Is baclofen effective against OCD and GAD?

[rubywillow]

Is baclofen effective against OCD and GAD?

Virgil, probably 75% suffering from OCD don't know or care to acknowledge they have anything wrong with them. My husband is 58, and only now, after 39 years of marriage, have I convinced him to see a doctor. Now that someone beside me has told him what's wrong with him, he's becoming an expert on the condition and seeking alternative medications. Amazing, but the OCD kept him from listening to me for this long. He seems amazed, like his eyes have been opened since several things have been confirmed. I'll NEVER say 'I told you so', but BOY! would this be a good opportunity!

[eight days a week]

Is baclofen effective against OCD and GAD?

Hi guys,

I know some of you well already from another forum, so you will know of my situation.

I have always been an extremely anxious person, since childhood, but started suffering from GAD last year after some traumatic events. This led me to self-medicate with alcohol. Although I had always done that through anxious times, this extra trauma led to a completely new level of drinking that got me into a lot of physical trouble.

After 3 detoxes I was eventually abstinent for four months, during which time my diagnosis of GAD was re-confirmed - so although alcohol may make anxiety worse, the GAD is definitely additional to my problem with the booze.

I wrote privately to someone here that I have had a touch of OCD since my teens, but thinking back I had it even when I was a young boy.

I also have a generally addictive nature. I don't know enough about it, but this surely must tie in to OCD?

[beatle]

Is baclofen effective against OCD and GAD?

Virgil, I think you might have also posted this on the meds forum? I hardly ever come here to General Discussion, but occasionally I pop in -- mostly to catch up on where in the world L'l Tigs is :earth: (and what he's up to).

Anyway, I have been diagnosed as bipolar, which I think is somewhat akin to OCD (?), and the bac has done wonders for me in that department. It has pretty much cured my anxiety AND depression (the two poles in bipolar). I don't know if this is relevant or not.

[Virgil]

Is baclofen effective against OCD and GAD?

eight days a week;792461 wrote: I also have a generally addictive nature. I don't know enough about it, but this surely must tie in to OCD?

Hi 8,

Great to see you on MWO, my good friend!

I'm not aware of a specific connection between an addictive nature and OCD, but that's not to say that they may be inter-related. However, the following are key features of OCD:

[1] Overestimated threat (catastrophic thinking).
[2] Thought-action fusion (assuming that thinking about a negative event increases the likelihood of that event happening).
[3] Inflated responsibility.
[4] Overimportance of thought (assuming that a persistent, unwanted thought must have some significance for the self because it occurs against one's will).
[5] Control of thoughts (assuming that it is possible and desirable to have near-perfect control over unwanted thoughts in order to avoid negative consequences).
[6] Intolerance of uncertainty.
[7] Perfectionism.
[8] Intolerance of anxiety or distress.

Of these features, items 1, 3, 6, 7 and 8 are those that affect me the most.

Hope this helps.

V.

[Virgil]

Is baclofen effective against OCD and GAD?

beatle;792479 wrote: Virgil, I think you might have also posted this on the meds forum? I hardly ever come here to General Discussion, but occasionally I pop in -- mostly to catch up on where in the world L'l Tigs is :earth: (and what he's up to).

Anyway, I have been diagnosed as bipolar, which I think is somewhat akin to OCD (?), and the bac has done wonders for me in that department. It has pretty much cured my anxiety AND depression (the two poles in bipolar). I don't know if this is relevant or not.

Hi beatle,

Yes, I seem to recall that I did set up a 'pointer' on the meds forum pointing here. I realized that I'd set up this thread on the wrong forum.

I think you'll find that Bipolar Disorder (BD) is quite different from OCD. As I understand it, BD is characterized by mood swings - from mania (see Reason for Editing) to depression and vice versa. OCD is an anxiety disorder. Please see my reply to 8 above for further details. However, I am pinning my hopes on baclofen for reducing my anxiety (as well as reducing my alcohol intake).

V.

