What is Seeking Reassurance?

How does it look to seek reassurance? We all have moments where we seek reassurance. But how much is too much, and when does it become a problem? We often want reassurance when we’re stepping into unchartered territory. When you give your first presentation at work, your boss might say, “You’ve got this. You’ll be okay.” But after you give a few similar presentations, you might find that you no longer need that reassurance. With OCD, needing that reassurance doesn’t pass. Instead, it can get worse over time as you learn to avoid doubt by asking for reassurance. This might lead to seeking reassurance in excess. Reassurance-seeking behaviors can fall into two groups: self-reassurance and seeking reassurance from others. Self-reassurance can include: checking things repeatedly (for example, checking that your stove is off or that you’ve saved a document) mentally reviewing an experience (for example, trying to remember whether you’ve locked your doors or reviewing a conversation where you weren’t sure whether you said the “right” thing) Seeking reassurance from others can include: asking if someone is mad at you asking someone to promise that you’ll be safe or OK asking someone whether you did the right thing or made the right decision researching to reassure yourself that you’re OK (e.g., checking health symptoms online or researching whether your roof contains asbestos) Again, we all seek reassurance sometimes. It might be considered excessive when: you find it hard to execute a task or make a decision without reassurance you often seek reassurance on the same things over and over again seeking reassurance takes up a significant amount of your time (e.g., you research for hours each day) you seek reassurance even when it gets in the way of your daily functioning (e.g., you’re late for work because you were double-checking your locks or you can’t proceed with a school task without getting reassurance from your teacher) FULL ARTICLE: https://psychcentral.com/ocd/ocd-and-the-need-for-reassurance#how-it-looks