reading your experiences gives me a hint of what ocd looks like. While it does help me understand my symptoms more, it also makes me feel weird. an odd feeling, i'd say it's fear. I am indeed ''obsessed'' by not having the same symptoms as people w diagnosed OCD, thus meaning i dont have it (i dont have a diagnosis yet). Could this be some kind of theme? A symptom of OCD?
Yes I think one of my main themes is that I don’t think I actually have ocd - I’m just seriously mentally ill
It is very common for people with OCD to doubt they have it. Also, there are many ways OCD can manifest. OCD attacks what you value and care about most. There is no point in comparing your symptoms to someone else's. Also, don't get too hung up on theme OCD is OCD. It doesn't matter how it manifests. Only a professional can determine if you truly have OCD. But what you wrote definitely sounds like OCD.
only thinking about not having it makes me anxious and i dont want to people it would be i wanna have it for some reason
The more you think about it, the worse the intrusive thoughts will become. Acknowledge the thought is there and then ignore it.
thanks for your advice!
Thanks for reaching out and asking. This can be very common. OCD doesn't always have to fit neatly into a theme or even several themes. OCD can latch on to literally everything and anything. I do think it would be extremely beneficial for you to see a therapist who specializes in OCD and ERP and who can help develop an individualized treatment plan specific to your needs. Check out these articles as well:https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/obsessing-about-obsessing-is-this-really-ocd https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/ocd-took-my-childhood-then-gave-me-my-calling
thanks!!
Living with the fear of going crazy. Hey everyone, through my journey living with OCD I’ve had many different themes. The most enduring one was Harm OCD, but I would also have intermittent POCD thoughts. It wasn’t until the last few years that I developed a new theme: the fear of developing psychosis/schizophrenia. While this theme seems to be far more common, it is my experience it isn’t really noted in most of the conventional information you might find online. In all the books, websites, videos, and blogs I’ve digested, I’ve only seen it mentioned a few times. But a perusal online shows that in many OCD communities, it’s a common fear. That’s why, for those of you who are suffering or may suffer with this theme, that I find it important to share the experience openly. During the day-to-day, depending on the intensity of the obsessions, it can have a profoundly limited effect on your life. You want to avoid any scenario that might trigger the thoughts, but the avoidance leads to ever-increasing isolation. Personally, I’ve found actively participating in treatment and ERP has helped me maintain most of my regular responsibilities and habits. In the past, an OCD spike could really derail my life. And while I’m certainly dealing with more intrusive thoughts than “usual” at the moment, knowing I have the support of the community and my therapist helps me stay on course. It is without question that without treatment, my suffering would be greater than it is now. I have tools now to manage it that I never had before. It’s important to remember that no matter the theme, someone else is experiencing it. And within that theme, the particular thoughts aren’t really the issue. It’s our response and relationship to them. OCD is incredibly creative, and many with OCD tend to be reflective and conscientious people! You may have all manner of odd, strange, or disturbing thoughts. And that’s ok! Although it seems like a tired cliche, you’re never truly alone. If you have this theme, and are comfortable sharing, it can help others feel that they can be open and without judgement. I hope this has helped someone who felt isolated. Thank you!
does anyone else worry that some of their ocd symptoms/ proof of your ocd are invalid because they already knew about their ocd theme, and maybe they copied other people with the same theme and have now adopted other peoples experiences and mimicked them? so they don’t really have ocd, they just convinced themselves that they do and subconsciously copied other peoples compulsions and thoughts? because i’m undiagnosed and i have some symptoms of ocd before i found out about soocd, but after i started researching it, what if i subconsciously copied other people to convince myself i had ocd.
my biggest fear is what if i don't actually have ocd and get exposed as a fraud. im afraid i might have been living a lie the whole time. i keep thinking that im not as ill as others here. i feel like i don't deserve attention, it's like im unconsciously invalidating myself all the time and j can't help but think that im an impostor in disguise. that im just doing this for attention. that i just want to be mentally ill to feel like i fit in somewhere. when i show a new ocd symptom im afraid that oh im probably just copying something that i saw off this app here because i want to feel like i truly do have ocd. i know i most likely have it but im so stuck in this loop of doubt. my ocd isn't as severe as it was in the beginning so that makes me feel even more invalid and i have developed impostor syndrome over the years.
Share your thoughts so the Community can respond
