- 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
- 24w
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
- 15w
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)?
- Date posted
- 10w
Hello lovely community, I’m curious if anyone else has dealt with existential OCD, especially with a fear of life having no meaning. My biggest compulsion is doing something meaningful and checking if I feel different, like happy or elated or fulfilled, which usually leads me to feel the opposite. How do I prevent compulsions that are so automatic? Even if I’m just making jokes or hanging out with friends, I’ll automatically check how I’m feeling. I worry often that my OCD will get “worse” and become unmanageable. I’ll often check my emotions or thoughts or feelings to see how my OCD is in that moment, to see if its getting worse or better, which leads me to constantly be on high alert and very aware of my thoughts and feelings. I’ll also avoid doing things I love or overindulge to check my emotions. Any advice would be appreciated :)
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