- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y ago
Parents with ocd
Any parents out there right now struggling with ocd? If so would you mind sharing the struggle?
Any parents out there right now struggling with ocd? If so would you mind sharing the struggle?
I feel like every subtype there is to be honest. Seems to change by the day if not the day by week. Makes you question everything. The scary part is the numbness or disassociation I have been feeling.
Trying to accept the uncertainty and using words like it is what it, its all in God's hands. Prayer. I see a nocd therapist as well.
I am struggling myself. Feel like I'm going nuts. The mind just plays so many games with our heads. Just have to keep in mind the ocd attacks what we care about the most. I don't think this is talked about very much. Meaning parents who are struggling with ocd. In various manors. I hope to see more responses because I know we are not the only ones going through this as parents.
It’s a very tough thing to deal with when it attacks the people you love the most. Makes you question everything. What are you experiencing if you don’t mind me asking?
I have been suffering ROCD for years, mostly directed toward my wife on 7 years. A have also noted that I find myself questioning whether or not I love my kids, similar to the doubt that comes regarding my wife. The guilt that comes with these thoughts are devastating but like you guys have said, OCD attacks what you care about most so I try to keep that in mind.
Fellow harm sufferer. As a parent to think these thoughts about your kids. Kills you inside. How can someone feel that way about the little people they made. But without reassuring myself I do my best to be mindful of parenting is hard. And as ocd and being focused on perfection. It’s impossible. Last night I asked my husband I have such little joy in this job. And he said what joy. I mean we are trying to make good humans. Like that is not an easy task. I have real hard time sitting with my thoughts but I try to let them go. As much as possible. Because they are just always playing games.
Hey! Fellow sufferer here. I have 4 kiddos and the struggle is real my friend!! I say fellow sufferer bc I'm immensely better and continue to heal. Know it's not a linear process and that there will be constant ups and downs. However my intrusive thoughts come now but I let them go. There are days where I find myself frustrated that I'm still having them, which causes the cycle to continue - ruminating is my compulsion so I over analyze everything. It gets easier for sure. It's hard because I also have some scrupulosity with mine. So naturally for me it's like hard to let go. It will get easier. Some tips are labelling everything. Intrusive feelings, intrusive thoughts, ruminations or even saying - Oh! That thought is too big for me. I try to let it go. My therapist suggested acknowledging the thought and moving on to something different and everytime I did my OCD was like - if you weren't busy you'd be being a psycho killer right now. Sooooo stupid. Either way, please know there's hope and healing. You'll get there, just have faith. Also, Bible scripture is amazing for this. A simple google search will pull up a ton of scripture revolving around fear and anxiety. Replace the ocd lies with truth! Hugs!!!
Me. Have a four year old daughter that I am scared to death I will harm. We co-sleep and in the middle of the night is when my thoughts, urges, and sensations flair up and it’s awful. It’s not every night but when it happens it’s hard for me to start the day on a positive note. Ugh
Thank you for sharing i really appreciate it . Stay positive, its all mind games.
Parent of two here it’s hard to deal with your ocd when you got other people to make sure they’re ok first and you don’t want you to notice you’re down as with my wife
Have any of you found any good remedies to help with the nasty thoughts and feelings? Acceptance for me has really helped but it’s hard at times.
Mathias - are you meaning your wife doesn't know what your going through as well?
No she knows what I go through and tries to understand but I try to hide when I’m down
I’m going through a really bad flare up. I developed ocd many years ago when I had my first child. Postpartum ocd. I suffer from harm and pocd. At first I had mostly mental and some physical compulsions but the physical faded away pretty early on and i’ve just done mental compulsions since. My ocd was in remission for alot of years and if the ocd would pop up now and again, I was easily able to shrug it off and not engage. A few years ago I went through a stressful time in my life and the ocd came back to stay. At first it was bad but then it got better and has been pretty mild until now. It’s been really bad this week and the physical compulsions are even back. I never thought it would ever get this bad again. My ocd is making me doubt who I am and how I feel. I know it’s all ocd and not real or true but the ocd makes it feel so real that I can’t easily dismiss or disprove it. The more I try to disprove it the more real the ocd makes it feel. I’m really struggling and don’t know how to get back on track. I don’t have access to a therapist because there are no ocd specialists near me and my insurance doesn’t cover online therapy. That’s why i’m reaching out here. Has anyone been through a rough relapse? How can I get through and past this??
Since I developed ocd as postpartum my ocd has mostly always targeted my kids. It started as harm and then switched to pocd. Both are equally very painful. For years I was mostly able to keep my ocd at bay but when it comes back it’s so bad. I have a son and a daughter and my ocd switches back and forth from kid to kid with horrible intrusive thoughts and now even intrusive ocd dreams. With each thought I get past and start to feel relief another one pops right up. The thoughts feel so real and true even though I know it’s just the ocd and not how I think or feel, the ocd always makes me doubt myself and question everything I think or do. I know other moms/dads go through this too. Please anyone who has or is going through this please tell me how you deal with this. 😪
Hi everyone, I’m Cayla. I’m a mom that’s lived with OCD since childhood, but my breaking point came more recently after having my son. I was consumed by terrifying thoughts—What if I hurt him? What if I did something awful without realizing it? I was so afraid of my own mind that I couldn’t be alone with him. The shame and exhaustion were unbearable, and I convinced myself I was broken. In 2024, I finally sought help. ERP therapy at NOCD was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but it saved my life. Even now, I have tough days, but I know I don’t have to be ruled by OCD. When my 12 year old daughter began showing signs of OCD, I felt overwhelmed with guilt. I never wanted her to go through what I had, but I knew what to do. I told her that I have OCD too and made sure she knew it wasn’t her fault—and that she wasn’t alone. One of the hardest parts of this journey was trusting someone else with my daughter’s OCD. I knew how vulnerable it feels to share intrusive thoughts, and I wanted her to feel safe. Her NOCD therapist was able to establish trust and genuine empathy from the start, and that relationship gave her the confidence to face ERP head-on. Seeing her build that trust made me certain she was in the right hands. ERP has helped both of us reclaim our lives, and it is beautiful to see my daughter managing her condition and making visible progress. Parenting with OCD while raising a child with OCD isn’t talked about enough, but I know so many parents are struggling with these same challenges. If you have questions about managing OCD while parenting, helping your child through ERP, or breaking cycles of guilt, drop them below—I’d love to share what I’ve learned. I’ll be answering all of the questions I receive in real-time today 4-5pm ET.
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