- Date posted
- 3y
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
Aw I’m sorry you are suffering! What is your question? It sounds like you want reassurance that this is ROCD? Of course, that can also reinforce OCD instead of treating it. Accepting the uncertainty that anything can happen is the best way forward. Without trying to convince yourself that it is no problem. Does that make sense?
- Date posted
- 3y
But I’m really struggling with the idea it is not ROCD? Like I know ROCD lives in uncertainty and ‘what ifs ‘ and I was diagnosed with OCD by my nocd therapist , but I spoke to my GP as my nocd therapist recommended I go on medication and my GP literally told me ‘doesn’t sound like you have OCD because you don’t have compulsions you just have anxiety surrounding your relationship’ . She then went on to say ‘ I was in the wrong relationship for a while and felt anxiety too, it’s difficult for women with all the pressure , you’re only young’. Which made me soooo upset for ages , still not over her comments to be honest .
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
@Tillyyyx That is so tough! A GP is a medical doctor and has NO expertise in OCD—whether you have it or not. You may be better off speaking to a psychiatrist or other specialist. Secondly, compulsions are mental too. Hard to identify if they are entrenched. Thirdly, (and maybe this is me trying to reassure myself), but ffs do “non-OCD” people spend this much time worrying about their relationship? They either don’t worry about it or break up without this huge amount of angst.
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
@Tillyyyx I can definitely relate to what you say though! We want to avoid making this big mistake because we care about having a good relationship. The irony being that we are ruining our enjoyment of our relationship by doing this.
- Date posted
- 3y
The thing is ocd or not I don’t doubt my love for my boyfriend I know I love him immensely! But then it’s like it’s not enough , I worry it’s not going to work cause of the lack of lust and spark , and then that makes me worry in a day to day basis - like I must figure out the issue so I can be happy in the relationship , so I do see that as a compulsion and I’m sure it’s ocd , I’ve struggled with ocd in different ways before so wouldn’t be surprising really! But it makes me feel so awful I can’t get over the lack of spark, not because I think it’s wrong, If someone else tells me they’re relationship grew over time rather than immediate infatuation I would see that as a positive non superficial relationship! But because I’ve read other peoples opinions saying ‘ it will never work ‘ you have to be attracted from the get go for it to be genuine , otherwise you will leave ‘ I’m scared
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
I get it! Honestly, I also worried/do worry about lust and stuff. I actually have sexual dysfunctions so I can really spiral sometimes... Right now, it isn’t bothering me. In two weeks? Maybe. It is wild because there are so many reassuring things I can tell you right now. And they’d make you feel better in the short-term, but not long-term.
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
And of course that is what people say. If they didn’t say that, you wouldn’t worry. And we assume that they know best. Do they? What gives anyone authority about what a relationship should or should not look like?
- Date posted
- 3y
Before I met my boyfriend my belief was that love = physical attraction and lust , so it’s a totally different view im learning if that makes sense
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
Oh yeah, I get it! It was fed to me my whole life too. It is all over media. The funny bit (and this is probably too reassuring) is that research shows that lust fades really quickly in most relationships. I’m sorry your worries are so bad you can’t enjoy what sounds like a healthy relationship :/
- Date posted
- 3y
@dragon_calves Yeah I mean I used to lust over my ex when I was 17 and when we broke up I moved on so quick i have 0 feelings for him and actually our relationship was so boring looking back !
- Date posted
- 3y
But when people say ‘ I could never be with someone I’m not immediately attracted to ‘ and ‘ i know straight away if I’m attracted to someone ‘ that really triggers me cause that’s how I used to think and why I have struggled so much in my otherwise amazing relationship
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
I can definitely emphathize with that. It triggers me too. What happens if you tell yourself “maybe they are right, maybe they are wrong?” Or “maybe I’m making a mistake, maybe I’m not?”
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
You are so sure that breaking up will free you of these anxious thoughts? Maybe it will, or maybe you will get a host of other anxieties (“I let the love of my life escape” etc)
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
The shitty thing about this, is that there IS NO RIGHT answer. So you can you either try to embrace the uncertainty or suffer with the doubts.
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
Also, I say this stuff in the kindest way as a person that also suffers :) I have been with my husband for 10 freaking years and this ROCD is off and on. Some days I’m like “lol why was I ever worried- this feels so right” and others I’m like “I have made a huge mistake, I need a divorce.” It makes no sense.
- Date posted
- 3y
@dragon_calves Yeah us humans we’re flawed :( there is beauty in committing to one person and growing together in this selfish world ! Maybe the best things don’t come easy !
- Date posted
- 3y
Well I think it triggers me because it’s the belief I held strongly , so it’s much more reassuring to hear everyone else say ‘ don’t be stupid that’s not how it works you’re fine’ than agreeing with it
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
That of course would feel better. I can tell you right now that the lust thing is a minor thing and definitely not something to throw a relationship away. I truly think that. This may make you feel better for a few hours. But your brain will go back to what other people have said (e.g. “people on NOCD aren’t reliable, they are biased etc”) It is what your brain does. It is quite predictable. This is why ERP is the way- the only way.
