- Date posted
- 3y
- Date posted
- 3y
I think the way they would apply ERP to this is to get you to change the way you respond to those thoughts. It’s very likely that there’s something compulsive you’re doing in response to the intrusive thoughts when it first pops up— for example, my boyfriend has told me he used to lie and cheat in previous relationships until he went to therapy a few years ago. Sometimes something reminds me of that, and it makes me uncomfortable, and I feel like I have to really THINk about it to make sure or CHECK that it doesn’t affect my image of him or that he’s not going to cheat on me or something. So the compulsive behavior is that I try to imagine what he was thinking, what he said to her, I try to vividly imagine them having a whole conversation, imagine exactly what he did, how he felt about cheating, whether or not he’s ever had those thoughts about me, etc. But the more I do that the more the intrusive thoughts disturb me. So I am trying to resist thinking about it more whenever the thought comes up. Like I have to say “oh, I don’t like that idea, but thinking about it more will not help me” and try to get back to what I’m doing in real life. It’s super hard though. Sometimes using a mantra like “what matters is I trust him right now the past doesn’t matter” helps, but that’s kind of a reassurance.
- Date posted
- 3y
Remember that the problem isn’t that you can’t bear the knowledge that she was with other men—you have the ability to cope with fleeting discomfort about it just like anyone else. The problem is that you are having trouble with how often this is on your mind, and the longer it’s on your mind, the more bothersome it becomes, and the sensation of no escape is very distressing. So your focus needs to be on figuring out how to decrease the time spent thinking about it, rather than necessarily reducing the pain that occurrs when it IS on your mind.
- Date posted
- 3y
@jello86 Thanks for your comment. The frequency and duration of this topic being on my mind has been a big part of my struggle, but it’s also the vividness of the mental movies. They eclipse reality. “It’s just a thought” becomes a meaningless phrase. It’s scary *because* it’s a thought. It can hit you at any time and doesn’t have to follow the rules of logic. And for me, they feel so real. This is not just the case with bad thoughts. My mental imagery in general is so vivid. It has been an asset in some cases, but it’s often a burden. The other problem is just that the thoughts come with a history of hurt for me. I’ve hurt so much at the thoughts that they also bring to mind the hurt I’ve already felt and the possibility of having episodes like that again. I guess the phrase “anxiety about anxiety” could be evoked here.
- Date posted
- 3y
I have the same thing it's torturing. What I'm trying to do is focus on our sexual relationship, how he shows to me the he wants me, what he says to me, our games etc etc. If you focus on what's happening right now, it could be helpful. Because what you are having right now with this girl could be something her ex or anyone could be jealous of, but YOU have it so enjoy it. Also, you also had a past. If you come to think of your own past, you'll understand that it doesn't affect in any way how you feel about her. So this applies to her. No matter what she has done, you have done it too and it doesn't exist it's past. I don't know if I help, I have too many insecurities and overthink all those things you ve mentioned but maybe I'm also talking to myself right now. When you think of this stuff, just slow down. It's like putting your mind out to see how it's gonna react , you know that the reaction will be the same. don't feed it too much. Recognize the thought but let it go ! And slow down!!!
- Date posted
- 3y
I’m kind of in a different position in that I don’t have a past as such and my girlfriend and I abstain for religious reasons. I will avoid talking too much about that, because I will get more into ruminating, though. I vented to my girlfriend today (not about retroactive jealousy specifically, just about OCD and depression) and I feel a bit better. This theme has been so tough though. I know it will flare up again which is what scares me.
- Date posted
- 3y
@CaptainKierkegaard Talk to a therapist about that. They can help you ease your thoughts. You are not alone!
Related posts
- Date posted
- 17w
Can anyone relate to this type of ROCD? It’s like i obsess of my partners past, I’ve spent probably 100 hours over the last 3 years asking him about girls he was with before me questioning him about every little detail and seeking reassurance. I don’t want to think about these girls at all. And I’ve been in ERP since August and was doing really good and not sure if it’s just getting bad again the last few days because of the holiday (Easter) and i had to go to his hometown where I know he had a past in and he recently brought a ring which I’m so excited about but it just seems like it’s getting harder for me and i don’t wanna be talking about girls he dated for a few months before me when we are about to get engaged. Am i ruining my future? What can I do to help and to not bring up stuff about the girls before me? How can I be in the moment and not relate everything to an irrelevant girl before me? Help
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 14w
I’m gonna try to make this make sense, and any support or advice would be great. I have a beautiful girlfriend, who I’ve been dating off and on for a year. We were really rocky but got our shit figured out 4 months ago and have been strong since. I truly love this girl more than I’ve loved anyone. And I know based off the sheer amount of ocd that has come up on our relationship, that she means a lot to me. Me and her were in a friend group in 2022 and we never liked each other. However she had a sexual relationship with one of my old friends. Fast forward to now I haven’t talked to him in a long time and I don’t see it as an issue. However… I keep having this vivid flashback to him touching her some kinda way in 2022. I can’t remember exactly what happened or the details but it’s running through my head. I guess this is retroactive jealousy but it’s really almost hurting my feelings. I wish it would stop but I know ocd doesn’t work that way. I just wanna be happy with my girl and not upset at her past experiences
- Date posted
- 11w
Hi all, I’m new here and this is my first post. I was diagnosed with OCD back in March and started therapy, but was only able to complete a few sessions before my therapist had a baby. I have been in a relationship with my girlfriend for 11 months and I’ve constantly been thinking about her past. More specifically something she told me that happened while her and I were speaking. In just two days it will be a year since she told me about the fact that she was assaulted by someone she met online. ( we both met online). It took place while we were talking. Originally when she told me, she told me she had sex with a guy she met online she told me she went over to watch a movie and then they had sex. Recently after we discussed it since it was weighing on my mind, she revealed to me that it wasn’t consensual and that she was sexually assaulted/raped. She told me she initially thought it was sex because it’s what she was sued to from her last relationship. She was abused and assaulted a lot by her ex, and this thing was normal for her. She said she didn’t realize how bad everything was until after we had been dating and she saw what true consensual sex was. The problem I have is that my brain knows every detail of what happened but keeps blaming her for her. My brain keeps telling me it was her choice and her fault and it justifies it by saying that she went over knowing it was a possibility he would want sex, so therefore it’s her fault. This has been straining me for so long because I can’t stop thinking about it. Everything seems to trigger a thought about it. I know inside what happened and what led to it, but I constantly think about it possibly being something else. I constantly think about every little detail. It has led me to having thoughts of “maybe I shouldn’t date someone that did this” as it doesn’t match my definition of the “perfect partner”. I have no idea what to do anymore. I obsess over things she had done with her ex in order to be loved by him. Like drinking, smoking weed, etc all things that I am against. I know she doesn’t do this anymore and was coaxed into it, but I’m constantly overwhelmed by thoughts of “she isn’t perfect because of XYZ so I shouldn’t be with her”. I won’t go into any details about the assault out of respect for her. I feel I’m constantly fighting myself and every good day I have gets overshadowed by one bad day :( I cannot see my therapist again until August and it worries me a lot.
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