[eight days a week]

Is baclofen effective against OCD and GAD?

Virgil;793289 wrote: Hi 8,

Great to see you on MWO, my good friend!

I'm not aware of a specific connection between an addictive nature and OCD, but that's not to say that they may be inter-related. However, the following are key features of OCD:

[1] Overestimated threat (catastrophic thinking).
[2] Thought-action fusion (assuming that thinking about a negative event increases the likelihood of that event happening).
[3] Inflated responsibility.
[4] Overimportance of thought (assuming that a persistent, unwanted thought must have some significance for the self because it occurs against one's will).
[5] Control of thoughts (assuming that it is possible and desirable to have near-perfect control over unwanted thoughts in order to avoid negative consequences).
[6] Intolerance of uncertainty.
[7] Perfectionism.
[8] Intolerance of anxiety or distress.

Of these features, items 1, 3, 6, 7 and 8 are those that affect me the most.

Hope this helps.

V.

Thank you very much indeed for the welcome V, it is great to see you here too

I think I should have written 'could' be a link between addiction and OCD in some people.

Thank you also for the definition of OCD. I've never been clinically diagnosed, but had always assumed that some of my own characteristics were a touch of OCD. Maybe I've misunderstood what OCD is. Of the list I've often suffered from 1, occasionally 4 and 5, a touch of 6, and definitely 7 and 8.

My own 'symptoms' that I'd assumed were OCD over the years have been compulsive actions to distract myself from 'intolerance and distress' plus stress. Sometimes I've had periods of feeling compelled to repeat actions even without these.

Some of these behaviours could be classed as addictions in themselves, I know, but at times have felt more like compulsions. So I guess I don't know where the dividing line is between borderline OCD and an addictive nature. I suspect in me there may be a crossover than even a psychiatrist would be hard pushed to identify.

By the way, a couple of the things on the list were identified to me in rehab as classic traits of people who become addicts. Interesting.

[eight days a week]

Is baclofen effective against OCD and GAD?

Going back to the thread title, since starting Baclofen (a week ago?) and just up to 30mg I have felt slightly, very subtly, less anxious, and have felt the need to take slightly less diazepam (which I am dependent on after five months of taking it for anxiety).

[Virgil]

Is baclofen effective against OCD and GAD?

Hi 8,

Many thanks for your comments. It may be worth your while talking with a psychiatrist or psychologist to determine if you have OCD. That's the best way to find out if you have OCD. FYI, I was diagnosed as having OCD almost 35 years ago (!) by a guy that is still eminent in this field - his name is Dr Stanley Rachman. He used to be based at the Institute of Psychiatry in London but I think he's now at the University of British Columbia in Canada.

Even after 35 years, I still have OCD and it has plagued my life. Back in the 70s, OCD treatments were pretty much non-existent but things have moved on considerably since then. There are also some good OCD websites, the one I use most being OCD-UK: Leading UK charity for people affected by obsessive compulsive disorder (ocd). They have a well-used forum.

My best.

V.

P.S. I love your new avatar - the dawning of a new day, if I interpret it correctly. Very appropriate.

[TWCOURAGE]

Is baclofen effective against OCD and GAD?

I have both ocd a gad- have not tried it but love to learn if it works

[eight days a week]

Is baclofen effective against OCD and GAD?

Thanks V, I know from reading many of your posts that your OCD is something that's had a huge impact on your life, I can only imagine. Mine's been fairly minimal I suppose, but is something I've been aware of for many years now on and off. I should speak to my psychiatrist about it (in fact I have but when I've seen them GAD and alcoholism have been the absolute priorities, so it's slipped under the radar a bit).

It doesn't affect me day to day much, but is probably a part of the overall picture.

Thank you also about the avatar my friend. It's a stock one from this site (love this place, they give so many to choose from!) and I notice a few other people have the same one, so I'll be changing it sometime soon when I can photoshop an image to the right size, but to something similar most probably, or to something Indian or elephant-inspired