I’m obsessing over every past bad decision or every stupid thing I did as a kid or teenager. I have this terrifying fear that mistakes are going to come back and haunt me and ruin my life. Anyone have any encouraging words?
You’re not alone. We all have done things we regret. The challenge is not to be flawless but to accept the flaws as a part of your story
One thing that helps me is that I don’t have a Time Machine. I can’t go back in time but neither can anyone else, even if everyone (whether or not they have OCD) wants to. Instead of obsessing about what I could have done which cannot be changed, I enjoy the present and look forward for a better future. Maybe trying to identify three things that you love in the present or are hopeful for could help
I use the serenity prayer and then ERP scripting.
Encouraging words I would have is to use this fear and suffering you’re in to your advantage. If you have the opportunity, possibly get a therapist and start doing ERP. The pain and suffering I was in was the original motivator for me to get help. I could get reassurance from loved ones, but the real relief came from doing ERP consistently in the beginning, both with my therapist and on my own. Over time, the suffering lessened and things got better. I am no longer in the place I was before in regards to OCD anymore. I hope this helps in some small way!
Every single person since the beginning of time has made bad decisions as a teenager. I don’t know any one person that hasn’t made a decision that ended up hurting themselves or someone else at that age. Your worst moments do not define who you are as a person. The way I personally deal with these obsessions is to focus on what I can do in the present moment. Learn from it, forgive yourself, and let it go. It’s not easy, but it’s the best way to grow. I hope this is helpful! All the best.
How can I forgive myself for the mistakes I made as a teenager (maybe 15 through 18 or 19 I don’t remember exactly) when at the time I had no bad intentions I just didn’t understand what I was getting into? How can I forgive myself for being so dumb? I should of known. But unfortunately now dealing with real event and other themes trying to find “proof” it’s so exhausting and unsettling especially when the worst case scenario about my self and my past comes up literally every day and I have to fight it with “maybe, maybe not”…when will it ever go away. Do I even deserve for it to go away? No matter who I’ve told whether it was a parent or a therapist they all say the same thing…….let it go……..how am I supposed to do that. I want to do great things in life. I want to make up for all I have done wrong. I want to help people but I can’t even help myself. I hate myself. I don’t even like myself at all. I would go back in a heartbeat. But I can’t. I’m stuck in this mental hell. Will I ever be ok again…….
As the title says I’m obsessive over my mistakes, and past actions to the point of exhaustion but also first of all- no one probably remembers or even knows to begin with these mistakes and yet I’m still punishing myself so hard I can’t even muster up happiness, I just binge eat and ruminate. But here I am cancelling my entire existence, feeling like my life is over that one too many mistakes makes my life unworthy. I wanna go back into society but I get this dread that my past will come back up and people will see it and hate me- hate me so much they kick me out of everything forever.
i’m ruminating on odd past mistakes i made and i feel so terrible and feel like i am going to be punished for them one way or another. it’s things from 6+ years ago to things that happened literally last year. i feel sick and feel like the nastiest person for my mistakes, my ocd has been latching onto my moral compass and attacking it like crazy :( idk what to do :(
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