One thing I don't like about NOCD advices is that ultimately they're telling me that literally EVERYTHING I am doing may be harmful. Now I am afraid of doing anything at all because: hey, maybe that is a compulsion, or maybe it is avoidance and I must confront my fears, but not too much or that would be a compulsion too, and oh be careful because maybe you're reassurance seeking with this person and by the way don't go watch Netflix or do q guided meditation because you may be distracting yourself from your feelings ! Now I am questioning absolutely everything that I am doing, wondering if I am doing the right thing for my recovery or not, and I am in HELL. I feel trapped.

I want to get this off my chest... I'm not sure which OCD type I have. It started with fears of being gay but now I don't have as much gay thoughts (but still enormous amounts of anxiety, and no feelings for girls) but I'm doubting about recovery. I have been in treatment for two years but every time I fully decide to accept the OCD, then OCD finds a new way to doubt about this recovery tip. After OCD has latched a doubting thought about the recovery tip, it doesn't work any more and the more I try to use the tool (e.g. Notice the thoughts and return to present moment, meditation, mindfulness) the stronger the OCD gets. I try to remain positive but OCD pulls me into negativity. I feel like every thought I have is illogical and even the sentences I wrote here in the post feel like not real. I get so many questions in my head (that I know are OCD questions) but the more I try to resist answering them, the stronger they get. Basically like I want to recover but the more I want to come out of OCD the stronger it gets. I'm so confused and don't know what to do... I tried to confront the anxiety and I started liking the feeling but then OCD told me you hate the anxiety and it overtook me .. so so illogical and I'm really sick of it. 6 months of this back and forth between OCD and recovery and it's tiring me... Being so inadequate all the time and exhausted.. it seems like it's impossible to overcome the OCD when you just have no energy and you have the feeling as if you can't distinguish yourself from the thoughts. What to do when you are so overtaken by OCD and every decision you make, is actually OCD telling things in my head? Like my deciding part of my brain would be broken...

I'm looking for any thoughts on a list of recommendations published by the IOCDF. It seems to me this is an otherwise reputable organization. I've highlighted with asterisks the pieces of advice which seem extreme, incorrect, or counterproductive. Quote 1: **Always try hard to agree with all obsessive thoughts** — never analyze, question, or argue with them. The questions they raise are not real questions, and there are no real answers to them. **Try not to get too detailed when agreeing — simply say the thoughts are true and real.** Quote 2: Never seek reassurance from yourself or others. **Instead, tell yourself the worst will happen, is happening, or has already happened.** Reassurance will cancel out the effects of any therapy homework you use it on and prevent you from improving. Reassurance-seeking is a compulsion, no matter how you may try to justify it.

I’m trying to get past the thought in my head that “this is not ocd”. Mainly because I’m not doing compulsions that much anymore it’s just the constant thoughts and still some anxiety from them. The idea that I haven’t figured this out puts a pit in my stomach and brings me to tears. I just know if I do compulsions it’ll feel like the cycle will never stop and it’s exhausting. I already think about this every second of the day and I feel like I can’t enjoy anything so my mind says “well you’re not doing compulsions you’re just anxious about the fact that your life is gonna change and you don’t want it to”. This is so hard I don’t know what to do