We shouldn't provide reassurance to others on this app but I think picking people up on bad days can be helpful in this type of online community. This is especially true for OCD sufferers as the thoughts can make you feel isolated. Do you all agree?

Hi, so I’ve recently found out that asking for reassurance isn’t a good way to help OCD (that’s understandable), and I was wondering to what extent is reassurance bad? Eg, reassuring yourself that things will be okay, or that some of the things you obsess over are untrue and aren’t helpful things to think about? I probably sound a little stupid so apologies! I’m just unsure as to what is healthy and what is not! (Sorry if this is confusing, I have just splatted my thoughts down!)

A suggestion. I saw a post of @OCDtreated on Twitter and I’d like to share with all of you who want to recover. “I am not a fan of OCD forums. Full of reassurance seeking.” I kinda agree with him on this. When people are troubled by OCD, they are more vulnerable to negative stuff and more skeptical with positive information. Although an OCD online group/forum can be helpful in some way (knowing that you are not alone, reducing the stigma, finding understanding), it can also be not that helpful. We talk here without any therapists’ guidance, and it’s so easy we post “unhealthy” information or questions to seek reassurance. One way to get better is to “getting comfortable with being uncomfortable”. This requires you to get more involved with your life, less from OCD. Constantly checking on ocd forums is not getting on with your life. However, I am not saying that you should not visit OCD groups any more.

I have no issue with the fact I’ve been blocked (title is to hopefully get some traction) but with the lack of monitoring on this community discussion board. There are users who are consistently reassurance seeking and nobody seems to be addressing this. It’s not helping them when people reassure them and It’s not helping others who then feel they’re helping by feeding into this. There are a lot of younger users and newbies (even long time sufferers) who aren’t aware of the issues of reassurance seeking. It breaks my heart to see how desperate some of the posts are. Again I’m not sure what the purpose of this discussion board is as it’s changing from being a space where we all support/motivate each other and can find sources for educational information surrounding OCD to a place where people are using it as a compulsion and for reassurance. Whilst I understand that it’s impossible for the board to be heavily monitored. It’d be amazing if NOCD would do a talk or make a post about reassurance seeking and let us know what the purpose of this space is. I’m not saying this to moan I’m just becoming concerned about some of my fellow OCD sufferers. *I’m not completely guilt free myself before I get an ear full.