pet ocd compulsion

I need help:( my ocd targets my pets aswell. I have to compulsively pet them everywhere I can to make sure I don’t pet them anywhere inappropriate so I can feel comfortable petting them without being hyper aware. Kindve like I can let my guard down once I pet them everywhere. But it targets when I rub their belly and lower belly or when I pat or scratch their butt (end of tail rear end area). So I end up having to pet all around there and show my myself “see, even if it’s NEAR their groin or butt it’s not inappropriate “ or I have to put my hand and feet(sometimes I pet them with my feet) in certain positions to make sure anywhere I rest my arm or leg wouldn’t be touching an inappropriate area directly. This doesn’t help in the long run because afterwards I feel weird for doing the compulsion, and it makes me feel lien I violated my pet. When I only did it in the first place to make sure I didn’t. Then after the compulsion makes me feel worse, the ocd stops worrying about the old stuff and latches onto the compulsion telling me I did something wrong. So I do more compulsions. It’s a repeated cycle. I feel so sad

🖤BrokenChaos🖤

Date posted: 24w

I'm sorry to hear that. This sounds very confusing. I will tell you, I do not feel that you have done anything wrong at all. If you had, the animal would react negatively. Keep this in mind. <3

dee012

Date posted: 24w

@SavageGirl They don’t react negative, just pur and roll around. Sometimes if I pick them up too much they just get squirmy and try to go away. And I feel bad bc I bother them a lot picking them up bc of my ocd but they don’t get mad.. I just hate this

🖤BrokenChaos🖤

Date posted: 24w

@dee012 - I am going into veterinary medicine and know many behaviors of animals. The fact that they don't react negatively means that you haven't done anything wrong. The closeness of having the pet with you is reassuring, so I understand needing that. Since they don't get mad, they aren't really bothered. What kind of pets do you have? I can help you identify body language and behaviors to help reassure you. Would you like me email to keep in touch, or no? If not, no problem. *^^*

dee012

Date posted: 24w

@SavageGirl Thank you for the offer! If I ever do I will let you know. I have cats, 3 of them. The only time I assume im doing something wrong is when I yell at them, but sometimes they attack each other playfully but it gets out of hand and one of them got a cyst before on their eye due to a cut from fighting. So I only really yell or give them a little tap/smack on their butt if they are misbehaving like really bad. Not hard just enough to get their attention so they stop. But regarding my post above, they seem to only be annoyed because I keep picking them up and stuff. Since the compulsions are repetitive I can see why they feel bothered and the need to move. I just feel sad that my OCD targets my pets. But like you said im not hurting them and they aren’t mad, next time is to just get better with my OCD.

🖤BrokenChaos🖤

Date posted: 24w

@dee012 - It sadly targets those we love most. I hope that I've helped

dee012

Date posted: 24w

@SavageGirl You did! Have I said something wrong? My apologies for the long comment

🖤BrokenChaos🖤

Date posted: 24w

@dee012 - No, there is no problem <3 Don't worry, you have done nothing wrong.

TexasOCD41

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 24w

@SavageGirl - I would discourage going down this route as this type of discussions are feeding dee012's need for reassurance which is feeding their compulsions. It is well intended and you are very sweet to try to help but i think we should be encouraging them to practice exposing themselves to the uncomfortable situations without responding to them with compulsions.

🖤BrokenChaos🖤

Date posted: 24w

@TexasOCD41 - I've found exposure a slow process, just like you can't cold-turkey medication.

