I’m overwhelmed, I can’t stand it.

@niama Wait so what else could it be?

@Shaodidi It def can happen to have constant intrusive thoughts like that with POCD 👍 Ocd has no limits or boundaries about what obsessions it will make you have, no matter how taboo

@OneDayAtATimee Oh alright, then do the feelings mean anything? And what should I do when I get those feelings such as (hopefully) false attraction.

@Shaodidi Ocd can give intrusive feelings that aren’t a reflection of us at all. Ocd doesn’t only give intrusive thoughts, images, or urges. When those intrusive feelings pop up- you sit in the discomfort. You basically have to handle it like you would handle any other OCD intrusion. Of course you will notice the feelings are there, but you don’t do any compulsions about them (ruminating, reassurance-seeking, etc.). Just let the feelings drift away on their own 👍

@OneDayAtATimee Alright, it’s just so hard to do that since the feels feel so real such as the attraction feeling, and it makes me keep trying to find out if I actually am attracted or not

@Shaodidi Yeah it’s 100% very difficult! I’m sorry I sooo wish I had a method to make OCD recovery way easier for us all 😅 For you and me as well since I deal with OCD myself haha (Btw testing your attraction is another compulsion- checking, rumination and self- reassurance all combined into one)

@OneDayAtATimee Could u explain why compulsions are bad? I don’t really understand why they prolong OCD

@Shaodidi Sure thing! So compulsions only provide temporary relief but they make your OCD grow stronger because by doing compulsions, you are further telling your brain that something is dangerous and needs to be fixed. Also, one compulsion is NEVER enough ‼️ We keep doing more and more and more, in an endless cycle because OCD is always hungry. OCD is never satisfied. Doing compulsions keeps you trapped in the anxious cycle of OCD. But when we resist doing compulsions, it weakens the OCD cycle

@OneDayAtATimee Also, is constantly wondering if you were attracted or not a compulsion? I can seem to stop it, I need to find out if I was attracted or not, they make me feel like deep down I want to be a pedo.

@Shaodidi Ur so right that’s it’s totally a compulsion 👍 Sounds like rumination/questioning- trying to understand everything, which everyone does regarding whatever their OCD theme is

@OneDayAtATimee It’s literally so hard to not do the compulsions, when I get the thoughts, they feel so real and I need to make sure I’m not an actual p. Literally anything triggers those thoughts, it’s mostly of the same person, but it changes each week or so, I’m trying to not do compulsions rn but it’s just feeling way to real rn.

@OneDayAtATimee Also does pocd cause you to have the same thoughts of the same person over n over again? Like whoever I try to think abt something romantic this same kid pops up

@Shaodidi Yeah for sure! :) One of the huge symptoms of OCD is that it causes repetitive obsessive thoughts- which could be about anyone or anything. And also when we focus on an intrusive thought- Ocd Will send it to us more because our brain is viewing the thought as important since we give it so much attention You’re definitely right that’s it’s hard to resist compulsions when it feels so real. Know that you’re not alone and we all experience that “real” feeling 🙏 Hopefully you can get an ERP therapist to assist you in working on exposures to help you to gain recovery

@niama Is this a normal pocd thing?

@Shaodidi I think this actually does sound like a pocd thing! Based on all the many comments I've read on here about pocd, this sounds almost identical to many I've seen! So the best thing to do is to try not to engage with your intrusive thoughts

@Anonymous Ok

@Anonymous How would I be able to get a actual diagnosis for it, and what should I do in the meantime because these thoughts are so hard to not interact with because fhey feel so real with all the weird feelings.