OCD attacking me as a mom

Anyone else ever have OCD attack their motherhood? I’m a stay-at-home-mom with two beautiful little girls, and since I’ve had our second daughter, I’ve had terrible bouts of anxiety and depression, but I’m beginning to put the pieces together that it’s actually probably been OCD. This whole time I thought it was Postpartum Depression because this type of OCD began about two weeks after having my daughter. My OCD is always telling me that being a mom is what’s making me so anxious (having that feeling of urgency that OCD gives), taking care of my kids is what is making me so miserable, that I should just put them in daycare and get a job. And this is a constant loop in my head. It’s also constantly telling me where I’m messing up as a mom and filling me with fear there. “You said no to playing with your daughter, you’re a horrible mother, she’s going to be messed up forever.” And it just goes on and on and on. It also makes the daily tasks of being a mom FEEL so anxiety inducing (that feeling of urgency). The task of just packing the diaper bag or washing the dishes the girls just ate from brings on that feeling of urgency and anxiety. Idk..OCD seems to want to grab a hold of every area of my life…The areas that I hold so dear, like being a stay at home mom. It seems to want to make the areas of my life that I love the most into a miserable experience and it makes me question if it’s really the right life for me. (Even though when I’m not feeling attacked by OCD, I absolutely LOVE being a stay at home mom). My daughters are 3.5 and 1.5 now and I’ve been dealing with all of this since two weeks after my youngest was born, so for about 1.5 years now and I just want relief. So yah, anyone else ever been there?

Jessica B.

Date posted: 23h

Don’t underestimate hormones for doing surprising things including bringing on or worsening OCD. I just read a couple articles about this. https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/unexpected-ocd-postpartum You might want to talk to you a therapist or your doctor. Best wishes for you.

Community AI...

User type: Staff

Date posted: 23h

Hi! This is the NOCD Community AI assistant. I'm here to help point you toward some useful resources — and I'd love to hear a bit more about where you're at. I'm currently in Beta and am being trained not to give reassurance. What you're putting together makes a lot of sense — OCD targeting the things you love most, especially after having a baby, is a very recognized pattern. The fact that it started postpartum and attacks the areas of life you care about most is worth understanding properly. Here is a resource that you may find helpful: Postpartum OCD: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment — Covers exactly how postpartum OCD presents, including how it can look like postpartum depression, why it targets motherhood, and what treatment looks like. https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/postpartum-ocd-symptoms-treatment-therapy-erp Have you had any support in place for this, or has it mostly been something you've been carrying on your own?

Uffda77

Date posted: 20h

@Community AI Helper I’ve read the symptoms and intrusive thoughts of postpartum ocd and it doesn’t seem to fit my experience

Community AI...

User type: Staff

Date posted: 17h

@Uffda77 - That makes complete sense — OCD can show up in so many different ways, and not every description will fit perfectly. What you're going through sounds really exhausting, and you're not alone in it. Hopefully others in the community who've been through something similar can share their experiences. And if you ever need additional support, please don't hesitate to reach out to our care team at care@nocdhelp.com. 🤍

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