Vent about recent mistake with Instagram

hi there! i’m new here and new to ocd in general. i apologize if i unintentionally come off as assurance seeking, so please don’t hesitate to hold me accountable. i really just need an outlet so i’m not holding in all my panic. i understand that there isn’t a solution. but basically i was introduced to social media at a very young age. and of course i was very irresponsible. i was in multiple fandom spaces and my young brain thought i needed to create an account for every fandom. i’ve gotten rid of a good chunk of them but there is one i lost access to and i tried to get back in today so i can delete it. it turns out i might have gotten the username wrong because a screen popped up saying the log-in info was incorrect and they sent an email to the person’s account about the log-in attempt. and now i’m paranoid that instagram might somehow punish me for trying to get into someone’s account when it was just a mistake. and i worry that i might have caused whoever the account belongs to panic when i didn’t mean to (if the account is even still active, it looked blank). but yeah. i’m not sure what the point of this post was. i was just very distressed and typing it all out kinda made me feel better. so thanks for just reading if this even reaches anyone.

Love1another<3

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 4d

Well that’s very nice of you that you’re considerate of someone else. That’s a very good trait :) Though, it was an accident so you shouldn’t feel guilty over something you didn’t mean to do. To help me stop ruminating, I was taught to “worry about it IF and WHEN it happens.” So if Instagram hasn’t sent you an email about it, don’t worry about it ahead of time. And if Instagram does ever email you, you are strong enough to explain the situation and handle it then 💕 Until then, you should do something really interesting like watch an entertaining movie instead to take your mind off things. Btw here’s a quote I try to live by: “No amount of regretting can change the past, and no amount of worrying can change the future.”

Anonymous

Date posted: 4d

@Love1another<3 thank you! :) after reflecting for a bit, i guess my true fear is that it almost feels as if i’ve committed a crime or something w/ a combination of fear of surveillance even though i know it was just a mistake. part of me keeps imagining instagram or law enforcement is going to contact me being like “we know you tried to hack someone and these are the consequences” etc etc when i’m not even sure such protocol exists but the fear just feels so real and it’s on a constant loop so it eats at me for a while. i’m still having such a hard time Not seeking reassurance though. i Want to know for sure that i’m going to be okay, but i know a big part of the process is having to be okay with uncertainty. thank you for the tips though. you’re so kind <3

Love1another<3

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 4d

@Anonymous - I totally understand you and no problem I'll do my best to not provide any reassurance here. With Ocd, we often get caught up in the particular content of our intrusive thoughts. For you, it's about the uncertainty around getting in trouble for a crime. With contamination Ocd: it may be the uncertainty of accidentally spreading a disease to your loved one. With religious scrupulosity: it may be the uncertainty of committing a sin and going to hell. A common theme here is not feeling able to sit with the discomfort of uncertainty, the unknown. I would take the "maybe, maybe not" approach. "Maybe" you will get in trouble. "Maybe not." But instead try to focus on your values: Would you rather spend your days in fear of getting arrested? Or would you rather spend your days focusing on your loved ones, your hobbies, and your career? Compulsing gives short term relief (and makes anxiety worse) but resisting compulsions helps decrease your Ocd symptoms in the long term: allowing you to spend your life on your values instead of Ocd

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