Fear and intrusive thoughts

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Hi i am diagnosed with agoraphobia and OCD intrusive thoughts about children which stops me from going out mostly.Around 8 months ago i stopped smoking cannabis since then ive had depression and my ocd has got worse.Im waking up feeling scared i dont know why i feel scared would you know.

oh me again my medication was increased first venlafaxine from 180 to 225mg and sulpiride 200 to 600 but i went back down to 400 because i just didnt have any energy.not sure if this is making me feel scared in the morning

Firstly, let me commend you for stopping smoking cannabis. It tends to increase fears and will have made your situation worse. It is unlikely to have caused depression. Given the range of difficulties you are facing it is pretty certain there are other events which have brought that about.

You rightly say there are two potential sources of your fear, one is having the intrusive thoughts about children and the other is the alteration in the level of medication you are using. It would therefore be good to let your doctor know you have reduced the dose as the amount you are taking is less than usually prescribed. Changing the amount of medication can cause withdrawal which would increase your fear and anxiety.

In my small experience of intrusive thoughts, I am beginning to understand that someone who has intrusive thoughts, has been someone who has had their behaviour very much controlled over a time and that would fit in with the OCD you are experiencing. Without the heavy control, there would be no need for intrusive thoughts.

I think you need to find some "talkling therapy" around these issues, so that you can begin to negotiate some different patterns safely. You might need to think about what your parents wanted for you and how much you were able to do what they wanted you to do. Some parents have pretty high standards and it is difficult for their children to be good enough to be OK. It is however very important that you do get some personal support so that you feel safe in dealing with these issues.

Well done for keeping away from the cannabis. I do hope you will find some local support in moving on from a place where you do not feel safe to go about. Speak again to your doctor about the need for some talking support.

Best wishes