- Date posted
- 6y
- Date posted
- 6y
Now that I think about it... my OCD has always flared up during big changes in my life; when I’m moving, starting studies or finishing studies, starting a new job, etc. That’s when the intrusive thoughts and anxiety usually become stronger. Also when I find myself being bored and demotivated, my OCD tends to flare up then as well.
- Date posted
- 6y
Agreed. Writing down and preparing yourself can be an excellent way to remind yourself. To quote G.I. Joe, Knowing is half the battle, so being aware of life changes coming up could potentially be a good way to prepare yourself for the inevitable anxiety coming up. Another technique we can apply is dealing with the Anxiety BEHIND the OCD. Anxiety is a close cousin to OCD and they are usually best friends and show up together so alot of techniques that apply to Anxiety have been helping me with dealing with this stuff. In dealing with anxiety, there is something called "content. "Content" is whatever thoughts you may be anxious or obsessing about at the moment of your OCD loop or anxiety. Thing is as long as you give in to responding to the Content, OCD and/or Anxiety win. That's their turf. You are in their homecourt. However, if you recognize and deal with the anxious feelings and stress BEHIND the content and not the content itself. Then you could deal with the anxiety more effectively. This youtube series I've been watching has helped me a ton with a few of the techniques behind it. It is a super informative series and It has helped me so much. As I usually say don't take anything on the internet as 100% true. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqts1uGCm468oPTFWkQ4Ewb4tMUrKYqOC I would love to hear more about some appicable techniques everyone else has come across so please keep them coming. :)
- Date posted
- 6y
My psychologist has told me the same thing. It usually pops up during times of stress or high change. Some people who have ocd eventually see it as a stress indicator. However that being said, I would never take anything said online as 100% fact so I would say discuss with your therapist and find out their oppinion on it.
- Date posted
- 6y
Thank you so much for sharing these thoughts and ressources ! It definitely helps :)
- Date posted
- 6y
I cannot give you a certain answer, since I am not a doctor or psycologist. However, I am also affected by OCD.. it came last year when I was ending an important period in Paris before moving on. Moreover, it came back since July that I am waiting to move on again to a new city (bigger adventure and responsibilities). So I feel you. I am sure we will all get better once we start!
- Date posted
- 6y
Think you for your answer ! It seems that OCD might appear as a protective mechanism, because it's "easier" for the mind to obsess over something than to face the big uncertainty of life when we feel it stronger... Just some theories, that help to distance myself from thoughts and reconnect I think
- Date posted
- 6y
So then here's my questions for application. 1. What techniques do we use to remind ourselves it's stress flaring up as OCD when life changes come? Also how do we curb boredom and demotivation? Reason why I'm asking is I also have ADHD which is great when you are focused on something you love, but you can find yourself quickly switching to other things when you feel distracted, bored or not motivated.
- Date posted
- 6y
I think it could be useful to write it down somewhere, when we know some changes are coming. As a reminder that we can be more sensitive to intrusive thoughts at these times...
- Date posted
- 6y
I am not familiar with ADHD, don't know if I can help, but I try to plan things (seeing friends or even something very small like going for a walk), just to have something to look forward to... though it is very tricky because OCD usually does not approve...
Related posts
- Date posted
- 22w
my OCD is doing what it does best and it’s randomly selecting themes. Once I’m not scared or react to one it bounces to another. And then i temporarily forget all of my coping skills for that theme. Rn it’s fixating on the time I had a panic attack and it’s trying to make me have one again
- Date posted
- 12w
I met my current boyfriend after ending things with my ex a month earlier. By coincidence, my current boyfriend and I had a class together, we became friends, and of course I started liking him. By May 2021, two months later, my feelings for him grew stronger and stronger. At that time, I wasn’t really going through a depression over my ex. In fact, little by little, we had stopped talking since January 2021, and by the end of March I told him I needed my personal space because I was dealing with another type of OCD. Looking back, during all that time I was open to getting to know this new guy (my current boyfriend). Finally, in July everything was going well between us, and we decided to stop giving each other space. Meanwhile, my ex was stalking me on social media. I was very happy to be getting to know my boyfriend at that time. In August, we had our first kiss and then, as I mentioned earlier, we stopped dating for a while. In September, we ended things, which hurt me a lot, but in November we tried again. During all that time, I didn’t have OCD. Later, in January, when my boyfriend and I made our relationship official, the doubts started: “Am I still in love with my ex?” “Am I using my boyfriend to forget my ex?” “Am I really over my ex?” The memories, physical sensations, all of that. So, my question is: does OCD with thoughts about an ex only happen to people who just broke up and are still grieving, or can it also show up later on, even if you’re already in a new relationship? I ask this because I’m afraid I might not have gotten over my ex and that these intrusive thoughts mean something else, since I’ve read that some people develop OCD right after a breakup and get stuck there. But in my case, I just moved on, and then the intrusive thoughts showed up later.
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 11w
does anyone else’s ocd take form about life’s big questions? i’ve noticed that doing a lot of work on my theme has greatly improved my quality of life and my overall mental health but as i move through the early years of my twenties and transition in adulthood and out of college-ive noticed a new theme. one that feel existential but hard to verbalize. it feels related to my old them of rocd but one that feels much more personal. i understand that this is a difficult transition for anyone, not just those with anxiety or ocd. however i think it’s helpful for me to just get it off of my chest and see if anyone can relate? i often dwell on the ideas like: -do i know myself? i don’t think i do all the ways so does that mean i shouldnt or can’t be in this relationship? it means that im not being true. -i wasted all my time in college on a relationship and its aftermaths that affected me for years to come. it prevented me from finding my friends. i used to be so happy and now i feel limited sometimes in friendships but its my own fault. because i keep everyone except my partner at an arms length. and if i cant let anyone else in except my partner, that’s bad and i should let them in or be in this relationship. -i struggle making friends and i think everyone is mad at me. -im missing out on life and its passing me by. everyone is out there improving and im working at a minimum wage job and becoming a starving artist. i dont know what i want and thats bad so i need to isolate myself. it’s clear that the stress of this transition has done a number on me thus past month. especially since i just moved and im 2 months post grad. but my ocd and anxiety is kicking in because this change, any advice?
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