- Date posted
- 2y
- Date posted
- 2y
Hi Henry, thank you for sharing your story. I am struggling so badly right now with what I think is ROCD. I struggle with doubting my relationship and how I feel for my boyfriend. We have been together for 1 year 6 mos. I question if I'm in love and if I'm attracted to him. We have talked about getting married but now I'm full of fear and anxiety whenever the subject comes up. The fear and anxiety are so bad that I'm physically sick on most days. I get nauseous and can't eat. I'm so afraid that this anxiety is an indication that something is wrong. I get hung up on my bfs flaws and keep wondering if I'm in love where I can marry him. This is the worst feeling!!!
- Date posted
- 2y
@HenryMP27 HenryMP27, thank you for your reply, but I am a born again Christian and don't believe in living together before marriage. So we wouldn't do what you suggest. Plus we are long distance. But I do appreciate your encouragement and kind words.
- Date posted
- 2y
@HenryMP27 My boyfriend and I are only a little over 2 hours away so we do visit each other on the weekends.
- Date posted
- 2y
Did/does your ROCD make you hyper aware and hypercritical of your wife’s flaws?
- Date posted
- 2y
Hey Henry, It is so sweet of you to answer all these questions, honestly pro book because clearly we all are inspired by your knowledge! I think I may have rOCD, which I was diagnosed with OCD early on but this is the first time I have had obsessive compulsive thoughts regarding my partner. Most times my OCD takes a pure form, so it’s hard to differentiate sometimes. My partner and I recently got married and are currently on our honeymoon and for some reason I am so anxious whenever he brings up wife or does anything loving. He’s by far the best person I have ever met and takes care of me more than anyone has but similar to others in this post I’m hyper focused on his appearance, the feelings I have for him, and get so anxious over thinking that this is a new phase of life and question if this is what I wanted. My problem here is I’m having a hard time differentiating “are these real thoughts, or OCD thoughts?” I was curious if maybe you had similar experiences or if maybe I need to reanalyze my life? 😅
- Date posted
- 2y
I feel like I am on my way to getting a lot better. I am feeling so much happier these days but I still get anxious around my SO for no reason. I have learned to say I am just being anxious and that’s all this is and it doesn’t mean anything more but it still scares me. Will things one day be peaceful again? It feels so close but like there is just something there stopping me from loving him how I want to before my anxiety.
- Date posted
- 2y
@HenryMP27 Thank you so much! This helps me a lot
- Date posted
- 2y
Hello, firstly, congratulations to you and your partner, this is so encouraging to hear. I too suffer from rOCD and a lot of the time, it’s partner focused which brings up a lot of feelings of guilt and distress. Any advice on how to deal with rOCD flare ups that focus on physical attraction/flaws in particular?
- Date posted
- 2y
Hello! I recently got diagnosed with ROCD and I was wondering if finding someone attractive and obsessing over that person and then thinking well why am i finding someone other than my partner attractive is normal? I have a friend who i acknowledge is attractive and sometimes i’ll obsess about it. i love my boyfriend and only want to be with him but i was wondering if this was normal with ROCD
- Date posted
- 2y
I also find myself arguing with my partner a little more frequently. I feel bad because I know some of the issues I bring up are not a big deal and most of them aren’t “big” it’s just small things that I need to be reassured on. I’m just worried this is creating a “cried wolf” situation where he feels bombarded by criticism because now he seems to react strongly to a small point that bothers me. I know I can work this out with him but I just wonder if you have gone through anything similar. I know that this can amplify how important things feel. Sometimes I feel like I need to ask him even if I’m pretty sure I know the answer.
- Date posted
- 2y
@HenryMP27 Thank you so much. This has been so helpful for me as I’m on my way to getting better. I am so glad you posted this thread!
- Date posted
- 2y
Did you feel hopeless at times? If you did what did you do
- Date posted
- 2y
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- Date posted
- 2y
@HenryMP27 Hopeless in terms of not being able to overcome. Not being able to not feel anxious in regards to your partner
- Date posted
- 2y
@HenryMP27 I sometimes feel like i can’t recognize my partner but sometimes i can. Can i overcome this
- Date posted
- 2y
Comment deleted by user
- Date posted
- 2y
@HenryMP27 Im more afraid of feeling like i cant recognize my partner feeling numb and just anxious in general. Ik in my heart i dont want to lose this but its so hard.
- Date posted
- 2y
Hi could you help me out here? What do you do when your brain can’t recognize your partner anymore? Like you just can’t recognize him?
