Trauma/PTSD

Hey guys. I know there may be some of you here who started struggling with OCD as a result of trauma or chronic stress. I personally didn’t really have a problem with OCD or anxiety until I went through an abusive relationship and chronic stress being in constant fight or flight mode for a year. This takes a toll on the nervous system and can absolutely be the cause of your OCD. In other words - your problem may not be the OCD, it may be your unhealed/unprocessed trauma. I’ve done research on the relationship between trauma & OCD, and a lot of studies have indicated that your OCD could subside or even go away once you’re able to regulate your nervous system and heal from post traumatic stress. Trauma changes the brain and that includes changes in thinking, feeling, perceiving, etc. which are all extremely challenging because you may not feel like yourself. Your brain thinks its helping you by becoming obsessive, worried and hyper focused, catastrophizing, etc. but OCD may not be your problem. I strongly encourage you to look into trauma therapy if you believe this might be the case for you.

Username: Blactina12Blactina12

Date posted: 1y ago

This is helpful and on time

Username: MattKMattK

Date posted: 1y ago

definitely i feel like trauma caused with so much stress with school and trying to overcome it led to so many obsessive thoughts in which i’m like still healing from, i keep trying to pick myself back up with thoughts bringing me down. i feel like i had obsessions that would make me feel good and did make me mentally strong to avoid the trauma but it eventually crashed and now im just looking to better myself and improve. it was just scary when so much goes on at once and not knowing what to do but when you learn and process what happened as time goes on you understand

Username: Tee10Tee10

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y ago

@MattK When so much goes on at once, it is scary. I agree with that statement. You can feel helpless and it’s hard to think clearly. It definitely does seem more clear as time goes on. When you’re in the middle of it though, it seems impossible.

Username: A person 1A person 1

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y ago

Yeah, I had unprocessed trauma and I was pushing myself towards my goals way too hard, not kicking it back and taking in the good things. Then I had an annoying intrusive thoughts which would normally never stress me out but for some reason I got nervous from it and it bursted a damn of trauma through intrusive thoughts, and what ifs. What if I'm secretly mad, this and that, what if I'm so afraid of being alone I take it out on others, everything like that. Which is something I'm very much against, I believe if you're going through something it's important to get help, but don't take it out on others. I think that those questions are in response to the intrusive thoughts so I'm trying to be indifferent while finding things I love and enjoy to get myself out of depression, it's just hard sometimes. I took this weekend to travel and see my sister's, and that has been hugely helpful. I was worried intrusive thoughts would ruin it entirely, and while I have those moments of doubt, overall it's been very beneficial

Username: Tee10Tee10

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y ago

I did not mean to select “trigger warning” on this post

Username: NicaNica

Date posted: 1y ago

@Taylor10 Sometimes it added by the app based on certain words.

Username: Tee10Tee10

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y ago

@Nica I wanted to reach out to you about this kid on this app. He found me through IG and asks me classic OCD questions (seeks constant reassurance) and I told him about this app and he’s doing the same things in here. Everyday, posting the same things. I figured you would be a good person for him to hear from. I’ve tried my best to help him but it seems he’s still in MAJOR denial that he has OCD and needs help. His name is Nacio - look for his recent posts if you’re ok with possibly helping. If not, I totally understand! I just was hoping someone else could kind of put it into perspective for him somehow. I feel a little helpless with hun. Also, he won’t see this as this is an old post, but I can delete it anyway just to be safe.

Username: grap333

Date posted: 4y ago

Anyone else find that their OCD is strongly connected to trauma?

Username: iamcami

Date posted: 4y ago

Is there a link between PTSD and OCD? I was m*lested when I was eight years old by my older best friend at the time, I was showed adult films and flashed by an older family at a very young age, that was when I started acting out and my behaviour changed completely. 1-2 years after the event, I began to display OCD symptoms though at that time I had no idea what OCD was. We ignored the symptoms for years which gradually got worse. I thought it had gone away after I had moved, I thought I had gotten better but the worst was still coming. I moved again and by this time my mind has pushed my trauma to the back, I replaced those memories with the good ones and forgotten all about life back home until I moved again. I hadn’t been talked about s*xual assault, m*lestation or any of the above because my family is extremely religious and don’t discuss those subjects so I had no idea what happened to me was not okay I thought everyone’s friends did this to them. This was around the time I attempted, but failed which I am glad I did, though nobody knows about it. Once I started researching and hearing other stories from people who went through the very same thing as me as a child it opened my eyes. It also brought back flashbacks and intense emotions I had never experienced in my life. I’d get them on the bus ride home, in class, at home, I’d get triggered very quickly and easily. The flashbacks have stopped for now, though I still haven’t told anybody about the friend who violated me. That’s when my OCD began developing into what it is today, and I went to see a therapist and turns out I had it. Sometimes I wonder if I would’ve told somebody maybe I wouldn’t have this. I don’t like thinking about this or talking about it’s been on my mind for quite a while.

Username: mentaltorture

Date posted: 1y ago

Deep rooted trauma manifest into OCD

I recently watched Daniel Mackler on YouTube speaking on OCD and he saids that OCD Is a coping mechanism for a deep rooted trauma that was left unresolved. We are stuck in the psyche of an unresolved trauma without any solutions so we find things in our surroundings to explain this unresolved trauma/ anxiety that we feel which is the contamination fears, lock checking, etc… And it keeps coming back because we never actually get to the core issue of the trauma. Often times, the trauma revolves around guilt, shame or something unacceptable to you.

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Trauma/PTSD

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