Can you believe we are already through the first month of 2023? We did it! I want to take this time to check in. I know some of you shared with me your goals for 2023. How have you been doing and how is your ROCD? If January was great goal wise - awesome, please share! If it was tough or maybe those goals sat on the backburner, that's okay too. How can we do better for February? Remember - we are on this journey together!
I am frustrated because I’m doing everything right: exercise 2x a week, eating healthy and balanced, taking supplements, antidepressants, meditating every day and getting good sleep and the OCD is still awful. That in itself is a trigger because what if that means it’s not ocd? Hoping spring helps my mood
@🎼 🙏🙏🙏
I am sorry to hear that your OCD has been awful lately, even with all your efforts to combat it. That sounds extremely frustrating! May I ask, are you also implementing ERP therapy? This is the only treatment I have personally had success in reducing my OCD symptoms!
@ I did do ERP for a while last year- I was discharged by my doctor but think I might go back. (I’m English so NHS stuff makes it a little tricky to get therapy easily)
@🎼 - Thank you for sharing this with me! I'm sorry to hear that the NHS makes things a bit trickier in terms of therapy. NOCD does offer ERP therapy in the U.K, if you would be interested in connecting with a teletherapy clinician!
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I am so very sorry to hear about this experience and the passing of your old friend, Ibis12. I imagine this has been very triggering and definitely understand feeling worried that this could turn into an obsession. May I ask, are you currently working with an ERP therapist? I would definitely encourage reaching out to them for direction and advice!
@Ibis12 🙏🙏🙏
@Ibis12 - No need to apologize, Ibis12. Support is definitely an important part of recovery! I am sorry to hear that you had to miss the funeral. I can't imagine how tough this whole experience has been for you and I am sending well wishes your way!
Thank you very much, I really appreciate the support.
Absolutely, Shack17! Here for you!
Jan was full of changes. I had support from people. I wasn't alone. Now that the semester's started, some very bad triggers got me into day long spirals. I was down for a couple days but employing ERP and ACT. Recovery isn't linear. So, keeping on keeping on!!
Thank you for sharing, multiprez101! What an inspiration you are for your vulnerability - I love your reminder that recovery is not linear. You are absolutely correct! Bad triggers happen and it can definitely stink, but you have those tools and you are utilizing them. I have every confidence that good days are ahead. You are not alone in this!
@ Thanks Rebecca. Thanks for all your support.
It’s gotten better but OCD is definitely always trying to restart the cycle. ERP is helping but it’s a hard journey cuz the doubt and uncertainty is so compelling.
I totally feel you there! I had a couple of really good days but today has been putting me through the wringer as far as OCD goes. It's always trying to slip through the cracks! Stay vigilant and I wish you the best on your journey :)
@MintyMLP Well put! Thank you! You too!
Thank you for your vulnerability in sharing, Razz14! You are right, OCD recovery is a hard journey and isn't linear, which can be frustrating. You are doing the best thing for yourself by staying consistent with ERP and continuing to push forward. OCD has created it's own toxic pattern, and you are working to break that. Because of that, it's easy to go back and forth between the old pattern and the newly created one. But as you continue to push for the new, it can begin to stick, and the old pattern can subside!
I officially started ERP with a therapist yesterday and it's the hardest thing I've ever done, but I'm staying strong. I hope everyone else's new year is going well. Thank you for the support NOCD team :)
@Idyot 🙏🙏🙏
Congratulations!!! Stay strong and know you have an entire community here that is cheering for you and ready to be of encouragement! You've got this!
I was doing great. But recently I’ve been in a lapse. Talked with my boyfriend about moving in together, Valentines Day is coming up, started a new full time job that has come with many intrusive thoughts. It’s been hard honestly with many triggers
@tinydancer Yeah, I’ve been having similar triggers and it’s tough.
@tinydancer 🙏🙏🙏
I'm very sorry to hear this, Tinydancer! It can be so frustrating and defeating when lapses occur. Please know you are not in this alone! OCD recovery isn't linear and these dips happen, but you are learning the skills through ERP to recover and prevent these dips from happening more often. You are stronger than the OCD and you can overcome!
@ Thank you for this Hope!
My rocd has gotten better since I started
That's absolutely fantastic!!!
This month has been OK.
Thank you so much for sharing, Ebenē! So happy to hear that January was an OK month for you!
For most of January, my ROCD wasn't bothering me. But in the last couple weeks, it spiked again. The feeling that I'm just in denial--that I know this isn't the right relationship for me--is so strong at times. The fear that I'm only staying in it because I'm afraid of being alone is also strong. I hate this. Trying to embrace uncertainty feels so counterintuitive. It feels like I'm ignoring possible truths. The fact that I believe some of the thoughts is making it really hard for me to commit fully to ERP. I guess what I can do better for February is really sitting with that feeling that I'm making a mistake by staying in this relationship instead of trying to get reassurance. Even writing that feels icky. What if I'm making a mistake? Maybe I am. What if I'm ignoring my truth? Maybe I am.
