 and was one of the "codebreakers" trying to make sense of Nazi codewords used for communications. I guess it is in my genes to think like this, but it is really useless in my opinion.
> Hey I think that's pretty smart you're finding ways to find the positive in the meds you take. I need to do the same thing. Thanks for the pointers. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by Racer on February 3, 2006, at 0:20:50
In reply to Strange thoughts- is this OCD or something else???, posted by PsychoPharmaFiender on February 2, 2006, at 20:13:37
Mind you, that's only based on that one symptom, and if you do it to the extent that it impairs your functioning, then that's another subject. But what you've described here isn't a disorder, so much as a variant on counting feathers on the hats in church!
Sure, there are disorders that can have that sort of symptom -- I do similar things a lot, though not that one -- but if it's not interfering with your life, then I think you're starting to focus a bit much on your mental illness, rather than you mental health.
I hope that helps, and good luck.
Posted by fenix on February 3, 2006, at 3:31:04
In reply to Strange thoughts- is this OCD or something else???, posted by PsychoPharmaFiender on February 2, 2006, at 20:13:37
Ha ha, this is great.
Ask a normal person what he thinks about your thoughts and he may, through kind Providence, declare that you have a creative mind.
Ask a quack about your thoughts, and he may think you are insane.
It's all about perspectives and money, get my drift?
The dissection you made, it is very cool, by the way. It is nice to look deep into things sometimes.
But you also must remember something: sometimes those psyche drugs can f*ck up your behaviour and then really make you act "crazy", and turn you into the person you are not.
Posted by PsychoPharmaFiender on February 3, 2006, at 4:40:34
In reply to Re: Strange thoughts- is this OCD or something els, posted by fenix on February 3, 2006, at 3:31:04
I also do it with license plates. I will add up the numbers then take the total and try to relate that number to something related to me. For example, if the total was 23, Id try to add up some other numbers to get 23, and wouldnt stop till I got 23 somehow. If the time was 3:30, Id add that up to 6, then add up the zip code in my town and add them together, if it equaled 23 Id stop, if it didnt I would keep trying.
Its annoying doing this while driving cuz its almost caused accidents a few times and also I have a hard time listening to people talking in my car cuz my brain is doing this, especially my girlfriend. She gets mad at me cuz she thinks Im not listening. Im not sure how to tell her about it, dont want to weird her out.
Posted by fenix on February 3, 2006, at 8:07:34
In reply to Re: Strange thoughts- is this OCD or something els, posted by PsychoPharmaFiender on February 3, 2006, at 4:40:34
Do you have control over it? I know that I do similar things like that when I am bored but... if you have no control over it then maybe it has something to do with OCD, not sure.
And anyway, if it is not making your life difficult then I guess you really don't have to seek out any remedial actions.
Posted by TylerJ on February 3, 2006, at 9:39:55
In reply to Re: Strange thoughts- is this OCD or something els, posted by fenix on February 3, 2006, at 8:07:34
Don't read too much into it-I think it's creative and rather normal. I personally don't think it's OCD. You're just a creative dude! :)
Tyler
Posted by Racer on February 3, 2006, at 12:40:40
In reply to Re: Strange thoughts- is this OCD or something els, posted by PsychoPharmaFiender on February 3, 2006, at 4:40:34
OK, this sort of thing I do -- not precisely, but I will read the license plates around me and either play with the numbers (mostly patterns, not equations), or make up short phrases or words to fit the letters.
What I know, though, is that if it takes my attention away from people in my car or the traffic around me, that's a sign that my anxiety is getting a little out of control, and I'm compensating by getting obsessive. NOT the same as OCD, just obsessive.
Can you ask yourself if you're doing this sort of thing because there's something you don't want to think about instead?
Posted by linkadge on February 3, 2006, at 18:59:18
In reply to Strange thoughts- is this OCD or something else???, posted by PsychoPharmaFiender on February 2, 2006, at 20:13:37
Thats better than me. When I get a med, I start to think of all the reasons that the med won't work.
Linkadge
Posted by 4WD on February 3, 2006, at 22:02:55
In reply to Re: Strange thoughts- is this OCD or something else???, posted by linkadge on February 3, 2006, at 18:59:18
> Thats better than me. When I get a med, I start to think of all the reasons that the med won't work.
>
> LinkadgeI figure it will probably work but I won't be able to tolerate the side effects.
Marsha
Posted by greywolf on February 4, 2006, at 9:52:32
In reply to Strange thoughts- is this OCD or something else???, posted by PsychoPharmaFiender on February 2, 2006, at 20:13:37
Don't worry, it's not OCD (if that's the extent of it). Just sounds like you found a creative and positive way to keep hope alive.
Have fun with it.
Posted by PsychoPharmaFiender on February 4, 2006, at 11:32:28
In reply to Re: Strange thoughts- is this OCD or something else???, posted by greywolf on February 4, 2006, at 9:52:32
I appreciate the positive support in your posts. I guess I am sort of lucky to think thlike that compared to others, I guess it could be alot worse.
This is the end of the thread.
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