- Date posted
- 2y ago
question
what is considered severe ocd ? i know most people with ocd probably feel like it’s severe but i actually do think mine is severe
what is considered severe ocd ? i know most people with ocd probably feel like it’s severe but i actually do think mine is severe
Hey, I think it's considered severe when it interferes with you day to day living. For instance if your compulsions/rituals cause you to be late for things like appointments or getting to work on time. If ritualizing consumes most of your day or you constantly have intrusive thoughts, and you can't go about your normal routine anymore without the urge to ritualize.
@Dani# what if you don’t have rituals and your compulsions are mental ?
When nothing has worked (ERP and medication) with a therapist and you need to do inpatient and possibly other, way more invasive treatments. I only know of one person with OCD that has that but she legitimately also has 9 other mental illnesses and a host of physical illnesses as well. She was born with severity in all cases and she just has to live through it after the inpatient for 10 years didn’t really work. That’s an absolute extreme and rare case though. Lots of people get better after inpatient care.
mental compulsions are still valid compulsions
Severe is based on how much of your life is consumed with OCD whether mental or physical obsessions or compulsions and how impacted your life is. For example, I am considered severe as I spend 4 hours at a stretch in the bathroom everyday due to my OCD. NOCD and an IOP provider have both said I’m too severe for their programs. I’m currently trying to find higher level care - I have some family challenges that are making this more difficult. A good ERP therapist can tell you whether you are severe.
@peaceandluv...when you say your compulsions are mental, do you just have constant intrusive/unwanted thoughts? Are they triggered by anything specific?
I have had soocd for 5 years and it impacts me all day everyday every minute. I’ve read that some people only have it 1-2 times a month or for like two seconds a day and it scares me that I don’t have ocd. Because mine is legit constant and so scary
I'm reaching out in hopes of finding others who might relate to my experiences or offer insights. I'm dealing with a complex interplay of OCD, depression, and existential anxiety, and I'm struggling to make sense of it all. Here's what I'm experiencing: I have OCD with various manifestations, along with episodes of depression. I find myself in a cyclical pattern where, after a few weeks, I start to remind myself about my depressive tendencies. This reminder seems to trigger a cycle that actually makes me feel more depressed or at least more aware of depressive symptoms. When this happens, I often experience feelings of nihilism and existential dread. I try to think about my family - my two young boys and my wife - to find motivation or a sense of purpose, but this strategy often backfires, making me feel even more anxious and depressed. I constantly check my feelings, wondering if they're depressive or anxious. At the same time, I fear that my feelings of anxiety and panic might spiral out of control. I think about my emotions and thoughts on a meta-level, which means I'm not just experiencing feelings, but I'm also constantly analyzing the fact that I'm experiencing them. There's an existential component to my struggles, a fear of depression and anxiety itself, and a sense that this might be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Perhaps most frustratingly, I often have feelings, thoughts, or sensory experiences that I can't explain or put into words. I feel like I've never heard of these before, which leaves me feeling deeply misunderstood. Does anyone else experience something similar? How do you cope with this complex web of symptoms and experiences? I'm particularly interested in hearing from those who've found ways to break the cycle of meta-cognition and self-fulfilling anxiety. Any insights, shared experiences, or strategies would be deeply appreciated. Thank you for your time and understanding.
So I've had OCD since I was a child. Like really young. The first intrusive thought I can remember was when I was 5. It just keeps getting worse and lately they've been making me physically ill or throwing me into extreme panic attacks again ( ones where I can't move my body ) the other night I thought God was trying to kill me because I was thinking about ending myself from OCD+ life issues but in reality I was just having a panic attack😭😭it affects me daily. It gets a little better with therapy but I don't see therapy coming into my life any time soon and I'm not even sure if I would want to go (for multiple reasons). To wrap this up if you have severe ocd can you tell me what it's like?? I don't want to label anything without proper research and hearing others perspectives. Thank you!! <3 (My profile says all of my subtypes if that helps any)
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