Can your ocd get worse later and life

Hi everyone had a question I am 42 years old until about 7 months ago my ocd has become so bad almost debilitating. I think I have had ocd since my mid 20s but it was barely there and it would sometimes almost be non existent and I didn’t even know it was ocd until I was diagnosed four months ago It was always my family getting hurt especially at night I was convinced that someone would break in the house and murder us. Or a fire would start but j would just check the doors and stove appliances a few times before bed nothing to time consuming and I never had panic attacks or the physical symptoms of anxiety, I did do weird rituals like I blessed things that fell on the floor because I thought something bad may happen to my kids which seems strange and I would put clothes away a certain way or again something bad would happen and I hated the number 6 so the volume can never be on 6 things like that. When I type if I didn’t get the word right the first time I’d have to erase the whole word and start over sometimes the whole sentence which was super annoying! But since I had my daughter 4 years ago I would have this weird fear with knifes like only I could wash them and put them away or someone may accidentally stab themselves or someone else, and I began to get intrusive images of someone trying to hurt my daughter or someone would kidnap her or she would stop breathing at night but it all was pretty tolerable until out of the blue I had a really bad intrusive images of me hitting her in the head with my phone it’s scared me so bad I had a panic attack and started questioning why would I think that?! Then a week went by and another intrusive image of me hurting her and then eventually it was anything and everything in my house could be weapon to hurt her i was terrified I googled it and realized it was intrusive thoughts and it was harm ocd 😞I have been really struggling since and that was 6 months ago I try to tell myself that they are just thoughts and it’s just my brain being hyper vigilant to protect her but I fear that the more I have them I will do them in my sleep And the physical sensations of anxiety and panic attacks are unbelievable sometimes Can anyone relate to their ocd becoming worse almost overnight later on in life I want my life back I’m so sad I’m scared to sleep at night I just want this all to go away Any tips it’s hard not to react to the thoughts when it is about harming your own child who I love soooo much And please tell me this is ocd

Username: anonymous3606 anonymous3606

Date posted: 2y ago

Hello, I had all this exactly but everything escalated in a year for me. I am only 22 years old with a 1 year old and i was always terrified someone was going to break in and kidnap my daughter and I would need to get up and check the stove and doors. Randomly 3 months ago I got a thought that I might be a pedophile. I have no idea where it came from because all I wanted to do was protect her and everything escalated from there. I was terrified of diaper changes, bathing her, or even holding her. I also got thoughts of dropping her down the stairs or a balcony. This is definitely hard to go through as a mom because all we want is to protect our kids and we feel like our minds are attacking us. I struggle so much like you also, and we’re not the only parents to go through this. Many have gotten through it, so will we. The only thing that helps me is telling me one day it’ll be gone, and i’ll be able to hold my daughter normally again.

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 2y ago

@anonymous3606 Yes we will get through this I need to tell myself that on the really bad days too I’m sorry you are going through this too it’s so strange I’m still can’t believe this happens to people who don’t have any desire to harm others

Username: Dee CDee C

Date posted: 2y ago

PS I wish I had then the tools we have now. So in the meantime hold your kids, touch the sharp knives, and bare the discomfort the lies ocd produces. I’ve learned that I have the choice whether to believe ocd lies or live in the moment by answering ‘whatever’!!!

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 2y ago

@Dee C Thank you I’m sorry you suffered for so long

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 2y ago

@Dee C Yea but ocd isn’t called the doubting disease for nothing I just have to believe it will get better

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 2y ago

OCD tends to flare up the worst during times of transition. You have a new baby, that’s a big transition. Give yourself grace and love, speak kindly to yourself, use your ERP skills - you’ll get through this.

Username: Dee CDee C

Date posted: 2y ago

I wasn’t diagnosed until a couple of years ago when the pandemic started. No matter how many times I tell my docs or therapists that I was afraid of my own thoughts - they’d disregarded as depression/anxiety. One doc told me I was schizophrenic. I realized she was trying help until I told her to push the pills!!! For me it started in my early 20s and being afraid of sharp objects, thinking suicide or ramming my car into a wall. Never knowing these were intrusive thoughts and images. Now in my 60s with a family. And little by little I’m starting how to live again knowing that I’ll always be an apprentice when it comes to mental health.

Username: SchroderSchroder

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y ago

I'm 40, I don't have any kids but I had this same issue when my niece and nephew were little so i can totally understand, you're not alone

Username: WorryBrainWorryBrain

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y ago

As we get older life becomes more precious therefor ocd tries to scare us more as we get more grounded and have more responsibility. You got this

Username: WarOnOCDWarOnOCD

Date posted: 2y ago

I am younger than you but it has gotten worse with me as i age. (i’m 26 now) Mine also seemed to happen overnight after a traumatic experience when i was around 22. i think there are a few important things to consider. One is that we are all coming out of a very intense traumatic time (covid) and i feel like the world has kind of been in limbo ever since. No real direction and a lot of unanswered questioned. Another thing is i don’t think it directly correlates with age but with stress. Even if you haven’t been going through a lot of stress recently you just might be getting out of a stress period(in the last couple of months). i have noticed my OCD can flare up during these periods also. Horrible right? you’d think just when the stress was done you could take a break. Sadly OCD loves to creep in at the worst times. Most important thing is to give yourself time and be easy on yourself. we are all gonna get through this one way or another. Just gotta keep up the fight.

Username: WarOnOCDWarOnOCD

Date posted: 2y ago

@eunoia also when i say it has gotten worse it’s not to scare you, i have gotten better in a lot of ways and have learned a lot about myself. it was until recently that i realized i had OCD, so that’s why it got pretty bad. It seems like you are already on a good path since you are recognizing the problem and working to solve it.

Username: Anonymous

Date posted: 2y ago

Overwhelmed Harm OCD

I just had my first apt with my therapist. This came on very suddenly, almost overnight, for me and it’s causing me so much distress. I have been reading and I know that the brain sends thoughts the more you try to resist them. But I’m scared. I’m 46 and I never knew I had OCD tendencies and this literally happened overnight and now the harm thoughts are constant, all day, every day, and I feel like I’m going crazy. My life has been turned upside down. Does anyone else have the harm thoughts that are constant and involve many things/people?

Harm OCD

Username: Anonymous

Date posted: 2y ago

Late onset OCD

I am 36 years old with no history of mental illness. I had a stressful event at work about 6 months ago and slowly started getting intrusive thoughts about harming myself or my kids, but am at a point where it’s all I can think about. I was diagnosed with OCD officially this week. I’m distraught and finding it hard to cope since. I’ve never had to deal with anything like this before. I just started ERP therapy. I am hoping it helps but am terrified that it won’t. I just want my old self back! Please, if there is anyone out there who has gone through a similar situation, what helped you continue to function? Will I get to a point that I can function without being tormented by my thoughts?

Username: Lalilolou

Date posted: 2y ago

For OCD newbies/veterans

I had never really had OCD symptoms like this a few months ago. I had struggled a little bit with anxiety and had always had a fear of uncertainty but I’ve never felt a 24/7 pain anxiety, guilt and fear like this. I was pretty happy😭 Have others had this experience as well? Did it just show up randomly from one intrusive thought that you couldn’t brush off? Is it possible to get back to how you were before or will I have to “manage” for the rest of my life?

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