I see a lot of undiagnosed teenagers doing lots of compulsions (without knowing) and asking lots of reassurance here. - This app might be doing more harm than good to them. I can't believe the administrators allow it.

Agreed... I think it's the younger generation.. lots of hocd reassurance seeking... I feel bad for them but they are lucky to have something where they can find help being young.. I didn't get diagnosed until I was like 22...

For example; I see posts like: "I do x and y to neutralize thoughts, any body else?". And then people advising them to stop it as it is a compulsion, even the moderators". However I see that advice being completely dismissed and the conversation in the thread becomes the most unhealthy environment for people with OCD - full of what ifs, reassurance seeking and giving (Sometimes more than once). We are talking about an addiction to certainty. It would be the equivalent of being in a support group recovery for drug addicts where people are discussing ways to find and buy dope. Just unbelievable.

I understand how this app can help them feel less alone; however, at the same time they are turning it into a nest of compulsions to feed their obsession, whether they have OCD or not. It is like blind people guiding other blind people.

Yes my exact thoughts. I believe this app somehow allowed people to ruminate on their obsessions.

"blind people guiding other blind people" ? Some of us are not that blind anymore ?. But yes I completely agree, administrators should take an action or somehow create like a timeout or max posts per day or something.

I didn't mean people like you, with experience. I meant when undiagnosed people without zero CBT training go onto advise other newbies.

Very true. They should moderate properly and make sure any wrong advices, reassurances, compulsive suspicion posts get deleted.

Yes, absolutely agree. But yet again, people actually listening to the mods and not doing reassurances is not really something that can controllable. Not seeking reassurances by banning or deleting the post might not be fruitful. And people at early phases of OCD tends to be very reluctant in listening to actual advices from experienced people but rather listen to their obsessions. I would say everyone who is on the app should get diagnosed first.

First of all, I don’t think that people should be diagnosed first, I haven’t been officially diagnosed and you won’t believe how helpful this app has been for me. I’ve been struggling with ocd since I was 7-8 years old (I’m 30), and I’ve learned more than a couple of things from reading other people’s experiences, (cbt/erp, how to delay/stop compulsions, labeling ocd thoughts, etc) but I do have to say that I really don’t pay attention to posts that are obviously written by teens, cause they don’t seem to care or even pay attention to the advice from experienced people, or moderators and they completely ignore the response from the mods telling them that they seem to be seeking reassurance, and that they should stop. I think they’re just using the app to get instant relief, instead of using it as a tool to get better in the long run. It’s a good thing that they can come here and relate with other people’s feelings, problems or themes, but I don’t think they want the help that this app was meant to give in the first place, all they want is reassurance and to know “they’re not gay” Second, I do think that they should keep an eye on peoples responses, i know I would never try to give advice on meds, or things that I don’t know nothing about, and would never give reassurance. Third, I agree that there has to be consequences with people that ignore the rules, like silencing them for a few hours, banning, or even a max posts per day like anonymous22 said.

I've seen the administrators step in multiple times regarding reassurance seeking.

I don't particularly think it is only the younger generation, but anyone who has recently developed or started having OCD episodes and has not yet been diagnosed might be doing this. But that is I think better than to have a panic attack or something but I still advice to get professionally diagnosed first.

I think the app should also educate people about reassurance so they don’t go seeking for it in chats!!

Well I’m 9