- Date posted
- 1y
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What does an OCD episode look like?
What does an OCD episode look like?
For me having anxiety attacks, ruminating, overwhelming guilt (sometimes), excessive worrying. Basically feeling so overwhelmed
They hit different. Sometimes I'll isolate and try to hide from the feelings. No activity, no talking to anyone, no doing anything really. I basically regress back to a cacoon like state. Other times for some reason I'll nervously pace in circles like a dog chasing his tail. I've been doing this ever since I was a kid. I do this when I'm overwhelmed with feelings of shame/guilt. I either avoid or run in circles đ
@Insert Clever Username I definitely isolate myself as well. I have extreme difficulty showing vulnerability so I get it.
For me, I get panic attacks and anxiety attacks. They often occur when I process a highly distressing thought, and my brain starts to catastrophise. I can instantly tell when they are going to happen and I can handle them but they are awful, actually had one today đ. Isolating is a common thing I do when they happen - and ruminating in silence about whether or not my fear would happen and what that would mean for meâŚ
@Bee. I fully relate to this. Had 2 episodes the past two days and they were horrible. Hope you feel better â¤ď¸âđŠš
@v333 Thank you so much, Iâm sorry you experienced that too - OCD episodes are the worst⌠Hope you also feel better â¤ď¸
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I asked this question cuz I wasnât sure if what I was having was an OCD episode. I thought they had to be solely related to doing compulsions, but after relating to all your responses I can definitely consider what I experience as OCD episodes.
This list by ai gives a good summary of my symptoms. Does it resemble OCD or is it something else? 1. Compulsions (OCD-specific behaviors): ⢠Feeling the need to flex or contract muscles an even number of times, equally on both sides of your body. ⢠Needing to reverse actions (for example, if you roll your eyes or trace a line with your finger, you feel compelled to do it again in the exact opposite way). 2. Intrusive Thoughts (OCD-specific ruminations): ⢠Daydreaming about people you care about getting hurt (e.g., school shooting, injury, or kidnapping). ⢠Sometimes feeling like you might want something bad to happen to someone you find attractiveâpossibly because of a desire to help or save them, though itâs confusing. ⢠These thoughts can sometimes provide a twisted sense of relief while remaining distressing and confusing. 3. Sexual Orientation OCD: ⢠Experiencing confusion or doubt about your sexual orientation. 4. Contamination Thoughts: ⢠Feeling like things are contaminated, especially after touching something gross. 5. Sensory Compulsions: ⢠Feeling the need to smell your hand after touching areas like your ear or hair. 6. ADHD-like Symptoms / Additional Observations: ⢠Fidgeting or moving your legs when standing or sitting.
OCD is so much more than just being 'neat' or 'organized'âitâs relentless, exhausting, and often deeply misunderstood. The intrusive thoughts, the compulsions, the anxietyâit can feel like a never-ending cycle that others just donât seem to get. Many of us have had experiences where even therapists didnât fully grasp the depth of our struggles. I myself faced difficulty being misdiagnosed and my talk therapist not understanding the full extent of what I was going through until I found NOCD. So many prior therapists wrote off my symptoms as general anxiety, not realizing it was actually OCD all along. If you could sit down with a therapist who truly wanted to understand, what do you wish they knew about OCD?
OCD isnât just about compulsionsâitâs a mental battle that can be completely exhausting. The anxiety, doubt, and pressure to "get it right" can feel unbearable, especially when others donât understand whatâs happening beneath the surface. Whatâs the hardest part about living with OCD that others donât see?
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