Questions for those of you with false memory OCD: How did you come to know that you had this theme? Did these false memories appear spontaneously or gradually? What do you find is best when going about treating your specific theme(s)? Do you have any insight in regards to your theme?

When I was 10, I had an EXTREME fear that I was going to shoplift. I absolutely did not want to steal anything but I was worried that if I walked past a rack of items in the store that I would accidentally shoplift. It was so bad. A few months later, I started thinking that I might’ve had a vague memory about finding something in my bag that I thought could be something I stole and it totally freaked me out. Eventually I was able to reason out the false memory and realize that I wasn’t going to steal anything.

1. At first I thought I had real event OCD cause I remember some parts, but after listening to Ali Greymond I discovered it is actually false memory cause it can be tied to a certain situation and you can remember something and obsess over not remember all. 2. To me it happened gradually after doing confessions and compulsions about my "sins" and past mistakes to my boyfriend, I came across this memory from 10 years ago and wasn't sure why I did what I did, what it meant, was I hiding something, did it really happened that way I remember etc. etc....that is how my false memory developed. 3. I like Ali Greymonds approach. Her videos helped me so much, she literally saved my life. I suggest you listen to ALL of her videos on false memories. 4. I don't have any insight. I still remember what I remember, I don't want to solve it. I decided to believe myself (which is extremely hard with OCD but not impossible) that there is a reason why it didn't bother me for so many years. I decided to label it as OCD, and that is what helped me.

And I do have real event OCD too, but with real event you remember everything, there's no blank spaces in your memory.

I mean, from what I understand at least, false memories don’t present themselves as “false,” they feel real initially, but you can learn to recognize what’s false and what’s true, unless I’m wrong?

I have a memory similar to that! Although I don’t know if it’s true or false :\

No, you will usually not know.Because the environment or youself tampered the memory to make yourself more convinient.

So most likely if you know it is a false memory then you do not have a false memory