- Date posted
- 6y
- Date posted
- 6y
Hi one important point. The content of thoughts is irrelevant, it is the same process amongst all people with ocd. KEY is not to check the mirrors and carry on driving. Become careless....and that's ok! When you get home have the most vivid images blood, crash, carnage, hospital, you being arrested, emarassment, losing job, family disowning. And tell yourself fine great!.....if that happens so what....will die ok .....then what?..you will then touch the key fear and your mind will see the fear for what it is 'just a pointless worry'. Next time you have these thoughts....act carelessly. Also actually try and deliberately want to run people over as ERP.
- Date posted
- 1y
@Parwaiz My sibling has OCD and she has had therapy for years and this is the exact same thing she told me. Which is the hardest thing to do. But i get it
- Date posted
- 6y
Hello there! I’m 24 years old and I also have extreme OCD about driving. There are times I’ve been late for work because I would hit a pothole and would have to turn around because I was scared it was a person (even though I knew it was only a pothole) The fact that you’ve been able to stop turning around and checking is amazing. I went out for groceries today, and as I’m typing this I’m currently fighting the urge to get in my car and drive back to the store parking lot to make sure I didn’t hurt anybody. Even though I know I would never hurt anyone. This subtype of OCD has been extremely difficult for me because it involves other people. It feels selfish to not turn around and check. Even though I know that they’re only potholes and little bumps in the road, I just have to check. How did you get the courage to stop checking? Because right now my 10 minute drive to work takes me 45 minutes. All the checking that I do eats up my time and energy. I know that resisting the urge is the only way to make myself better. I just don’t know how. I haven’t gone out with my friends in a while because I’m afraid to drive. I’m feeling a lot more lonely because of it.
- Date posted
- 6y
ggiglio the only way I'm able to deal with it is just to tell myself that I'm confident in the eyes, ears, and sense of touch that God gave me and to go from there. It's not easy, I may not turn around and check but I still check mirrors and other drivers, as well as constantly worry afterwards. The key is just to be confident and to be "careless" like Parwaiz says. One thing too that can help is taking baby steps. Maybe just do a short drive that you're used to at first. Ride with other people in the car, just make sure that you do eventually get back to driving yourself too. We can do it, fam!
- Date posted
- 6y
Parwaiz thank you for the encouragement and yes, this is probably a great way to approach things. It's definitely difficult though, the thoughts that enter my mind once I get out of my car are sometimes extremely difficult. I still have trouble sitting with the anxiety after not responding to the compulsion, I think a lot about all of those things you said and it creates a lot of negative feelings. My mind sometimes also says like "well, what if by avoiding checking you actually did do something but now you're not going to notice because you're so focused on avoiding responses." Then of course the bad feelings from when I do check but then think "what if I missed something while I was looking away." I've just gotta learn to do like you said and let the negative thoughts come and just sit with them for a bit. Thank you!
- Date posted
- 6y
You're welcome. This is the nature of ocd....the bully is never satisfied. Stand firm on the ground. 1) drive normally 2)bump is a bump 3)when get urge to look focus on road ahead. When you get home imagine worst case scenario and multiply 100 times for maximum effectiveness thinking of being in prison..and ruining someone's family by running them over. The thoughts cant make things happen! Try moving the wall in front of you using your mind...tell me when you are successful. What you are saying about avoiding and checking....this is just bully rising up to you. Refuse to be bullied....soon bully will find its place which is in the trash!
- Date posted
- 6y
Common form of OCD ive read a lot about
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
I have it as well. I just take it day by day. Some days are better than others.
