Trying to understand OCD

There’s a question that’s been in my mind about OCD for quite some time now, before my diagnosis. Back then when I went through tough moments in life I dealt with depression & some anxiety here and there. I remember having habits or compulsions I guess you could say, but they weren’t always debilitating or provoking thought that I had ocd because if I didn’t do these things I’d be fine. Granted that recently I have gone through a great amount of stress and change in life, I now live alone and not at my mothers house, is it possible for you to form new subtypes of OCD after traumatic events and high stressful anxiety inducing moments? Sometimes I don’t even think I have OCD and am just going through really tough times recently. An answer to a post recently got me thinking.

KKGM

Date posted: 2y ago

100%!! Looking back, I can see where I have always had mild OCD. Not enough to be off any concern… recently I got remarried and moved an hour away from where I’ve lived my whole life. That’s when my mental health issues REALLY kicked it up a notch. I 100% believe the stress of my situation triggered mine.

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Date posted: 2y ago

@KKGM See I knew I wasn’t alone in this! Now the next question would be, with all this new change can we get back to that old version of ourselves where OCD isn’t so defining? I never got a diagnosis till about a couple months ago I was suspecting I had OCD subtype Harm ocd & what not & then my alarm for getting an actual diagnosis kicked in. When I was younger I was so fine and existed without even knowing or caring what OCD was, I just want to get back to that.

KKGM

Date posted: 2y ago

@The names Adelbert Same! I can see where i have always had it but it NEVER debilitated me.. I never even thought I had a problem until I was diagnosed in September and then it all started making sense. I think the thought of how I used to be makes me sad and hopeful at the same time. It’s so annoying that something that most people deal with perfectly fine has triggered so much suffering for me 😢😭

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Date posted: 2y ago

@KKGM I totally understand that. I think it’s important to understand that the diagnosis doesn’t define you like how it didn’t when you were younger, more than anything I do think the saying, “ignorance is bliss” very true but there is still hope to live outside of the suffering and shadows of this. I’ll say this, “ the beautiful thing about life is that you can always change, grow and get better. You aren’t defined by your past. You aren’t your mistakes.

KKGM

Date posted: 2y ago

@The names Adelbert Love that! Very well put and a good way to think about it. We were not always like this and there is no way, with so many years left, that we will always be like this!

rylwat

Date posted: 2y ago

i feel super similar! when i was younger, pretty much before high school, i feel like my OCD was significantly worse. now that im older and learned more about myself and how to cope with my stress and mental health, i feel like a lot of my issues specifically with OCD have become significantly more mild.

Anonymous 99

Date posted: 2y ago

100%!! I’m 21, and can look back at childhood and see some OCD tendencies but nothing to be deeply concerned over. It really got worse during COVID (time of uncertainty stress), and again now about to graduate college (time of uncertainty / life change) I think it absolutely can ebb and flow, now I’m doing ERP more consistently and that has helped too.

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Date posted: 2y ago

@Anonymous 99 Great way to put it, “deff ebbs and flows” I’m glad you are doing well! I really felt like COVID ultimately derailed a lot of us & we’re all trying our best to get back to a steady Rhythm.

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