Obsessing over emotions/feelings

I’m wondering if anyone can relate? I often overanalyse my feelings/emotions and check that I’m feeling happy enough. If I’m not, it makes me super anxious that I’m not enjoying life enough. In the past, Ive been known to keep diaries when on holiday to keep track of my feelings so I can check back afterwards to make sure I did actually have a good time. In my brain, everyone effortlessly seems to enjoy life, social gatherings, big events, holidays…enjoyment seems to come to easy to other people? Whereas I, whilst I do enjoy myself at times, find myself obsessing over enjoying stuff enough or being happy enough. Like if I’m not euphorically happy or crying from laughter every 2 minutes, I’m clearly not living life. I’m not sure if it’s an OCD trait or…? It certainly feels it, what with all the checking and monitoring of feelings. It’s definitely heightened around big events (parties, social gatherings, weddings, holidays). It’s a theme I come back to quite a lot and I find it quite distressing. Most of my themes are very internal and a lot of compulsions are mental, I spend a LOT of time ruminating if I’m having a bad day. Hope someone else can relate or maybe has some tips? :)

Username: amc1234amc1234

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 31w ago

I relate to this too.. I had a back door Spike I believe because I was hyper focused on my feelings and was doing compulsions without realizing. But it gets mixed in with my harm ocd which is my kryptonite🤪 Sometimes I have moments where I’m just like why does it matter if I’m happy or having a good time. I’m here in the moment and as hard as it is to do, once I stop the monitoring I will be just that, in the moment. It’s hard but try not to judge whether your experience is good or bad. Sometimes it just is. 💕you’re not alone on this journey

Username: cupcake55cupcake55

Date posted: 31w ago

@amc1234 Thanks for you reply! I find it really helps if other people can relate to my ramblings. I’ve been hyper focused on my feelings for such a long time, I suppose the constant monitoring and checking is a compulsion isn’t it! The mental compulsions are SO bloody hard to resist, most of the time I don’t even know I’m doing them. I try to embrace being in the moment but then my brain is like ‘but you’re not enjoying it, other people would be, there’s clearly something wrong with you’ 😞

Username: amc1234amc1234

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 31w ago

@cupcake55 It caught me off guard because I do it automatically too, i just thought that’s how I was. I didn’t realize it until the back door spike and then I was like oh wow this is a compulsion too.

Username: JediMJJediMJ

Date posted: 31w ago

I know someone whose therapist made them walk a loop while ruminating and then walk it again while practicing mindfulness…pointing out a tree or a bird or whatever. I think she said the thoughts out loud…not sure about that. Anyway, the point was that you can’t do both at the same time. Keep practicing being in the moment. And also, nobody is happy all the time. Emotions come and go. 🙂

Username: thebubblyonethebubblyone

Date posted: 31w ago

hey, i totally get where you're coming from. obsessing over whether you're feeling happy enough or enjoying moments "the right way" can be really exhausting. it sounds a lot like you're dealing with some tough ocd themes, especially with all the checking and ruminating. 💔 by the way, have you heard about this new ai-powered ocd therapy tool called 'unstuck'? when i was in a similar spot, feeling like i was constantly chasing the "right" feelings, what really helped me was this free ai ocd therapy tool called "unstuck" (unstuckmyocd.com/try) that my nocd therapist recommended to me. i think it'll be especially helpful for you because it's designed to provide personalized step-by-step support when ocd gets tough, kinda like having an ocd therapist in your pocket. it's really good at helping you work through those moments of doubt and rumination, without needing to perform compulsions or seek reassurance. i hate when people promote stuff, but i really think it can help you because it's changed my life. lmk if you have qs or just want to talk more! <3

Username: cupcake55cupcake55

Date posted: 31w ago

@thebubblyone Thank you for your comment - honestly just hearing that other people feel this way is quite comforting! I never really considered my preoccupation with my feelings to be a theme as such, but I suppose it is really! I really find mental compulsions the hardest….because most of the time I don’t realise I’m doing them. I suppose people without OCD don’t sit there reflecting on how they felt on certain days to make sure they were happy do they 🫠🙈 I’ll definitely check that out, thank you! I hope you are doing well with your recovery :)

Username: thebubblyonethebubblyone

Date posted: 30w ago

@cupcake55 - hi! that is why communities like NOCD really make me happy. in this way, more and more people will find a safe space where they can freely express their frustrations without being judged.

Username: hannah

Date posted: 3y ago

Hey guys so i wanted to see if this could possibly be ocd or maybe something else idk lol and im not trying to like get reassurance km just curious cuz i’ve never thought about this until now. So my whole life especially recently since i’ve moved to college, i always analyze whether or not i fit in with people. I’ve always been pretty hard on myself my whole life aboit feeling different than my friends or just feeling like i don’t understand how everyone can just be themselves so easily and not anxious or how i think people are just more likable than me. i don’t know if that makes any sense, but i feel like i’ll hang out with a group of girls and then afterwords i’ll be like why do i feel like i wasn’t the same as them or why do i feel like they’re better than me etc. just constantly trying to figure out what’s wrong with me and why im different then them. I think that may have been ocd itself or maybe not im not sure. recently i’ve been struggling with trans ocd and my mind often likes to think back to that and how my whole life i’ve kinda worried about how i felt different than all the other girls . it scares me cuz it makes me think that maybe i really am not a girl and i just haven’t realized it until now. but now im realizing that those worries from my whole life might have just been ocd to begin with. idk if any of this makes any sense and im just rambling on and on but im just curious to see what u guys think

Username: Tee10

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y ago

Feelings

It’s so weird how OCD just comes about with no explanation, out of nowhere. My issue has been feelings. I have moments of hyper focusing on feelings, trying to figure them out, and it’s exhausting. Logically, I know that what I’m going through with the things happening in my life (relationship ending that was abusive, my father just getting diagnosed with dementia, etc) would make anyone feel the way I do. But I keep trying to fight my feelings. “Normally, old me” would embrace them and let them be. Ever since my OCD returned, I can’t help but fixate on them and stress even more. It’s almost like my emotions and the way we are as humans in my mind has become even more of a problem than the problems themselves. Can anyone relate? I am doing my best with ERP. I definitely helps. But I’m still waking up not feeling like myself and it hurts.

"Pure" OCD

Username: Scared1

Date posted: 1y ago

Cant enjoy anything anymore

I have OCD around believing everything I do in life is a show for other people. It’s as of I lost the ability to remember if I decorate my house so beautifully because I like and want others to like it to, or if I decorate my house because I want others to like, and maybe even feel a jealous of me (weird I know.) ots not just decorating my house. Its the car I drive, the way I dress, & putting makeup on. I am known for throwing beautiful thanksgiving and christmas dinners. My table looks like it came right out of better homes and gardens. It really is beautiful. The food is exceptional and the display is always beautiful. I am afraid that I do it all for the attention and praise and that none of it is for me. It scares me so badly. Im dreading the holidays for the first time ever because Im so afraid of this thought. Can anyone else relate to this type of ocd? Thanks!

Be a part of the largest OCD Community

Share your thoughts so the Community can respond

Obsessing over emotions/feelings

Related posts

Be a part of the largest OCD Community

Be a part of the largest OCD Community