- Date posted
- 1y
I have developed this theme in the past two weeks. I have been driving since I was 16. I am now 40 I drive for a living. I’ve been at this company for almost 10 years never ever had to worry about hitting anybody or anything never even came close Until now, intrusive thought came in what if you hit that guy on the corner and it was all over. I don’t even like talking about it because I know I have to work and do this again. Some days are better than others and I know I need to stop checking it just makes it worse because when I check and I don’t find anything my OCD is still not happy most of the time once I get home and settle down, I realize it was all bs. I don’t want it to get any worse so I’m starting my own ERP with it to try to force my way out
Related posts
- Date posted
- 17w
Hi, i’m new to this app, i’ve had it for a couple days but finally just built up the courage to make a post… I think i might have OCD, but im not sure what type, or if i even have it, & i would like your guys opinions on it. I want to talk about some of my obsessions, some are physical where i get obsessed with physical objects, & others are where i get obsessed with my thoughts & actions, or other things people do. As well as my compulsions. Some thoughts i have everyday that im constantly worried about is accidentally killing myself, epically with my self-harm, & accidentally killing someone else although ive never had the urge or impulse to hurt someone like that before. I’m also worried about the quality of my car ALWAYS, & worried that someone will break into it, or steal it, or damage it - like hitting it, or doing a hit & run, or getting into an accident. I have constant thoughts about driving into a wall & killing myself. I also have to have the volume in my car at an even number otherwise it feels like i’m going to die, or i’m going to get into an accident. I’m also worried about my house burning down, & i even have to call my mom or text to her to make sure everything’s okay… i’m also constantly worried about people leaving/abandoning me, im worried that something in my past will come up, & someone will perceive me in a certain way that will make them leave me. Or im always worried that ive done something wrong although theres actually nothing i’ve done wrong, which could also make them leave me. I have a really hard time with uncertainty, & i need reassurance constantly. I have a lot of paranoid thoughts like “my family is out to get me” & “everyone’s hates me” & “you’re a horrible person” & images & more, even though i know they’re not real & they have no actual meaning to them. With the physical objects, i get obsessed with ideas or things, like bands, collectibles, keychains, posters, stuffed animals, & basically anthing you can think of, & i feel the need to get things or buy things pertaining to it, to make myself happy or feel fulfilled. at this point im becoming a hoarder. Another thing that i deal with is having things on a special or specific order. i need things to be decorated in my room in a very specific way for me to be happy, & if somethings off it triggers me & makes me really upset. I need to have things facing me, & in order & arrange them in a certain way. I get obsessed with the order of my room & how things look, & need constant approval from others to make sure it looks okay. To calm down i often have to repeat to myself that I am okay, until i actually feel okay again, & i definitely avoid places & situations that trigger me. i also constantly have to fidget with my hands, & my clothes to calm down, & am constantly worried about what other people thing of me, & because of that i have to go to the bathroom especially at work to check how i look & fix my clothes constantly to make sure i look okay. I also have a lot of brain chatter, so no matter what the time of day im always thinking things in the back of my mind, my brain remembers things throughout the day, like music, or people talking, or phrases they say, & sometimes i have to say it out loud to feel okay. Is this OCD? & if so, what type?
- Date posted
- 15w
hi everyone!! so idk if anyone will see this, but i guess i have a lot of questions. i got diagnosed with OCD about 2 years ago or so but i’ve had it for as long as i can remember. my obsessions and compulsions root from my worst fears and what i’m most afraid of losing. when i was really young, it started with doing things or else the devil was going to come and get me, because that was my worst fear at that time. i have to count, i usually do things in pairs of 3. i HATE even numbers. only odd numbers. sometimes i spend a lot of time redoing something over and over and over again just until it feels “right.” i have super bad sensory issues. i cut the tags out of everything i own, my nails have to be short or else i will dig them into my skin until i bleed because it just doesn’t feel right. at school i used to be late to class because i would be at my locker turning the combination either 3, 7, 9, 11, or 13 times. it just depended on what felt right. before i would go to bed i would have to sit up and check the door 3 , 7, 9… etc. one time i had to check 27 times before i could go to sleep. i’m actually scared of getting things i want in life because my OCD will hold it against me. “you better do this or else you’ll lose this.” the more happy i am in life, the worse my OCD gets. it prays on my worst fears. if there is even something slightly wrong with my clothes: a tiny thread hanging lose, a bad memory attached, i will never wear it again. there’s one thing im sorta embarrassed to say but it’s one of my worst ones. basically: peeing. at night, i have to continuously go to the bathroom over and over again because i feel like my bladder isn’t completely empty. i will keep telling myself “it’s full, i have to go.” even when i just peed 5 minutes ago. and due to this, it causes a lot of wiping. i have wiped myself raw to the point i bleed a lot. it’s embarrassing, but i can’t stop. it never feels clean enough. my hair is never perfect enough. my clothes are ugly. i think i mostly struggle with perfectionism OCD. but is that it? i also feel like if i don’t do certain things, it will cause something bad to happen to my family or friends. like i have magical control over events. i don’t know. can someone help please?
- Date posted
- 13w
Iiii am horribly, terribly afraid of driving. I'm almost 19, and getting my license - or really even getting in a car and driving myself - has eluded me for quite some time. There are a lot of unknowns, and it's very hard to reconcile with; even on familiar routes, every drive's gonna be different, there are gonna be different people on the road than there were on a successful drive (and obviously I can't trust other people, because I never know what could happen), there might be construction or a wreck or some other hindrance in the road. It's tough to process, over and over, that I can't read the future, let alone control it to circumvent any Possible woes. I've never experienced a severe wreck or anything to justify this fear, the worst I've done is mix up the brake and gas once in an empty lot (nothing and nobody harmed aside from some fear on my end, just a scratch on the car!) yet I'm Petrified of causing an accident, hurting myself or especially someone else, and incurring debts a college student like myself can't pay off. Even so, not having my license is.. frustrating! It's easier and more comfortable to avoid practicing and actually getting there, but at the same time it's hard and disappointing because I have no independence in the way of going to work, shopping, or seeing my friends or partner. It's a real back and forth conundrum of "Phew, at least I can't drive" -> "Oh no I can't drive" -> "Oh no I have to drive", rinse and repeat. I'm headed off to college now, really running out of time (I've booked an instructor for myself and may end up in a position to test this week.. I leave Friday 😟) and more antsy than ever. Anybody else ever feel/felt this way?
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