- Date posted
- 3y
- Date posted
- 3y
for me it just triggered contamination ocd so bad because suddenly compulsions were not only ok but everyone was doing them. sanitizing hands frequently, sanitizing produce un the early parts of the pandemic etc it became like impossible to tell ocd from 'real', rational worry
- Date posted
- 3y
Definitely. My OCD has gotten extremely worse over the past year. It made my OCD take the simplest things said and turn it into something to worry about. Even if what was said had or has no substance. At certain points, I was completely paralyzed with anxiety. I had no idea what OCD was back in 2020, so I just thought that the themes I was having were real since they wouldn't leave.
- Date posted
- 3y
I wouldn't say the pandemic by itself made it worse but the social isolation coupled with underlying depression and multiple additional stressors definitely had a major effect on me.
- Date posted
- 3y
Contamination fears were extremely high at the beginning of the pandemic and i developed a type of head shake tic-like compulsive response after being in certain public situations. These typically occurred after leaving a given situation (eg work) and would be present for minutes and sometimes hours after. Still have them periodically when presented with a stressful situation.
- User type
- NOCD Alumni
- Date posted
- 3y
My OCD definitely got worse. I never realized how much being around other people with distractions at work really kept my intrusive thoughts and compulsions in check. Without that environment, my compulsions spiraled out of control, my ruminations went ballistic and I couldn’t even get motivated to do normal everyday things because the doubt and feeling of things not being right kind of paralyzed me. I started drinking more after work which only exacerbated my OCD, depression and anxiety to the breaking point. That’s when I decided to start looking up OCD help, starting with this app, and then got diagnosed with OCD and ADHD and have been working on recovery ever since.
- User type
- NOCD Alumni
- Date posted
- 3y
@lonerjayv3 Yep, helped me to realize whatever intrusive thoughts or themes I had, someone else has had them or something similar. Wouldn’t be here if I didn’t accidentally stumble across NOCD back in FEB.
- User type
- NOCD Alumni
- Date posted
- 3y
@lonerjayv3 I hope it helps as well my friend, I’m pulling for you. Mine took time between different doses and building up in my system but it has made a world of difference for me. Stay strong and best wishes.
- Date posted
- 3y
I think so. I think it’s mainly because I had all that extra time to just sit and think/worry about things.
- Date posted
- 3y
extremely!
- Date posted
- 3y
my ocd started during the pandemic! dont know if it was a factor or not
- Date posted
- 3y
Sure has.
Related posts
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 19w
Hi everyone, I’m Andrea and I am a member of the Intake Team here at NOCD. In junior high, I was known as the “aneurysm girl” because I was convinced any small headache meant I was dying. At just 12 years old, I read something that triggered my OCD, and from that moment on, my brain latched onto catastrophic health fears. Any strange sensation in my body felt like proof that something was seriously wrong. I constantly sought reassurance, avoided being alone, and felt trapped in an endless cycle of fear. Over time, my OCD shifted themes, but health anxiety was always there, lurking in the background. I turned to drinking to numb my mind, trying to escape the fear that never let up. Then, in 2016, everything spiraled. I was sitting at work, feeling completely fine, when suddenly my vision felt strange—something was “off.” My mind convinced me I was having a stroke. I called an ambulance, launching myself into one of the darkest periods of my life. I visited doctors multiple times a week, terrified I was dying, yet every test came back normal. The fear never loosened its grip. For years, I cycled in and out of therapy, desperately trying to find answers, but no one recognized what was really happening. I was always told I had anxiety or depression, but OCD was never mentioned. I was suicidal, believing I would never escape the torment of my mind. It wasn’t until 2022—after years of struggling, hitting rock bottom, and finally seeking specialized OCD treatment—that I got the right diagnosis. ERP therapy at NOCD was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it saved my life. Today, I’m 34, sober, and living a life I never thought was possible. Do I still have hard days? Absolutely. But I am no longer a prisoner to my fears. The thoughts still come, but they don’t control me anymore. They don’t dictate my every move. Life isn’t perfect, but it no longer knocks me off my feet. If you’re struggling with health OCD or somatic OCD, I see you. I know how terrifying and isolating it can be. But I also know that it can get better. If you have any questions about health & somatic OCD, ERP, and breaking the OCD cycle, I’d love to tell you what I’ve learned first hand. Drop your questions below, and I’ll answer all of them!
- Date posted
- 19w
Does anyone Else’s ocd flare up bad when in stressful life situations? I was doing amazing and now that I’m having some drama with my life it seems to have come back with a vengeance. Anyone else?
- Date posted
- 18w
Hi, I’m new to this app and newly diagnosed. Question for you all, What things did you normalize and do without a second thought that when diagnosed, you realized was actually your OCD? Mine was how concerned with germs I am. I hold my breath when I open a door so the rush of wind doesn’t infect my lungs from whatever is in the room. I thought everyone was really careful and concerned like me. But Ive learned it’s not normal the lengths I go to. What was yours?
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