Pareidolia / Fear of psychosis

Today has been a rough one. I’ve been having Face Pareidolia (seeing faces in everyday objects) for the past week and it hasn’t bugged me much. But today I was driving and saw a car that made me see a face in the object. I broke down with awful anxiety and have been ruminating and scrolling all day. I feel like it is never going to end. Everything I’ve been seeing today I feel like I can make a face out of it. One of my OCD themes has been psychosis… this on top has made me feel like I am going into psychosis. Has anyone else dealt with this and what kind of ERP did you do to help? I have also recently had a time of high stress. My OCD wasn’t to bad the past few months and it all the sudden had been heightened today. It almost felt like the first day I got it. Any tips, experiences with Pareidolia and psychosis OCD is greatly appreciated.

pureolife

Date posted: 1y

Fear of psychosis is a common theme. I know they had at least one person on The OCD Stories podcast talk about having it. For ERP: come up with ways to find faces in objects. I think buying a coloring book of objects and they drawing in faces on as many of them as you can could be good. Or taking pictures and drawing them on using the pen features. Just remember, the most important part of erp is the response prevention part. You have to be willing to see these faces and just let them be there. Don’t ruminate, analyze, push away, neutralize, cover up, etc. Just breath and let whatever intrusive thoughts, feelings, or urges come up just be there and leave on their own when they’re ready. And then refocus on a regular everyday task.

SDLK

Date posted: 1y

@pureolife Thank you! I really appreciate this! I will most definitely be trying this

Anonymous

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y

I went through the same thing!!! I have a session right now but let's talk. You are not alone!

SDLK

Date posted: 1y

@Anonymous I would really appreciate that! Thank you

Anonymous

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y

@Davi1015 Hi my therapist had me watch a youtube clip of moving animated objects..it really helped a lot. Also when you see the face you have to treat it like an intrusive thought. Acknowledge that it is there but do not draw attention to it and ruminate over what you saw. Dont judge your self. As time goes by it will get better. Are you in therapy?

SDLK

Date posted: 1y

@Anonymous Hi, that’s a really good idea. Do you have any suggestions on specific YouTube clips? I am not in therapy. I have tried to find a therapist but it cost to much money for me.

Anonymous

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y

Okay, yes I get it. So the clip was called the brave little toaster. I watched it as often as I could but I was also paired therapist from here that I am still working with. I hope you can meet with a ERP trained therapist in the future. Its really helpful.

SDLK

Date posted: 1y

@Anonymous Thank you, I really appreciate your help.

Anonymous

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y

@Davi1015 No problem..I am happy to help..I know all too well what this is like!

Anonymous

Date posted: 15w

Solipsism/existential OCD, ERP therapy ideas?

Suffering from solipsism ocd where I think that everything around me is fake and that I’m stuck in a simulation as the only conscious being. I also have thoughts that there is a higher power that is controlling everything around me and that I’m the main character in a video game. Everyone and everything around me is an npc or generated to keep me in the “game”. This is the worst ocd theme that I’ve had to deal with thus far. Is there anybody else that has had this? and what ERP techniques can I use? Need some ideas. Thanks.

kenzieisfound

Date posted: 13w

fear of losing control??

I’ve never been diagnosed with OCD, but I relate so much to what people here are going through. I used to think it was just anxiety, and I felt like I could handle that. But lately I’ve been spiraling—constantly afraid that what I’m feeling is something worse, like psychosis or losing control of my mind. I feel so detached and scared, and I just want peace again. I have anxiety doing the smallest things, like the thought of waking up everyday and even eating give me straight up panic. I am afraid all the time, it’s paralyzing. And a lot of people say someone with psychosis wouldn’t worry that they’re in it, but then I convince myself I’ve been in it this whole time, and haven’t known, and that maybe I’ve been doing weird stuff. Idk. I also get really scared of labels. Even the idea of OCD makes me feel like I’ll never get better or like I’ll be stuck like this forever. I just want to be okay. If anyone has felt this way—confused, overwhelmed, or scared of what’s happening in their mind—I’d really appreciate any support or encouragement.

Anonymous

Date posted: 11w

religious OCD

Please help. I have felt so off/wrong all day. I constantly worry that the “bad guy” is going to get me. I have awful thoughts and I constantly want God to know that I don’t mean these thoughts. I am at a point in my therapy where I need to choose to use my ERP but it feels too scary. I then do compulsions, which makes the OCD worse, which makes me want to use ERP less. And the cycle goes on. I am currently sitting in my car crying because I feel so lost and exhausted. I’m not supposed to figure out my thoughts, but today I just went into a spiral of sadness and depression, thinking that I will always feel like this. When my thoughts got really bad at the end of the day, I tried to use ERP even though I was shaking and not believing my responses and I ended up feeling like I missed something and that I gave into the “bad guy.” I have no one to talk when I’m not doing therapy twice a week. I am alone and have no one to talk to when I am like this… please help

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