- Username
- Ocdislame
- Date posted
- 2y ago
I’ve had both. I’ve had ocd twist trivial stuff ( which I’m dealing with now) and also have fixated on events that I’ve done that were crappy but that I can’t change. What helps me is, knowing that an action I’ve done or thing I’ve said doesnt equal my totality as a human being. And in no way makes me 100% a bad person. so I can accept what I did, realise there’s no harm done and accept whenever these thoughts come up.
I think people with ocd forget that we can criticise our actions or words (that were not the best, not something ocd twists) without criticising our whole selves.
Yeah I’m my case, I don’t know. I’ve hurt people in my past, and it was just shitty. If that’s the case then there was harm done. I just terrible regret it, and never really thought about it because I had just moved on and changed my ways....until ocd started last summer. This always gets thrown in the mix of all my themes when the cycles restarts, and I can’t tell if it’s the ocd, or if I’m just feeling more remorse for my past mistakes. I’ve gone months without it ever bothering me, and then it hits me again
@Ocdislame We all hurt people in our lives. It’s a natural part of being human. My advice if you can’t tell whether it’s ocd or not. Is to still do exposures and once the emotions don’t feel as overwhelming you can look at everything more logically and clearly.
@M Yeah that’s the thing. When I’m feeling fine I just look at it and think how it was not a good decision. But it’s more of a “is what it is, I just need to learn from it and move on”. The reason I don’t know if it’s ocd is because of other therapy I was going through when I recalled this memory the first time. I have other primary themes, and this one just kind of pops it’s head up after a while, and it’s just hard to differentiate
@M Thank you for your input though. It was helpful.
@Ocdislame I completely understand. I’m the same way too. I’m glad I could help
Here’s my deal. 15 years ago my OCD started, or at least I realized it starting with the onset of a memory in which I “did something bad.” More accurately, something out of line with my fully developed character, contradictory to my core values. I can’t explain it, I blame myself, and often feel unworthy, guilt ridden and ashamed. It was the core theme of my OCD for years. Later, My Mind sought out similar memories, actions, thoughts that seemed to relate to the event or extrapolate it’s meaning. Learning that what happened really isn’t the problem and that my inability to let it go is the actual problem, was the most helpful thing in moving forward treating my Real Event OCD and Pure OCD. It only takes a kernel of the truth for real event OCD to latch on. Likely, your mind potentiates the memory and makes it seem worse than it really was. The more severe, the more significant. Causing elevated self doubt. If you really did something bad, seek forgiveness and remember to also forgive yourself. Do the ERP, put in the work and you’ll get through it (learn to live with it). It might seem impossible, but you will have peace again. God Bless.
Thank you for this. I can’t really go into it, but what I didn’t was definitely wrong. I don’t know if I caused any hurt or pain to whom it was inflicted on, but at this point I can’t really reach out for forgiveness. It’s just something I will have to live with. The thing is, I’ve always known it was wrong, but just kind of moved on and accepted and I guess learned from it. It just always comes up when my ocd is flaring.
@Ocdislame You don’t always need to reach out for forgiveness. Just forgive yourself
@Anonymous Thank you. It just makes ocd that much harder to deal with. Most people here fear they’re just a bad person. But it’s not real to them. For me, some would say I am just a bad person. Or was kind of a shitty one in my past. So it is just true. I don’t know how erp will help with that.
I’m in the same boat. I actually did something bad but I still was diagnosed with ocd. It can be a bad thing and still be ocd
But was it something just kind of trivial? Like stealing a candy bar when you were young?
@Ocdislame No not trivial
@Ocdislame I’m not going into details only because confessing makes ocd worse and just riding out the anxiety is what I’m taught to do in therapy, but no, it wasn’t trivial.
@Anonymous No worries, wasn’t looking for details. I just feel like a lot of example i see are people that are stressing over things that are wrong but mostly harmless. Doesn’t mean their suffering is any less, but it makes me feel maybe what I’m dealing with isn’t ocd. Thanks for your feedback!
Does anyone else suffer from ‘Real life events’ OCD? I constantly worry about things I did as a teenager (from ages 15-19) I wasn’t a very nice person and think I was quite a toxic girlfriend in my first relationship. I’m always terrified that people are going to find out and that I’m going to lose my job or something awful. I also think that a lot of people would be so shocked if they knew some of the things that I’d done, and that they would think so much less of me. I feel a constant need to confess or apologise, and wish more than anything that I could erase that whole chapter of my life. Previously in counselling, we looked at ‘black and white thinking’, and I managed to rationalise that everyone makes mistakes and nothing I did was that bad, but I have this horrible feeling that one day this will all catch up with me. Is this just genuine guilt and remorse or is this a symptom of OCD? Thanks in advance.
How can you tell if you're experiencing real event ocd or you are feeling justified guilt for doing something bad. What I did is something that everyone would consider very bad. Is it still OCD? This is making me miserable.
Does anyone struggle with real event ocd and having to confess to their partner? I have so many regrets on things I’ve either done or thought and feel like I can’t move on or be better until I’ve been forgiven for them. Mostly things that happened a couple years ago and I don’t know why it’s all of a sudden bothering me now but it makes me feel like I’m the worst person ever. I’m even questioning how I thought or felt during that time and I’m confessing to thoughts or things I may or may not have done or thought. It’s so confusing and I feel trapped in my own head. If anyone has any tips I would appreciate it. Thank you for you time
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