OCD Meltdowns?
Hello all! I was diagnosed with OCD just a few months ago. It has by far been the most useful diagnosis I’ve ever received. I feel a lot better now having a name for a majority of my problems. With that being said, I’m still new to it and have questions. I have a therapist and I will ask these questions whenever my next appointment comes around, but I also like input from other people with similar experiences. Are OCD meltdowns a thing? I know that term is used heavily in the autistic community and I don’t want to use it improperly, but at the same time it feels like the most fitting way to describe my episodes. I’ve been told that with this diagnosis I am on the spectrum, but I don’t want to offend or overstep. I’m still working on finding more of my triggers, but are there other explanations for these episodes?
Typically it starts with heavy breathing, increased heart rate, typically panic-y stuff. Then it evolves to hyperventilating, bawling, unavoidable looping thoughts, thoughts of self harm (clean for many years), I literally can’t think straight and typical coping mechanisms don’t work. Usually happens after bouts of high stress or changes in plans (one of my main struggle areas). Shorter ones I would just call panic attacks, but I had one this weekend that lasted 12 hours. I was inconsolable, I couldn’t remotely think straight, and I felt incredibly disoriented and disconnected. It’s exhausting and it can take me up to a day to recover. I was diagnosed with panic disorder at an early age but to me it truly feels different from just a simple panic attack. I just don’t want to be using incorrect terms to explain my experiences, I’m just trying to navigate a newer diagnosis and accept my not so fun mental quirks. Any advice is also appreciated. Thank you in advance :)