TexasOCD41

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 24w

Well i was trying to respond to a previous post of yours and i had to close my window ( i do these replies at work and my boss walked in lol shhh) it was in regards to kissing your kitty on the mouth, i didn't even really read the full post cuz i knew 2 sentences in it was OCD messing with you. I actually giggled slightly at the start of it becuase i full out kiss my cats flat on the mouth all the time lol my husband does too ( and then i am reminded that one likes to get drinks out of the toilet and promptly gag a bit ) My husband also grabs them and pretends to lick them and nibbles on there ear. You have to keep in mind, intention is important. I kiss my cats with the intention of showing them i love them ( and cuz it annoys them and that tickles me lol) but its never to harm them or violate them. The fact that you question your actions but know your intentions is the proof its OCD throwing a glitch in your thinking. I encourage you to do what we have discussed. Don't hop on this app spelling out each encounter because its actually compulsive and will only make your OCD worse. The compulsive petting needs to be worked on too. its GOOD to let your guard down, pet owners don't monitor their behaviors with their animals because they just know its not necessary. The fact is, you could even touch your cat directly on the butt and it wouldn't be bad. my kitten likes to sit with her butt on my toe ( shes odd lol) its not inappropriate. what i want you to do, is REALLY work on stopping yourself when you want to do compulsive pets. i think a good ERP would be to turn your head and pet your kitty without looking where you're touching. Let yourself feel that anxiety of " did i just touch her inappropriately?" i KNOW it sucks, i REALLY do, TRUST me, the ONLY way is to ALLOW yourself to feel that yucky feeling and NOT RESPOND to it. Give kitty some blind pets then get up and walk away and go do something else. each time your mind asks if you might have done something bad, you respond to it with " perhaps i did, probably didn't, its simply not important, i have other things to do right now." THIS is the exact phrase i have used to pull thru hard OCD spells in the past and am even using now to get thru a nagging little flare up I'm experiencing currently.

dee012

Date posted: 24w

@TexasOCD41 Thank you so much for this comment, I’m sorry I did not see this when you posted it. I just checked this post and saw it. Your advice really helped, I think I will bring up the ERP method with my therapist. I honestly think the fact that I hyperfocus on it, whatever it may be regarding my pets, is why it feels so inappropriate to me. It’s because of my brain, the compulsions are just to make myself feel better, which obviously make me feel worse. Your call really opened my mind up to a new ERP method. I’ve been struggling recently, and been feeling like I need to be away from my pets. This made me feel better. Thank you

Em2003

Date posted: 25w

ZOCD/Moral OCD please help me

The whole hip movement compulsion thing got worse. My dog was cuddling with me and I started to move my hips. I think I was checking to see if it felt wrong. I basically humped my dog, I feel so much guilt. But I keep doing it and I don’t understand why. Please help

Astjtoju13!

Date posted: 22w

Harm ocd

Someone please help me I’m having intrusive thoughts of hurting my pets and I’m really scared of myself and I want these thoughts to go away. Can someone please help me I’m scared and I don’t know if I’m a monster

emma345

Date posted: 19w

Scared to interact with my cat because of zocd

NSFW 17f So basically I did something sexual to the cat when I was younger. It wasn't like full on bestiality, my privates weren't touching the cat and I wasn't touching the cats privates but it was still sexual. I didn't know what I was doing was wrong. It didn't harm the cat in any way, but of course it's still horrible. So I developed real event ocd that ruined my life complitely. Most of the time I don't think I will male it to 20. Sometimes it's a living hell. I developed it more than a year ago and I barely even remember this year cause I was so consumed with guilt it was the only thing in my head. So i also developed zoophilia ocd because of it. And I feel so bad cause I can't interact with my cat anymore. Because she wants to and I have to ignore her. Slowly I started to be scared to let her on my bed. So I stopped. Then in my room. Stopped doing that too. I still tried to give her some attention just outside of my room. Then I got scared to touch her. So I stopped doing that, but I used her brush to pet her with it and her toys to play with her so i don't physically touch her. Then my ocd went like but what if you are subconsciously using her for sexual gratification when you look at her? So now I can't even look at my cat. I look away when she is around, block my sight with a hand, close my eyes or if I can I leave. But the heartbreaking part is. Before I remembered what I did I was giving my cat a lot of attention. Like everyone says I'm her favorite and she only allows me to hold her and pet her the certain ways. So for all that time she is desperately trying to get my attention. She jumps on my rooms door, meows for a long time, tries to sneak in my room and stuff like that. And It's so sad I just have to ignore her. Especially cause she doesn't understands why. She was getting so much love and then randomly she is being ignored?? idk her real age cause we took her from the street, but she lives with us for 13 years, so she is not young. She is pretty healthy so I don't think she is going to die any soon but still. if I never get over it she will spend her last years of life ignored. and this makes me want to cry and want to throw up. but I don't know what to do. if I touch her I start freaking out and convincing myself that I used her somehow for sexual stuff even if I didn't do anything like that. I'm so scared. and also sad for her. and I miss my cat tbh. like everhtime I have to close my door when she tried to enter I feel so bad. but I'm so scared. because after what I did to her I'm already a monster. I don't want to add anything else. but I also feel bad for ignoring her.

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