Online Chronically Disorder (OCD)

Yes, definitely!! I don't think we were meant to be exposed to so many opinions and events simultaneously; it's like every corner I turn on the internet my OCD finds something new to latch onto. It doesn't help that it's still often detached from reality too. It can be hard differentiating from what people actually feel and think IRL versus people online feeling more comfortable being extreme because it's anonymous. And like you said, vice versa, when my OCD is really bad I definitely spend more time online. Most of my compulsions are mental so they manifest in a lot of googling and comparing myself to others. Even just outside of OCD I don't think the internet is a good place to be spending your time excessively. I've been trying to use it a lot less and limiting myself to certain spaces (like here) and tasks (checking email, weather, texts, etc.). I'm also a big fan of physical and analog media so I've been trying to replace everything I consume online into a real life format. Drawing, buying and listening to records, reading books, renting movies, etc. I hope to attend more events and clubs in my local community this year so I can make some new friends that share my interests. It's a slow but steady process :)

Yes and the current like certain posts and such definitely trigger me like the “you control your reality” “drunk words are sober thoughts “ etc make my over thing and spiral down . ESP w all the 3pstien stuff it def made the guilt surrounding my POCD worse . Sometimes I “ban” myself from certain apps . Like if I see a post on TikTok that triggers me I deem it unsafe and I will only use Instagram for weeks untill it’s non contaminated

TW: talking about my themes and stuff in somewhat detail Depends on my spaces online but overall definitely. Specifically places that require reading or direct attention. Stuff like Youtube appears fine because I have to do something while watching so im in the irl world still. Ocd got extremely bad during the pandemic, because I was in a lot of spaces where cancel culture was not only encouraged but also demanded. Nothing was treated with nuance. "If you like a character that did something fucked up that means youre problematic and support (insert horrific thing)". I sometimes joke that my ocd is a twitter user, since it behaves and "talks" to me like one. Or a discord mod depending on the theme. it also fueled my ocd fears of being cancelled, doxxed or threatened. Now I try and seek out more nuanced discussions and keep my favs to myself. Some of it by choice and some by compulsion but we working on that. Its tricky to balance protecting your peace and not falling into avoidance as a compulsion. Since I love conversations I do still consume drama content, but I stick with people that have level heads and have nuance and im careful with the topics i consume. Typically people outside of Gen Z (my gen) work well with me. I also avoid spaces that promote black and white thinking. I dont entertain ship debates, "fiction affects reality" debates, etc. because I know my stance and my values and I dont need to continue the discussion. I've completely cut out Tiktok (the worst for me), Twitter and threads. I stick with Pinterest and Youtube, and use Instagram with caution. But I still do fall into these cycles unfortunately. I just try and find my spaces again and stay with them. Since cutting social media completely isn't realistic for my personality. I also try and use it as exposure therapy. I see a notification and go "I'll respond to that later" instead of right away. I look at things my ocd deems inappropriate and avoid the compulsion. Turning online spaces from a trigger to an exposure has helped me a lot