So i’m new, i’ve had OCD my whole life, but i’m experiencing a new subset that i’ve only really encountered a few times before. I’ve become very fixated on the world ending, even though it won’t happen for another 5 billion years or so. My fear of dying is definitely part of that, even though I will obviously be dead by that point. My main problem is thinking that at some point, the sun will explode and literally destroy everything that i have known. Every atom in my body will be detached from one another and relocated. My world will not exist in the mind of anyone, because there will be no one. It will be quiet. And not only those thoughts, but others regarding how small we are. The universe is apparently infinite and every effort i make to understand it triggers me until i have a complete meltdown. My life does not matter in reference to anything outside of our world. Im having a lot of trouble with pushing these intrusive thoughts away. My stomach drops whenever they come and makes me physically sick and extremely depressed and anxious. I’m in treatment and on medication but I have yet to discuss them with my therapist and psychiatrist because of time issues, though I do have an appointment. Has anyone experienced this too? How can I deal with intrusive thoughts?

Literally. 100%. Same. I think the best thing to do is talk to your therapist and psychiatrist IMMEDIATELY about this, I think this is one of the worst OCD themes and it really makes everything harder because like, why try to get better if nothing matters in the end? I've been dealing with intrusive thoughts about this by just thinking "who knows whatll happen? not me!" and just letting myself sit in the anxiety every time it flares up. This one is definitely gonna change you more than the other themes. Embrace that change, embrace fear, and just remember that we have to enjoy the time we have

I know everyone thinks their particular theme is “the worst” and really, they’re all awful, but the existential/religious beliefs ocd has been the worst for me and the most difficult to deal with. I’m trying to do CBT/ERP for it, but it hasn’t helped very much. It seems so difficult because, while I can resist the compulsion to wash my hands and eventually my brain will learn that I don’t get sick, I can’t die a little bit so that I stop being afraid of dying. I’m not sure how to deal with this. The ache feels so, so heavy—so acute. But what helps me is that no one knows the answers, and that in my uncertainty, I am joining many other great minds who have come before me. We are small, but that doesn’t change what it feels like to hear the birds singing outside, or to eat pizza, or to laugh with those you love. My hope is that learning to treasure those things can help with the despair.

I think with the fear of death, that's natural, but its how the brain dwells on it like it's solvable or that its "good" or "bad." With ERP, have you watched any videos about death and dying and all that? That was my first exposure because I'm a glutton for punishment and it did help quite a bit. If you want a recommendation, Ask a Mortician on Youtube was a good source for me. I'm not glad this is something so many experience, but I am glad some of us can open up about it.

I’ve tried documentaries about the universe and time and stuff like that and it rlly helped. I watch a lot of murder docs too just because i love forensic science and they seem to keep me off of the topic for the most part. But i’ll try something like that!