- Date posted
- 3y
@dragon_calves 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
- Date posted
- 3y
I know ERP is about accepting the uncertainty though
Related posts
- Date posted
- 16w
Hi everyone, I’m a 30-year-old woman, and I’ve been in a relationship with my boyfriend for 5 years. I’ve always felt emotionally close to him — he’s caring, supportive, and we planned a future together, including having a family. I don’t want to leave him. He means so much to me. But for a while now, I’ve been obsessing over the fact that I don’t feel much sexual attraction to him anymore. It’s not like I never felt anything — when we first met, there were butterflies, excitement, emotional connection… something real. He was never “just a friend” to me. But the physical side of the relationship feels like it’s slowly faded, and I’m panicking about what that means. I keep thinking things like: – “Maybe I chose the wrong person.” – “You can’t be in love without sexual desire.” – “If I was truly in love, I would still want him.” – “What if I’ve been lying to myself this whole time?” Sometimes my body reacts — I can feel physical closeness or even arousal — but my mind shuts down and says: “no, this isn’t right.” Other times, I feel tension, resistance, or even disgust during intimacy, and I can’t tell if that’s anxiety or if something is fundamentally wrong. What makes this even more confusing is that I truly believe that real love includes sexual attraction. For me, it’s all part of one feeling — not separate. So if the attraction is gone, does that mean the love is too? Is it possible that this is still OCD — that my mind is obsessing and disconnecting me from my real feelings? Has anyone experienced something similar? Any support would mean so much. I feel so stuck between my mind and my heart.
- Date posted
- 16w
I’m struggling with something I’m afraid to even admit out loud. I’ve been in a long-term relationship with someone I love deeply. He’s kind, safe, and emotionally close to me — and we’ve built a life together. But I keep obsessing over the fact that I don’t feel much sexual attraction anymore. Or maybe… I never truly did? At the beginning, I felt butterflies, excitement, connection — and I assumed that meant I was also attracted to him physically. But now, after reading so much and reflecting more deeply, I’m starting to wonder if I ever truly felt sexual desire in the way I was “supposed to.” Maybe my feelings were more about emotional longing, comfort, and romantic closeness — but not sexual chemistry. And now I don’t know what that means. OCD makes it so much worse. It constantly tells me: – “If you really loved him, you’d want him.” – “You’re leading him on.” – “What if you’re lying to yourself?” – “If you try to fix this and fail, you’ll have to leave.” I feel stuck between wanting to fight for this relationship — and being terrified that trying will just prove it’s hopeless. Has anyone experienced something like this? Can OCD really make you question something so deeply personal? And how do you move forward when even trying feels terrifying? Any thoughts or support would mean the world right now.
- Date posted
- 12w
Hi everyone. I’m really struggling and I need to let it all out. I’ve been dealing with ROCD (or what I think is ROCD) for a long time, and I feel like I’m at my breaking point. I’m in a loving relationship with a boyfriend who is kind, understanding, and patient. But ever since I started reading a lot online, googling symptoms, talking to AI like ChatGPT, searching for reassurance, things have gotten worse and worse. And now… I feel completely disconnected from my feelings. I don’t know what’s real anymore. My boyfriend told me that he believes I’ve convinced myself that I have something that needs to be treated, and that all this constant researching is making me feel worse. And honestly, I think he’s right. Before I fell into this cycle, I could be more intimate with him. I used to say “I love you,” I used to feel warmth. Now I don’t say it anymore. I haven’t in a long time. And it hurts him. And I know I’m hurting him, and that makes it even worse. He also said that maybe I’m having these obsessive thoughts because I don’t have a daily purpose, that I need to get occupied, to stop being consumed by this. And others in my life have told me the same. He even suggested taking a break from each other for a week, just to give me space. But I’m terrified of that. I’m scared that the thing I fear most will become “the truth.” I’m scared I’ll feel relief, and that will mean everything I fear is real. But he told me that if I don’t want the break, maybe it means I still care. Still love. Still want this. The problem is, I don’t know anymore. And that’s what’s killing me. I’ve also had a psychologist who told me that just because I feel guilt or “care,” it doesn’t necessarily mean I like him — and that sent me spiraling. She said that maybe I care about people in general, but it doesn’t mean I love him. And it made me feel like I’m just lying to myself. That maybe I’m holding on out of obligation, or because I set in my head that I “have to be with him.” And even when he tells me beautiful things — logical things — things that SHOULD make me feel safe and seen… I don’t feel better. I just feel more empty. And then I start spiraling again: “If this doesn’t help me feel better, then something must be wrong.” “What if I’m just pretending?” “What if I’ve been lying to myself all along?” I feel like there’s something wrong inside of me. Like no matter what anyone says, or how much love I’m given, I can’t feel it. I just want to know what to do. I want someone to tell me what this is. I want to stop feeling like I’m running after a version of myself that used to feel, used to love, used to be calm. I don’t know if this is ROCD or if I’m just slowly facing a truth I’ve been afraid to accept. Please, if anyone has felt this way, I need to hear that I’m not alone. And if you’ve come out the other side… how? My relationship is perfect and he is perfect, i just deal with this and i am far from happy.
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