I am beyond grateful for your openness, you.are.enough! Thank you for vulnerably sharing how January went: the good, the bad, and the triggers, and your plan of attack for February. I hope you are really proud of yourself. I know this journey isn't easy and sitting in uncertainty can feel like torture sometimes, but it really is the best thing that you can do for yourself and your recovery. Recovery isn't linear and it is very normal to have these bumps and spikes. Keep striving to live in those maybes!
@ Thank you for your support & encouragement. It really helps to get that from someone who's been through this too. It gives me hope that I can overcome my ROCD.
@you.are.enough - You're so very welcome; we are on this journey together!
Could you please explain rocd again?
@Cherryfizz I felt my online girlfriend was cheating on me and now it doesn’t bother me as much
Hello! This is a great article that explains Relationship OCD (ROCD) in detail: https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/relationship-ocd. I hope it is helpful to you!
@Anonymous - That is great to hear! Have you been implementing ERP tactics to help reduce your symptoms?
I feel really scared about death. What if something bad happens to me? I don’t believe in god/gods but the possibility gives me anxiety because if they are real, what if they don’t like me?
@Ghost123 Jesus is always standing at the door of your heart and knocking
Thank you so much for sharing, Ghost123! I definitely understand how triggering and scary the unknowns of death can be, especially when OCD latches on and causes us to doubt. I wish there was more I could say to be of help, but I do not want to provide any reassurance, as it will only hinder your recovery. I would highly encourage reaching out to an OCD specialist for help, if you haven't already. This is definitely something that ERP can help with!
I recently realized I have OCD after denying it for so many years. I'm starting my journey and I am hopeful
Wow, welcome Anxiousbeing and thank you for your vulnerability. I love to hear your hope as you begin on your recovery journey. You have definitely joined the right community for support and encouragement!
January I moved forward with anxiety provoking things that needed to get done. I felt I was making progress despite developing a new theme triggered by this app. Last week I got a new fear. I feel I took 1000 steps back - and I honestly thought this wouldn’t be possible any longer. I’m not okay.
I am so very sorry to hear about this new fear, All the colors! I know how devastating it can be when OCD decides to pop up as something new after we start making progress. It's like a never ending came of "Whack a Mole" May I ask, are you currently working with an ERP specialist? ERP is the only therapy that has actually helped me in reducing my intrusive thoughts and helping to prepare for and prevent future OCD episodes.
@All the colors - I can definitely understand that! I have been struggling with Contamination OCD since the age of 7. That hyper awareness is something that I still can feel sometimes more often than not and really have to implement ERP. It is tough and I can very much empathize with what you are experiencing! I'm glad you are working with an ERP specialist and I would encourage continuing to be open about this struggle. The more your clinician knows, the more they can be of help!
i just realized that my relationship ocd is triggered the second i view someone as a potential partner! i just got the smallest crush on someone and immediately was checking my phone every few minutes for their messages and reading into their responses as either good or bad texts and made some tie to my worth based on how they reply or how quick! uh oh haha. just so many checking and overthinking compulsions. at least i realized this and can now bring it up in therapy to practice RPMs with my therapist!! RPMs are like life savers for my ocd, they help so much :,). i feel happy that i realized it was ocd. i used to think it was just feelings triggered by my ex and how he made me feel for three years. but now i realize it’s ocd and i can work on this which makes me feel better. i’m not sure if it “counts” as rocd but it definitely reminds me of how my rocd acts in a relationship. best of luck and big hugs to anyone who is struggling with rocd too!🎀🧚🏻♀️💗
Hey guys, OCD has been kicking my ass recently and I’m doing my best to resist compulsions and reassurance but it’s very difficult. Anyways, to my fellow OCD strugglers, anything positive happen to you recently? Feel free to share in the comments.
As the Chief Clinical Officer at NOCD, I like to check in with our community when we enter a new season, especially knowing how OCD responds to change. The arrival of spring can bring many changes—longer days, increased activity, and breaks from school or work. These shifts from the pace of winter can be refreshing, but they can also affect our energy, emotions, and stress levels. As a result, OCD symptoms tend to ebb and flow during this season, just as they can during any time of change. I encourage you to pause and check in with yourself in these early days of spring. If you're noticing OCD feeling more intense, know that you're not alone. Instead of judging these feelings, try to focus on how you respond to them—because no matter how OCD is showing up, there are tools and support to help you through it. Here in the NOCD Community, you're surrounded by people who relate, who care, and who are rooting for you. I hope you'll lean on your support system and seek care if you're feeling stuck or overwhelmed. Therapy can be a powerful way to gain skills for navigating life's changes, and our team is always here when you're ready to take the next step. Have you noticed any changes in your OCD as we enter spring? How are you managing them?
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