I used to keep journals, but lately OCD has stopped me from journaling. It's like I'm afraid to write down my fears, but I'm also afraid to write down positive feelings in case I somehow "jinx" it. I am wondering if anyone has experienced this and if so, any strategies that has helped them? Or journaling strategies to combat OCD? Do you maybe have a separate journal for fears?
Journaling can be a powerful tool, especially when OCD is telling you not to do it. If OCD is telling you not to write down your fears or positive feelings, that can be a sign that it’s exactly what you should do. OCD thrives on controlling your actions, so pushing back against that urge can be really helpful. It might be useful to have separate journals; one for your fears and another for anything else you want to express, better yet one journal with all the content. But at the end of the day, what’s important is not what you write, but the act of continuing despite what OCD tells you. Journaling, no matter what the content, can help you take control of your responses, even if it feels uncomfortable. Remember, if OCD says go right, you go left!
Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply. I hadn't thought of it that way (if OCD says go right, you go left!) and I like that. That might be the push I need.
I worry that I journal compulsively.
I used to journal daily but have pretty much stopped because of the OCD :c I have event/false memory OCD so I worry if I write down my fears then it'll make them more real, or that someone who doesn't understand would eventually find them and take them as real threats. Even writing this makes me feel like that. I'm planning on getting a physical journal just for OCD thoughts because the thought of doing journals in notion or google docs somewhere else online with these fears is just too daunting. So I think that's going to help me a bit. Hopefully you can find something to help you too because Journaling can be so helpful 🌼
I feel the exact same way so you are definitely not alone!
I Felt the same. I found that Journaling on my computer where I could lock files helped.
Hi guys! Hope everyone is having a beautiful week. I did therapy with a therapist on here and it helped me hugely, I had next to no OCD symptoms for almost 8 months, but recently it’s been flaring up again. I am much better at handling intrusive thoughts and going on with my day but I just have this huge fear of it getting as bad as it was last year. I was unable to get out of bed for 3 months because the intrusive thoughts were so debilitating. I never went to feel that way again. Does anyone have tips on how they deal with OCD flare ups and how they bring themselves back down to a happy medium? Thank you all 🤍
Hey guys lol So the longer I’ve been in OCD therapy, the more my meds have helped quiet my mind: I realize how many things I have been doing that was compulsive that I didn’t realize was compulsive. And for some reason I felt like those compulsions helped me to feel closer to God. Like felt closer to my values. And now that I’m recognizing what I’m was doing and now that my medicine has helped create space between my thoughts and what to do next, I feel like fear was what helped me be close my values? Can anyone else relate? Or does anyone have tips on how to still feel close to your values with the absence of so much fear and paranoia caused from OCD?
I'm reaching out in hopes of finding others who might relate to my experiences or offer insights. I'm dealing with a complex interplay of OCD, depression, and existential anxiety, and I'm struggling to make sense of it all. Here's what I'm experiencing: I have OCD with various manifestations, along with episodes of depression. I find myself in a cyclical pattern where, after a few weeks, I start to remind myself about my depressive tendencies. This reminder seems to trigger a cycle that actually makes me feel more depressed or at least more aware of depressive symptoms. When this happens, I often experience feelings of nihilism and existential dread. I try to think about my family - my two young boys and my wife - to find motivation or a sense of purpose, but this strategy often backfires, making me feel even more anxious and depressed. I constantly check my feelings, wondering if they're depressive or anxious. At the same time, I fear that my feelings of anxiety and panic might spiral out of control. I think about my emotions and thoughts on a meta-level, which means I'm not just experiencing feelings, but I'm also constantly analyzing the fact that I'm experiencing them. There's an existential component to my struggles, a fear of depression and anxiety itself, and a sense that this might be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Perhaps most frustratingly, I often have feelings, thoughts, or sensory experiences that I can't explain or put into words. I feel like I've never heard of these before, which leaves me feeling deeply misunderstood. Does anyone else experience something similar? How do you cope with this complex web of symptoms and experiences? I'm particularly interested in hearing from those who've found ways to break the cycle of meta-cognition and self-fulfilling anxiety. Any insights, shared experiences, or strategies would be deeply appreciated. Thank you for your time and understanding.
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