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Suggest Treatment For Severe Hallucinations While Having OCD, GAD, Panic Attacks And Depression

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Posted on Thu, 23 Jun 2016
Question: I’m after some advice about potential hallucinations…I have OCD, and GAD, panic attacks and depressions have been coming and going through the years. I'm 36 now and Have had these problems almost all my life more or less. The last 16 years have been worst. Bu I have never been psychotic. At the time I'm also stressad out after been working to much and havent worked for 3months now and are very tired, Before that I slept to little and i have problems sleeping now even though I'm very tired. im scared that I might are on my way into a psyhosis....
I have heard music a few times and don't know if it was real or if it's a hallucination, because it kinde felt like something strange, but when thinking about it afterwards there could been music in them cases, but in a way it feels like a long shot. So maybe it was a hallucination? Or Illusion perhaps, I just don't know anymore I'm just so scared. I'm and sound engineer so I listen a lot to music at quite loud levels... I also heard sound like my phone as coming a text a few times when none was there and similar things. Also thoughts are invading my mind, mostly ocd like thoughts about hurting people but also random thoughts but not voices or anything. Hurting people is the last thing I want in life so them thoughts makes me so scared.
So I'm not really scared of a psychosis more to get one and in that state hurt someone because then I don't have control over the situation I suppose. I also I smell things, but then again I don't know if the smell is there or if it's a hallucination, because how can I know? I need proofs because I'm a control freak.
I also have hopnogogic and hypnopompic hallucinations (from many senses, also random thoughts that invade shortly before falling sleep) from time to time, same with explosive head syndrom. All that were debuting when I was stressad out and slept to little almost a year back now and have been coming from time to time ever since.
That was the trigger to my fear for all this, it's also started with ocd thoughs about harming people I love, that even before the strange sleeping things.
When it all started I just finished my therapy a year back so it was loads on my mind. So I was and are quite fragile at the time and feel a lot of shame and guilt. Because we talked much about old things in therapy and I try my hardest to accept and all that. Also I feel like a bad person now, i think it's because my therapist tried to get me to think about myself more and not just doing things for others. So I try to think about myself first now and there's a kind of crash in me between the two that makes me feel almost evil though I know im far far from being an evil person.

I’m alwayes checking when I hear things ,or smell things to double check that I'm normal.
I also belive in faith, sometimes quite much, and now I'm kind of scared of everything with GOD and faith and such after reading about that you can go into a psyhosis after thinking about such stuff.
I have always been scared of religion since being a kid, and now I kind of have OCD about it (had as a kid too)... What if god is going to punish me or make me do something stupid. I don't belive that, I know it's all OCD and GAD. But when read on google about psyhosis that might be a symptom as far as i can understand... The last 8 years though before this fear I was quite fascinated about everything that we humans don't know about religions and such stuff. So I read much about that a few years ago... Actually I stoppad reading about that when I read about that you could be sick of it. And now I just belive in faith, at least I think so sometimes...

Help me please. Am I on way to be or am I psychotic? What if I go crazy?
I have asked my MD and new therapist about this and they are not worried, they say it's OCD and GAD, but then again, it's so hard to remember to tell everything at a sessions with the doctor (or have the time before the session is over) and the therapist likewise. But now I have control when I write it all down to you!
doctor
Answered by Dr. Chintan Solanki (2 hours later)
Brief Answer:
it does not look like psychosis

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

Thanks for writing to us. I can understand your concern.

You have mentioned your history very well. Though to diagnose psychiatric problem detail mental status examination is required in person, I can say that you are not psychotic.

Your problem of listening or smelling something is looking like obsession rather than hallucination as you search for stimuli. Your excessive reading about this problem also indicates towards OCD and probably this reading has confused you more.
If at all these are psychotic symptoms , they must have worsened in this much long duration of years but it is not the case and you are still having insight and can narrate your problem clearly.
Many times severe OC symptoms look like psychosis and that is the case with you.

In general treatment of OCD (as well as GAD) includes medicines and psychotherapy.

SSRI group of drugs (fluoxetine,paroxetine,sertraline, escitalopram) are main stay of the treatment. They are antidepressant and in OCD used in high dose.

Benzodiazepines group of drugs(clonazepam, lorazepam or etizolam) are used initially for short duration for fast symptomatic relief.

Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is also very useful. It is a type of psychotherapy.

In moderate to severe cases initially medicines and then CBT is added.

In OCD SSRI usually gives optimum response at about 4 weeks when dose is reached maximum.

Hope I have answered your query, I will be happy to help further.

Regards,

Dr.Chintan Solanki.

Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Chintan Solanki

Psychiatrist

Practicing since :2007

Answered : 2406 Questions

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Suggest Treatment For Severe Hallucinations While Having OCD, GAD, Panic Attacks And Depression

Brief Answer: it does not look like psychosis Detailed Answer: Hello, Thanks for writing to us. I can understand your concern. You have mentioned your history very well. Though to diagnose psychiatric problem detail mental status examination is required in person, I can say that you are not psychotic. Your problem of listening or smelling something is looking like obsession rather than hallucination as you search for stimuli. Your excessive reading about this problem also indicates towards OCD and probably this reading has confused you more. If at all these are psychotic symptoms , they must have worsened in this much long duration of years but it is not the case and you are still having insight and can narrate your problem clearly. Many times severe OC symptoms look like psychosis and that is the case with you. In general treatment of OCD (as well as GAD) includes medicines and psychotherapy. SSRI group of drugs (fluoxetine,paroxetine,sertraline, escitalopram) are main stay of the treatment. They are antidepressant and in OCD used in high dose. Benzodiazepines group of drugs(clonazepam, lorazepam or etizolam) are used initially for short duration for fast symptomatic relief. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is also very useful. It is a type of psychotherapy. In moderate to severe cases initially medicines and then CBT is added. In OCD SSRI usually gives optimum response at about 4 weeks when dose is reached maximum. Hope I have answered your query, I will be happy to help further. Regards, Dr.Chintan Solanki.