Hi, I'm new to this site and a bit apprehensive - not sure about the rules of etiquette and I sure don't want to offend anyone . I must tell you this - I suffered my entire life from this disorder. In 1991 a psychiatrist prescribed Imipramine to me and it cured me. Within days of starting this medication, my obsessive, irrational, all-conusming, debilitating, paralyzing, anxiety-producing, ritualistic thoughts and fears and behaviors about v* disappeared and have never returned. I stopped taking the medication in 1993 and have been free of every single debilitating sympton ever since.

Some irrational thoughts/ideas still exist, like, for example, starting to talk about this after so many years might jinx me and resurrect the phobia again.

I wept reading through some of your posts - what a reminder of what it was like for me for so long and how grateful I am to be free from this debilitating and isolating disorder.

Please talk to your doctor about this if you haven't already. It can't hurt. I'm not a medical person and don't have any idea if there are harmful, long-lasting effects from this medication. I can tell you nothing bad happened to me.

I'd be happy to chat with anybody about my experience if it would be helpful or encouraging for them. There REALLY is hope and I just had to tell you about it. If anybody does check out this Imipramine with their doc, please let me know if it works for you.

Your friend,
hope4u