Not looking for reassurance. Genuine question!!!

Hey everybody, this is my first time posting in here! I've been in here for quite a bit now but now that I've got some courage I'll ask something I genuinely can't figure out myself. Two years ago, I fell victim to an online scam and one of my social media accounts got compromised. Apparently, the hack of this goal was to get money out of the victim so they could get their account back: luckily enough I refused to pay and I was able to recover my account thanks to the platform's support team. Roughly two years have passed with no signal that there's an active threat coming from that compromise, and I was able to simply move on. However, recently, this event came back to my mind and it's been making me lose my mind. The thing here is that I had private chats with some close friends, and as you might guess, there was some sensitive personal information in those chats (nothing like bank-related information, but still). The thing here is that during the compromise, they technically had access to those chats and everything in my account. Years later, this event is bothering me again. I'm asking this because I've never dealt with something like this and I can't genuinely tell if this is real event OCD. Has anybody experienced something similar? Does anybody have any tips? Thank you all!

kathleen23

Date posted: 15h

I think you’re right on the money with real event ocd. Someone who doesn’t have ocd might freak out at first, but then realize there’s nothing they can do and move on. Since you’re still worried about it years later, it’s pretty safe to assume that this is real event OCD.

anonymous_pu...

Date posted: 15h

This makes much sense! I think the part that frightens me the most is that this technically is a sensitive topic, but as you said, when there are no active signs of consequences, somebody else would just move on. But for me, it seems like a non-stoppable loop!

kathleen23

Date posted: 15h

I totally get that!! I hope you can feel a little more at ease knowing this is a normal way to feel when you experience real event ocd❤️‍🩹

bluebird27

Date posted: 15h

I get real event ocd and have experienced intense paranoia about information that others have that could be used against me. things that are so irrational. and analyze things I say to make sure there is nothing that could be used. I wish I had some tips but I don't, I need to see an ocd therapist about it!

anonymous_pu...

Date posted: 15h

I also have this feeling that somebody will use any information about me, specially those "embarrassing things". With this event this feeling became to grow stronger. I thought I was the only one.

bluebird27

Date posted: 15h

@anonymous_purple💜 I just found this forum a few days ago and honestly it is so validating to see posts like yours. like I don't want you to be hurting obviously but like I feel insane and like I go to friends or family to talk thru things and I feel crazy because I can't let things go and most things I just don't say at all because I know how irrational and paranoid it is but there's always the "what if" and "just in case" for me

anonymous_pu...

Date posted: 15h

@bluebird27 - I totally get what you mean, it's a little comforting to know that we're not alone and that we're not the exception!

ezzieorsomet...

Date posted: 13h

I find my OCD clings onto real traumatic and stressful events as well. Like I have an ex that to this day it bothers me we shared private messages. he was abusive and a narc and i'ml ike AHHHH I SAID so many things to him. and it's been nearly 2 years, but I still worry about him coming out of nowhere and using these messages against me. so i totally know what you're coming from. have a stranger having access to your private accounts is such a huge violation, so I can see why your ocd generates the worse what if scenarios

bluebird27

Date posted: 13h

I feel this. I have stuff from like 10 years ago that keeps my heart racing like all day because I'm just dreading my ex making public things that I did (or I think I did at least) and it ruining my life.

anonymous_pu...

Date posted: 13h

Yes, it's absolutely destroying my every-day mental health. And if only this were my only theme, but it's not even remotely close to that. Also, avoiding the compulsions around this topic has to be one of the hardest tasks ever, and I fail at doing so pretty frequently.

anonymous_pu...

Date posted: 13h

@bluebird27 - Oh God, this sounds devastating. How do you manage compulsions or reassurance seeking in these cases if I may ask? xx

bluebird27

Date posted: 13h

@anonymous_purple💜 well like idk if it's this for you. but I will successfully dodge the compulsion to research and then I find myself 1 minute later mentally reviewing the event or like planning what my response will be to this fictional threat. it is so sneaky.

anonymous_pu...

Date posted: 13h

@bluebird27 - I can absolutely relate :')

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