Sometimes I have weeks without my ocd. Then it’ll come back on strange topics that haven’t bothered me in years. Especially after “curing” it surrounding a topic that’s been affecting me recently, it just jumps to something else. Perhaps related, it’s really hard to tell when a topic is ocd or when it’s just “trying to solve a problem.” When is something a worry that deserves attention vs an obsession?
OCD cannot be limited to just one thought. It moves from one thought to another. When we try to look for a solution to a problem, we may worry or feel afraid, but that kind of anxiety is temporary — not something that lasts all day. Yes, you think about it, but with OCD, the anxiety is intense and exaggerated, and you feel a strong need to reassure yourself. This reassurance is what’s called a compulsion. After reassuring yourself, you calm down — whether that reassurance is external, like a visible behavior (for example, washing your hands repeatedly in contamination OCD), or internal, like trying to think of something else, repeating certain words, or using positive self-talk. Anything done to reduce anxiety becomes a compulsion. You need to understand that OCD does not stop at one thought. It keeps shifting, and it can even reach a point where it makes you doubt your treatment itself. It’s sneaky and manipulative. That’s why it’s important to recognize it for what it is and not fall into its traps.
And also, the disappearance of OCD does not necessarily mean recovery. It can be a trick — a way for it to come back stronger. This is one of the most common tricks it has played on me. That’s why I advise you to start treatment early, before the condition worsens.
@❣. Be aware of the Backdoor Spike too
@Lizzie I don’t understand what you mean by “Backdoor Spike too.”?
This happened me for a bottle last year my ocd was wrong but one incident brought my ocd back and I actually ended up getting a completely new ocd associated with my voice because I was a podcast host and still am and it would say and I was scared that voice was damaged and I would have to stop podcasts it’s much better and I still do podcasting but yeah like I feel traumas or incidences where it can cause anger or sadness can bring it back
A bit I meant not bottle
It doesn’t always come and go, for some people it might stay in the same theme or focus on nuances within the same theme 24/7, for others it jumps around - it’s a shape shifting monster and will go to any lengths to make you believe it. I’m the opposite to you, I worry about why it’s constant for me and tends to stick to one theme, which makes me feel it’s “evidence” it’s “real/true”, so whatever form it takes, you will always feel like it’s a genuine problem that needs solving. It’s indistinguishably convincing. Trying to work out what’s ocd and what isn’t is a compulsion and will keep you stuck
@Lizzie lol that last part hit but that’s even worse! So now I treat every thought the same, how do I navigate thoughts? I don’t even know what questions to ask in response to that revelation lol! My themes can be stable for long periods of time. But if I heal them, they will shift, the monster doesn’t go away.
Autocorrect
Also I think applying to colleges brought it back as well
Now I realized that I am good and I did everything right and I was stressed but that triggered like really bad false memory ocd and anxiety about I did something wrong
I think it happens in cycles and habits. Also maybe stress level affects it? Lack of sleep, level of anxiety, cortisol levels, etc? It's like a parasite that needs something to feed on to keep it alive.
Share your thoughts so the Community can respond
