- Date posted
- 23w
- Date posted
- 23w
Hi there! I think it absolutely can--anything that causes stress or strong emotions can cause the OCD to flare up. I find that sadness is a hard one for me, as I don't always deal with with it. I have learned it is very important to allow myself to feel it and to be easy on myself. Losing a pet is so painful--be gentle with yourself and celebrate your memories with your dog, and reach out to your support network as needed.
- Date posted
- 23w
Firstly, I’m so sorry you’re going through that. Losing your childhood pet is an unimaginable tragedy. Stress and enhanced emotions definitely isn’t a bff for OCD. Whenever I’m upset or stressed my thoughts get a lot worse too. It doesn’t have to be linked the brain works in awkward ways sometimes. Any emotional burnout especially loss has a really strong impact on our bodies, both physically and mentally. It’s important to remind yourself of what is true. It helps me to write it down and if I feel like my thoughts are getting worse I will go and read it and take deep breaths. While breathing I imagine inhaling the good thoughts and releasing the negative or compulsive ones when I exhale. Again, I’m so sorry for what you’re experiencing right now. Sending my support.
- Date posted
- 23w
Hi! I am so sorry to hear about your dog. I had to put my dog to sleep last weekend, and it definitely caused my OCD to try to bait me in with lots of different things. I had to figure out some response prevention messages to help me, like “These thoughts are thoughts, not threats.” I also needed some time just to grieve the loss of my pup. Losing a pet is so hard, so take your time and be patient with yourself.
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 23w
OCD gets triggered by any dramatic change. Iv had it be triggered by happy things, like buying and moving into a house, and then it got mega triggered when i had to put my kitty to sleep. OCD doesn't have to be linked in any way to what is happening in your life. It just happens to trigger simply because a routine has changed, that's all it takes. I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. It gets better. i thought id die with grief but its been 6 months now since she passed and i still think about her but I'm not so sad anymore.
Related posts
- Date posted
- 21w
I started dealing with OCD when I became fixated on health issues, particularly the fear of contracting a life-threatening disease. If I experienced any kind of medical symptom, no matter how small, that even remotely hinted at something potentially fatal, it would drive me crazy, and I couldn’t stop obsessing over it. Then one day, I started having intrusive thoughts about accidentally hitting someone with my car, and I would end up driving in circles to check if I had. Eventually, I found myself overwhelmed by a flood of new obsessive thoughts and compulsions. One day, while I was at the park, a squirrel came near me, and for some reason, I felt like it attacked me. I Googled it and learned that squirrels could carry rabies, which spiraled me into a deep fear of rabies. I became consumed with the thought I received a bite from a squirrel, raccoon, or bat any time I’m in areas that trigger me. It started off only being inside then transferred to even being in my own home. This made me obsess over every physical sensation in my body, compulsively checking to make sure nothing was wrong. One compulsion that I hated the most would to be putting rubbing alcohol on me to make sure that I had no open wounds. Every day feels like I’m walking around in a fog of anxiety, constantly worrying that I won’t even make it to old age. Sometimes, it gets so overwhelming that I just want it all to end. It stresses me so bad at times to where my brain feels like I’ve been studying all day.
- Date posted
- 20w
Does anyone Else’s ocd flare up bad when in stressful life situations? I was doing amazing and now that I’m having some drama with my life it seems to have come back with a vengeance. Anyone else?
- Date posted
- 14w
i have been diagnosed with OCD & generalized anxiety disorder. for some reason, i’ve been very hyper aware of everything. like the way i talk, the way i see the world, how certain things sound/look/feel, and it’s very distressing. i feel like the hyper awareness makes me afraid of things? like for some reason, my mind attached to cartoons, and i was hyperfocusing on it, and got extremely scared, like scared of the cartoon for no reason? i’ve done this a lot, and i get scared i have psychosis or schizophrenia, or something that makes you afraid of things for no unknown reason. i feel so scared that this is my new normal…. im heartbroken. so many what if’s. did i just ruin my own life?? 💔
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