Related posts
- Date posted
- 19w
Hi everyone — just reaching out for a bit of support, perspective, and maybe some guidance. I was in a relationship with someone who had untreated ROCD, and I’m trying to process it all now that we’re apart. I’ve written my experience below, not to vent, but to better understand what happened and how to handle it with compassion (for both of us). I was in a relationship with someone who struggled deeply with OCD and ROCD, though they weren’t in treatment at the time. From the outside, things looked fine. But behind closed doors, I witnessed spirals, dissociation, identity shifts, panic, and emotional instability that few people ever saw. We both knew about the disorder. It wasn’t hidden. They even spoke about ROCD through awareness posts online. We knew what it was — we named it together — but knowing wasn’t enough to stop it. And unfortunately, the people around them didn’t fully understand OCD, ROCD, or just how powerful and persuasive this disorder can be. There was real love between us. Deep, honest, complicated love. And a connection that existed long before we ever became a couple — a connection I still believe in. But fear and doubt — the kind only OCD can generate — made everything feel unsafe. The anxiety got so loud that eventually, breaking up felt like the only option. Despite OCD or not, I’ve respected their decision and given them the space I know they needed and were entitled to. They shared a lot with me — things I won’t repeat here, because they’re theirs. But they were raw. Honest. Human. I was the one who sat through the “I don’t know” spirals. The doubts over feelings, attraction, and more. I was their rock — the one who understood. And they told me that, more than once. Now I’m sitting in the quiet. I’m seeing the avoidance play out: the nights out, the thriving energy, maybe even someone new. It’s hard — hard to witness such a visible shift in someone I was once so close to. But I’ve also seen the cracks. The internal conflict starting to show again. I know how this pattern works. I’ve lived it, too. The relief never lasts forever. Eventually, when it fades, the absence lingers longer. And when it does, OCD doesn’t stay silent for long — it latches onto the very things you tried to run from and reshapes itself. I know that if I reach out too soon — or say the wrong thing at the wrong time — I might push them even deeper into avoidance. Deeper into the version of themselves for now. So I’m careful. That’s why even this post is written with thought. Because I care. I really care. And in the meantime, I’m working on myself — even if part of me still wants to fight for something that felt real. But I also know I can’t fight alone. I’m not shutting the door — just stepping into another room for now. A room where I can grow and heal. But the door is still open. I’d appreciate any guidance or advice on how to approach this in the kindest, most thoughtful way — with as little hurt for either of us as possible. Thank you all so much and I wish all of you are keeping well. Lots of love ❤️
- Date posted
- 17w
I’ve been really struggling with Relationship OCD since I got married, and 3 years later, I’m afraid I’ve lost the love of my life. Between the Relationship OCD, the Religious OCD, and the Sexuality OCD, she couldn’t handle it anymore. Now that she left, the fog of doubt has faded, and I’m realizing how much I truly loved her all along. I just don’t understand how our minds can play such sabotaging tricks on us. And why? I don’t know what to do. I hope and pray we eventually get back together, but I know I need help. I want to do whatever I can to return to a place where she can feel loved by me, the way she did before ROCD took over. Is anyone here going through something similar? Has anyone overcome ROCD? Were you able to repair your relationship? I’d really appreciate any insight or advice. Thank you.
- Perfectionism OCD
- Mid-life adults with OCD
- Sexual Orientation OCD
- Religion & Spirituality OCD
- Relationship OCD
- LGBTQ+ with OCD
- Young adults with OCD
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 15w
Hi all! I was wondering if anyone being treated with ROCD and/or SOOCD has some advice on how they handle the things *with* their partner. For context, my ex and I were together ~7 months before we broke up a year ago, in large part due to my severe anxiety from untreated ROCD/SOOCD. I’ve gotten a lot better through NOCD treatment and we’ve been friends since then. But we’re currently in a “situationship” kind of stage, where I think we’re both trying to figure out if the relationship is still feasible, and I’m finding that I’m a lot more triggered as the relationship nears becoming “serious” again. We’re both really trying to figure out the healthiest way to handle when things get hard for me. Does anyone have input about what they’ve learned or found what has worked in their own relationships? Some specific questions: - I’ve found that when getting really triggered in my own head, I have no clue if I should explain how I’m feeling to my partner or how we should address it together. How do you differentiate between communicating versus falling into the confessing/reassurance trap? - Related to the above, my partner and I are both a bit lost on the best way for him to respond when I’m really paranoid (for examples, I have major I’m-being-cheated-on paranoia and overanalyze if I’m enjoying sex enough), or if I’m overreacting to feeling rejected/misunderstood (e.g. “he didn’t respond to my comment just now, he doesn’t care/he doesn’t get me/maybe we shouldn’t be together…”) - How much does your partner know about ROCD/SOOCD in general? How much have you shared with them about your thoughts and experiences? I’ve explained both subtypes and some of my thought processes to him, but definitely not all of it, and I’m not sure how much is helpful for him to know. Answers to any or all of the questions are very much appreciated. Thanks so much in advance! Hope you’re all well 💗
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