- Date posted
- 6y
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 6y
Yes, this was one of my biggest/longest OCD themes and I still struggle with it some days. DONT FEED INTO IT. The answer is not to try to "figure it all out" or "figure out your opinion on it". This will continue the cycle. What you need to do is disregard the intrusive thought (Existential question) and not engage in rumination/analysis but refocus your attention on something else. I had to do this over 60 times a day in the beginning. Eventually it calms down and you're not so desperately involved in it 24/7.
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 6y
You will find existential questions in every little thing, ever. You could look at a tree and find an existential question pop into your head about it. It's hell, I know. But once again, the biggest thing you can do to help yourself (which you'll think sounds counterintuitive) is to disregard as I've described above. Please, just trust me as I've suffered with this for so long and would like to see you save yourself some precious time. Don't try to figure it out!
- Date posted
- 6y
Exsistenital OCD + moral scrupulousity can really come together
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 6y
We don't NEED to figure it out to be able to enjoy our lives, even though OCD tries to tell us that. Good luck.
- Date posted
- 6y
Thank you you are so right. I also plan to talk more with my therapist about it. My biggest triggers are wondering if I’m really an authentic person or just a product of my environment. I also wonder if emotions are real or just social constructs.
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 6y
Oh trust me, I've thought all of these things over so many times and my mind still gets baffled by it. It seems we're able to come up with such complex questions, more than the average person can. They're so confusing and stressful and time consuming. I obsessed over whether we have any control over who we are or if it's all just our brain and it's experiences and genetics, etc. Pretty much what you're describing.
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 6y
I wondered if I'm actually a good person or if I was just taught to be that way, like a social construct.
- Date posted
- 6y
Yeah and it made me lose touch with reality
- Date posted
- 4y
Idk if ur still active but can u explain how it made u lose touch with reality
- Date posted
- 6y
Exsistenital OCD & Hyperawernes + moral scrupulousity can really go along
- Date posted
- 6y
Yes exactly. My family is very loving about it but they don’t really understand either. It’s nice to talk to someone who gets it. I have not been officially diagnosed or anything, but I found out about Existential OCD and it seems to describe me pretty well.
- Date posted
- 6y
Thank you for listening ?
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 6y
My OCD came full force around October, and it took me until 3 weeks ago to get diagnosed. Like you I found out about it online. I have other OCD themes as well, religious OCD followed my existential because religion seemed like a solution to all the unanswered questions. Basically, if this feels like an obsession to you and not just natural curiosity, and it takes up a large chunk of your day for more than just a few days or something, it's most likely OCD. Talking to a therapist can help, I just started 3 weeks ago, but most of my improvement came from doing my own research on accredited sites and YouTube and books.
- Date posted
- 6y
Yes, I went through a phase where I felt like life had no meaning and I didn’t truly “own” any of my possessions. It was really stressful! This may be out of the ordinary advice, but I got really into this philosopher called Albert Camus. He basically says that life has no inherent meaning, but just experiencing the simple pleasures, enjoyments, and raw beauty all around you is enough meaning. That outlook really helped me move past existential ocd. Meditation too.
Related posts
- Date posted
- 17w
There’s this one situation that I haven’t stopped thinking about from last night . So basically, I was reading 'The power of Now' which is a book that I love so much and really got me into spirituality. It’s been so helpful for my OCD and rumination but it’s also been pretty triggering for it as of late, so I’ve taken a long break from consistently reading it. The excerpt I read was about abundance and how its not about being bountiful, necessarily in material things but realizing and being grateful for the things that exist in your life now and in doing so, you will open yourself up to more good things. I understood it but I re-read it a lot because I didn't feel confident enough to explain it to someone else. but otherwise I LOVED IT. It made me feel so at peace, I agreed with it, and it gave me hope to start focusing on the good things in my life rather than the bad. So when I went to bed I rehearsed myself explaining it to someone on a podcast and then all these questions started flooding in like “why should I only focus on the good and aren't we supposed to accept the good and bad? Aren’t those the values of Buddha and spirituality” “Ya, we're supposed to accept the good and the bad but why?- so we can feel more good??? And isn't the point of OCD to not label things as good and bad? and why should I focus on the good- so I can feel good? why should I feel good? because I'm worthy of it? why am I worthy of it? because I'm a good person and do good things? well I’ve also done bad things so why shouldn't I consider that. I just don’t understand why I should feel good without it being selfish. And then this went on for like 2 or 3 hours. Like holy shit. I over explain these ideas and concepts that I resonate with to the point where they don't even make sense to me anymore. It becomes very existensial very quick. And I’m not suicidal but these questions make me feel hopeless in society for some reason?? And myself. Like if everything contradicts everything then what’s the point to life? If nothing can be understood or explained in a senseful way, then how do people move forward and make decisions, like AT ALL? There’s never a right or perfect answer and I feel like with any decision I make in regards, I’m doing a compulsion either way. If I don’t answer them, then I’m avoiding it and if I do then I’m checking and seeking reassurance. I’m sorry if this was way too long and over-explained I just need some advice or to know if anyone can relate in any way. Also, I’m sorry if some of those back-to-back questions were triggering.
- Date posted
- 15w
Been struggling with existential OCD lately. Very hard to describe the thoughts/feelings, but it is a constant feeling of being stuck in my head. Like what is consciousness and where do I think from? Like I think it’s OCD, maybe it is maybe it isn’t. But if it is, what would be good ERP exercises? Just existing (lol)? And what would be my response prevention? I’m not even sure what mental compulsions I may be doing.
- Date posted
- 6w
My OCD has bounced around to a lot of different topics but my current spiral has been focused on existential dread - I have a lot of intrusive thoughts about my loved ones dying and not existing and about my own death and not existing anymore. OCD is trying to get me to find certainty in what happens after we die… and unfortunately I will NEVER be able to find certainty around this. This spiral started after the death of my beloved cat and then the almost death of my dog a week later. I think OCD attached to this idea that everyone and everything I love is going to die and I need to prepare myself for it and somehow KNOW what happens when someone dies. It’s panic inducing and really hard for me to sit with vs other OCD themes Ive had related to health, moral/hyper responsibility, etc. Anyone have this type of obsession around death of loved ones and how did you combat the intrusive thoughts and deal with the mental compulsions (rumination, avoidance, etc)?
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