Hi Oprender! Sorry to hear you're having a difficult time. ROCD can be really stressful. Relationships can be stressful for people without OCD and having OCD can make it even more tough! So, I get it! It's very common for OCD to attach itself to the things we care about. It's clear that you care about this person so it makes sense that OCD would sneak in there and try to sabotage it! I've had many MANY moments where I've thought of a love interest non-stop and it can be maddening. So, for me, as simple as it sounds...I would just let the thoughts be there because we don't have control over what pops into our head. In some instances, my brain would think about a person all day long and eventually just get sick of it. That didn't always work though and I would have to be more proactive. So, I would direct my attention to something else. Like a book or tv or a podcast. Running outside also really helped because when I'm panting and dripping sweat, I'm mostly just thinking about how much I need water lol. So healthy distraction is good! Regarding your interactions with this person you're talking to, you don't get to know if this person is trustworthy or not. In instances like these, I would really focus on my values. Do I feel good when I speak to this person? Have I actually caught this person in a lie? Do they put in as much effort as I do? We never know where relationships will lead. In fact, people without OCD don't know what their relationships will look like tomorrow, or in the next five minutes or 5 years. For me, I used a lot of mindfulness to help me enjoy every moment I had with someone I was dating. Maybe my brain would tell me: "Oh they don't love you, they're using you, they don't think you're pretty." And I would shrug my shoulders and just say: "Yeah, maybe, maybe not." But, OCD aside, relationships take good communication. If you value being in a committed relationship, then it's important to make it clear that that is what you want and work toward building that with someone. That is a value for me and if someone isn't looking for the same thing, then I won't pursue it anymore. So, It helped me to write down all things I valued in a relationship and to see if my needs were actually being met or not. OCD would still pop in but then I'd focus on mindfulness and just try to be in the moment. If you're not working with a therapist, I suggest starting treatment at NOCD if you can. A therapist will be able to help you navigate ROCD. In the meantime, I suggest watching videos by Nathan Peterson on YouTube. His content helped me a lot! Also, below is a helpful link that my NOCD therapist sent me when I first started treatment, it helped me learn how to respond to my thoughts. You got this!! :)
https://www.sheppardpratt.org/news-views/story/how-to-respond-to-unwanted-obsessive-thoughts/#:~:text=There%20is%20no%20one%20right,if%20you%20wish%20to%20entertain.