How long have you struggled with OCD? My first memory of intrusive thoughts and constantly rechecking stuff is from around third grade. Around sixth-seventh grade it got really bad, though. I was constantly confessing to every bad thought and action I had ever done. Then I got really bad intrusive thoughts about harming myself/others alongside sexual ones. It continued like this for a while, although I stopped confessing. It wasn’t until 11th grade it really started flaring up again, and I was eventually diagnosed this year.

I think my OCD started around fourth grade if not sooner. It started with compulsive hand washing and I remember my hands being so dry and cracking. I remember feeling self conscious about it because they did this square dance performance thing at school with all the kids in my grade and I was worried about people holding my hands because they were so dry. @Canadi I had a similar fear of the restroom as a kid. Mine was because I saw the movie Gremlins where they come out of the toilet and it freaked me out. I would be terrified to flush the toilet at night. I was also scared of Bloody Mary, and just mirrors in general.

i was diagnosed last year (10th grade) but i have been having obsessions and compulsions from about the age of 7

I was officially diagnosed in year 10 (I’m now in year 12), but I’ve had symptoms since preschool. d a i s y

I think I’ve always had OCD, and even remember my obsessions from when I was younger. I remember when I was in elementary I was terrified of using the restroom at night because I thought Bloody Mary would kill me if I did, so I have memories of peeing in trash cans instead of going to the restroom.

i remember as a young kid staying up late into the night worrying about what to do in a fire and going through all the thoughts in my head. i was so scared of chemicals (i still am!) so i stayed out of the science experiments at school, and made sure my family was safe from carbon monoxide leaks in the house. @MelissaRose i had the same thing with flushing the toilet at night, i was so scared to go because i always thought someone was outside my door to kidnap me. i wish we all didn’t have to experience this at such a young age (or at all!). all the best x

Dsarahm I can’t believe how similar our worries were! I vividly remember not being able to eat at preschool because I was worried about the chemicals they used to clean the tables. And I used to spend hours worrying what would happen if my house burnt down. One night, we were staying in the city, and the motels fire alarms went off so we had to evacuate. It was one of the scariest moments in my childhood! I can’t tell you how grateful I am to have found this community. I never knew people could understand how I was feeling! d a i s y