feedback?

so this isn’t ocd related but i wanted to get an unbiased perspective on this: i’ve always been a homebody. for as long as i can remember, i’ve preferred my own company to other people. i still have close friends but they all know i can go days without talking to anyone. i don’t even really like parties. i never have and my family has always hated this. the ocd has made this worse but i want to say that my introversion hasn’t changed too much. after a certain amount of time (and in larger crowds) i tend to shut down after a few hours and stop talking. i recognize that this can be seen as rude, but i don’t really know what to do to change it? i really honestly do go mute if i’m exhausted enough and my family has always had an issue with this. even more so now with my diagnosis. i just got into a fight with my sister over this. my therapist has also told me many times that the way to fight ocd is to do what makes you happy and be around people, but being around people doesn’t make me happy. it’s kind of the opposite actually😭 so, any advice? i know my introversion is awkward for my family and that i can do more to compensate for it, but at the same time, i kind of wish that people will take the hint and leave me alone.

TPD

Date posted: 2y

my advice is a mix of what your therapist said and my own personal experience. It’s true that humans are social creatures; we need human contact. I’d suggest going out to talk to people every so often, just to ensure your state of mind doesn’t become unhealthy. However, I also understand that just because it’s healthy for you doesn’t mean you have to like it. (Think eating a salad or heavy exercise.) Apart from what is healthy from you, you don’t HAVE to spend time with people. Just do things that keep your mind moving: watch movies, read books, talk a walk, etc. To fight OCD, you need to continue living life normally even as your intrusive thoughts spin through your mind. I’ve found spending time with people gets me more relaxed, but that might not be the case for you; just do what you’d usually do and don’t interact with your OCD. Again, it’s important to go out; I’m not saying stay inside all the time. But, frankly, some of us are introverts, and that’s okay. Just keep living life the way you want to, despite your OCD, and be healthy. Also, your family may certainly want you to speak to them more often, but you also have to take care of yourself. I’d suggest maybe setting aside a specific amount of time just for them daily / weekly, or doing quiet activities with them, ie watching movies, cooking, etc. It depends on your own family dynamic. But don’t be ashamed of your introversion. Coming from someone who loves spending time with her friends, sometimes you just need to accept that people are quiet and that doesn’t mean they love you any less. They’ll learn to live with it. Good luck!

ocdgirl123

Date posted: 2y

@TPD this is great advice! thank you so much

peacensubs

Date posted: 2y

I can relate to the point of being muted. Many times, I have felt guilty of not being able to spread happiness by being cheerful and talkative. Thanks for externalizing your thoughts.

NotSoNewb82

Date posted: 2y

Being mute maybe would be something diagnosable. You should get checked. I have autism and that causes mutism. Tbh a diagnosis can be liberating more than anything.

ocdgirl123

Date posted: 2y

@Newb82 yeah i’ve always wondered if i was autistic or on the spectrum. apparently i was tested for it when i was a kid but i know it’s much harder to diagnose in girls so maybe that contributed. who knows honestly

NotSoNewb82

Date posted: 2y

@ocdgirl123 I got tested when I was a kid too and I’ve been tested again a few years ago but it is back on the table again now and tbh I can’t make eye contact and I don’t know why plus a bunch of other stuff now that I know for myself what the symptoms are.

ocdgirl123

Date posted: 2y

@Newb82 yup same! i always had an issue with eye contact. my parents had to train me to maintain it lol

NotSoNewb82

Date posted: 2y

@ocdgirl123 Have you read up on it?

ocdgirl123

Date posted: 2y

@Newb82 i have, yes. part of me suspects i have it but on the other hand i’m not too sure. one of the symptoms i’ve read is problems with empathy and i’ve always considered myself to be overly empathetic. this could be my own ignorance though. i should read up on it more

NotSoNewb82

Date posted: 2y

@ocdgirl123 I think all autistic people are different, like snowflakes they say. I read The Complete Guide to Asperger’s by Tony Attwood and wrote down all my relative symptoms as they came up for my doctor. He hasn’t seen it yet but I haven’t missed anything when he does.

AJ__

Date posted: 21w

OCD & social isolation

I remember reading a comment someone had made to one of my posts on an OCD subreddit and they told me how they believed their OCD symptoms got worse during a time in their life when they were socially isolated. Reading this comment made the brightest lightbulb go off in my head because it basically summarized most of what I’ve been going through. In addition to OCD, I also struggle with depression and social anxiety. I feel like these three things and the profound sense of loneliness I’ve felt throughout my years in college (undergrad) feed off of each other. I know that OCD can manifest in so many different ways regardless of what your social life looks like, but I can’t help but feel like the lack of relationships (specifically friendships)/community in my life has something to do with my mental health and the delay in my recovery. Side note: I’m still relatively new to NOCD, but I’m happy to say that I’ve been making some good progress in my therapy sessions <3

Anonymous

Date posted: 21w

Help please 🙏

Guys, does isolating yourself from society make OCD worse? Because I go out these days and I feel like my questions are illogical. Because it seems that alone, everything becomes bigger. It seems that we disregard everything. So something that you would or wouldn't do doesn't seem to have an answer because you don't consider the other. Is this real? Because for example, one question is whether I would take advantage of someone. But the question is, does that someone exist? It's not something that's in my head. In real life, we're all human and you see them that way. So your debt is answered with no. Because that's how you are, when placed in society. You would only do some harm if you didn't consider this, but that would be your values, right? So OCD asks some questions that disregard things, right?

Gmoki

Date posted: 12w

How to be alone with your thoughts besides ERP?

Hi - just for some context, I have OCD and ADHD. I hate bringing this up, but with these diagnoses, when intertwined, there is ALWAYS a thought. I never stop thinking. This is really hard, especially because I feel like I always need to be talking to someone. Whether it’s my friends or family, talking to people brings me down to earth from certain kinds of thought spirals. However, when I’m alone it is the hardest. When my friends don’t reply I have this compulsion to text again or I need to constantly check my notifications so that I have none left to check. But then to them or new people I talk to, this behavior probably comes across as overwhelming or too much. I’m trying to control it and use erp, but also, I have my moments where I’m just vunerable and give into the compulsion. It’s genuinely so embarassing and maybe not as big a deal as I’m making it out to be but, how do I manage? And how do I relax?

Be a part of the largest OCD Community

Share your thoughts so the Community can respond

feedback?

Related posts

Be a part of the largest OCD Community

Be a part of the largest OCD Community