Hey all, as an OCD newbie, i have some questions. These might be obvious or stupid, but idk, i just need some answers. 1. Is it hard for anyone else to watch movies and not get triggered? 2. Does anyone else get OCD about their OCD? 3. Is it possible/normal to have a lot of subtypes? And i mean like 6 or 7. 4. Do people usually misunderstand us and assume that our intrusive thoughts are actually what we want to do?
Yes, yes, yes, and yes
I can answer some of these from my personal experience, i hope others will chime in š¤ 1. Lately it's been hard for me to listen to music, and sometimes podcasts so I would imagine movies might trigger me to a certain degree. 2. This one doesn't resonate with me personally as severely as it does for some others here I think. 3. I think most of us have more than one subtype, I think I have a few myself. 4. OCD is very commonly misunderstood by many, family, spouses etc. I would imagine people who are on the outside looking in don't think we want to act on our intrusive thoughts because those thoughts usually betray who we really are as people.
Tysm, this helps a lotā¤ļø
Yes to all!
Itās absolutely not stupid. Yes to all. But specifically I have the HARDEST time watching movies that trigger me. Like everyone else will be enjoying the movie and Iāll just be over here doing mental compulsions the entire time.
Itās such a struggle watching movies. My friends donāt get it, but I just canāt watch a movie without doing it.
Yes for all of them!
Yes, yes, yes, yes
1. YES! Iāve been in therapy for ocd for 7 years and I just realized and did ERP for a trigger regarding a word/topic. I used to have to wash my hands or get anxiety when I saw that topic in media. I did some ERP with my therapist and even though it doesnāt really give me anxiety anymore I still intentionally try to watch things where that topic might come up to challenge my OCD and not let myself get rusty or comfortable. 3. I still figure out little subtypes still 7 years later. I started mainly with contamination ocd and just right ocd, now I struggle with intrusive thoughts, etc. it truly changes throughout different phases of ur life. I think ocd is like a parasite and it wants to keeps finding new ways to latch on especially when you cut one off.
Thank you, that makes so much senseā¤ļø
Yes to all - actually, is there a stronger word than yes?
Btw these are awesome questions to ask. They show some real self-awareness and self-reflection. Youāre not asking for certainty or reassurance, just seeking some information and better understanding. And it gives the community a chance to engage with each other and remind ourselves and each other that we are truly not alone in this. Thank you!! š
Awww, thank you so much. It really helps to feel less aloneā¤ļø
OK, this might sound really dumb, but when you guys get intrusive thoughts, do they just come once and then go away? Iāve heard that repeatedly thinking about an intrusive thought is considered āchecking,ā but it doesnāt feel like I have any control over how many times it comes up in my head. Itās not like Iām trying to check anythingāit just keeps showing up, almost like itās terrorizing me every time. I canāt seem to stop it from looping, stop remembering it, or prevent it from coming up. Every time it does, I feel horrified, and I already know itās going to horrify me. I donāt think Iām actively trying to see if my feelings have changed, so is this still considered checking? How do other people get an intrusive thought and just move on? Doesnāt it pop up a million times for them too? I always thought that was normal, but now Iām hearing this could be a compulsion, and I feel really confused, scared, and lost. Is this why my OCD feels so extreme? Because I really donāt feel like I can control how many times the thought pops up.
This list by ai gives a good summary of my symptoms. Does it resemble OCD or is it something else? 1. Compulsions (OCD-specific behaviors): ā¢ Feeling the need to flex or contract muscles an even number of times, equally on both sides of your body. ā¢ Needing to reverse actions (for example, if you roll your eyes or trace a line with your finger, you feel compelled to do it again in the exact opposite way). 2. Intrusive Thoughts (OCD-specific ruminations): ā¢ Daydreaming about people you care about getting hurt (e.g., school shooting, injury, or kidnapping). ā¢ Sometimes feeling like you might want something bad to happen to someone you find attractiveāpossibly because of a desire to help or save them, though itās confusing. ā¢ These thoughts can sometimes provide a twisted sense of relief while remaining distressing and confusing. 3. Sexual Orientation OCD: ā¢ Experiencing confusion or doubt about your sexual orientation. 4. Contamination Thoughts: ā¢ Feeling like things are contaminated, especially after touching something gross. 5. Sensory Compulsions: ā¢ Feeling the need to smell your hand after touching areas like your ear or hair. 6. ADHD-like Symptoms / Additional Observations: ā¢ Fidgeting or moving your legs when standing or sitting.
OCD is so much more than just being 'neat' or 'organized'āitās relentless, exhausting, and often deeply misunderstood. The intrusive thoughts, the compulsions, the anxietyāit can feel like a never-ending cycle that others just donāt seem to get. Many of us have had experiences where even therapists didnāt fully grasp the depth of our struggles. I myself faced difficulty being misdiagnosed and my talk therapist not understanding the full extent of what I was going through until I found NOCD. So many prior therapists wrote off my symptoms as general anxiety, not realizing it was actually OCD all along. If you could sit down with a therapist who truly wanted to understand, what do you wish they knew about OCD?
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