- Date posted
- 3y
- Date posted
- 3y
I’m super familiar with this. My Real Event OCD likes to cycle from one event to the next and then the next… until it eventually cycles back to the first. Whichever event is ‘in the spotlight’ is of the upmost importance. The others seem irrelevant or even laughable. I find accepting the stories my mind has told me (even if small possibilities or irrational) as possibilities helps more than trying to fact find. I’m sorry it’s tough for you right now, but keep at it! Maybe give a friend or family member a call to talk about something ‘off topic.’
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
Yep, I can relate to this, I generally cycle through them. One slight difference I have is that while I generally only have one in focus at a time, a common concern for me is that one being true would make them all true.
- Date posted
- 3y
^^^^ YES! In a lot of events deal around the same theme or fear that I have. So like for each ocd theme i have there’s multiple real events i ruminate over.
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
I am going through this right now. I was triggered by a headline I read the other day (the news/internet can be my worst enemy sometimes), and it brought back a memory from two years ago. Caused me to obsess over it all over again. Nothing bad actually happened at the time, but I keep thinking “what if” things had gone horribly wrong. Can’t shake the feeling of guilt I get whenever the worst case scenarios pop into my head.
- Date posted
- 3y
Check out episode 223 of The OCD Stories podcast
Related posts
- Date posted
- 19w
With real event OCD, I don’t know if any of you feel this way, but do you ever feel that the past event(s) that you ruminate about or constantly obsess about are gonna come up in your future and just absolutely ruin you, that’s how I’ve been feeling for months, it just feels like impending doom, and I hate having to even think that my future would be ruined by what I did as a teenager, and I did some dumb things, that I regret so deeply, I just can’t stop thinking about that.
- Date posted
- 15w
just wanted to see if others struggle with real event ocd really kicking their a**. i feel like my mind is a constant battleground of every mistake ive made and they feel so huge and life altering to me that it’s hard to continue going on in their wake. just wondering if anyone else feels this way too.
- Date posted
- 12w
Hey everyone — I just want to say upfront that as someone who actively deals with real events OCD, most of the posts I share here are going to come straight from my personal experience. Just real & lived reality. Because I know how lonely this type of OCD can feel, and if there’s even one person out there who reads my words and feels less alone — then it’s worth sharing every piece of it. Now… let’s talk about the kind of OCD that doesn’t get enough attention. The kind that doesn’t just whisper scary things — it reminds you of real ones. Real Events OCD. This isn’t about bizarre or outta nowhere intrusive thoughts. This is the kind that takes real things you’ve done — whether it was a genuine mistake, a cringey moment, a bad decision, or even something you already made peace with — and it replays them on a loop like a horror film in your head. It’s the constant questioning: “Am I actually a good person?” “Was that actually wrong and I just didn’t realize it?” “What if I’ve hurt someone and don’t deserve to be okay?” And it’s exhausting. I’ve had moments where I can’t focus, can’t sleep, can’t breathe because my brain pulls up something from years ago and convinces me I’m evil, dangerous, unforgivable. I can be having a good day, laughing with people I love, and boom — my mind hits me with “Remember this? You should feel horrible about it forever.” Even if I’ve apologized. Even if I’ve changed. Even if I’ve done the work. Real Events OCD doesn’t care. It thrives off your guilt. It uses your conscience against you. And when you’re young — still figuring out who you are, still healing — it makes you question whether you even deserve to move forward. That’s what’s so cruel about it. It doesn’t just make you anxious. It makes you feel like you’re a danger to the people you love. That you’re secretly the villain in your own story. But let me tell you something I’ve been learning — slowly, painfully, but honestly.. You are not your past. You are not your worst mistake. And you are not the voice in your head trying to punish you forever. You’re a person with a heart. A person who cares. And that’s exactly why OCD picked this flavor to mess with you. ERP is SOO helping. So is community. But the biggest help? Giving myself permission to stop chasing reassurance and start living again. I do not have to confess, over and over, for the rest of my life. I do not have to torture myself to prove I’m good. I can grow — and growing is enough. So if you’re reading this and you know exactly what I’m talking about… I see you. I am you. Let’s keep showing up. Let’s keep living. Let’s keep healing — even when OCD tells us we don’t deserve to. You do. I do. We all do.
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