Many people don’t realize how varied OCD symptoms can be, or how many different areas of life they can touch. What was the most surprising way OCD showed up for you?
I am an extremely morally conscious person, but this year I have discovered I still can make mistakes and do things which go against those values. OCD has taken this and run with it and made me question something I would never have expected- myself and my values. I still carry lots of guilt and shame- it has made me feel I don’t know who I am anymore. That is something I could not have foreseen.
I recently had one night of insomnia. That triggered anxiety and more intense OCD thoughts. It’s been a week now and Im in a vicious cycle of not sleeping
@lisaNight This too shall pass. I’ve been here multiple times, and it does get better. Be kind to yourself, give yourself grace and know that you are not alone.
@alan87 Thank you for your kind words. I just don’t know how to make it better right now. I’m so panicked about missing work and losing my job.
I feel this 🫂 it's rough and frustrating to lie down in bed and your thoughts are going a million miles a minute. Hoping you get some good rest soon! 🫶
Dissociation and memory loss 😢
Real-event OCD from trauma. Started in my early twenties and has never gone away. And disassociation definitely. Medication helps.
Catastrophing everything!
It was extremely surprising to me to find out that my difficulty making decisions and the anxiety that that sparked was OCD. I had no idea OCD could show up in those ways, it explained a lot of my early experiences.
I am literally considering getting a autism assessment because I don’t know if it’s just ocd. But I was always weirdly sensitive of noise, the way anything touches my body or a If lot of emotions are around me I can’t seem to work them out and I feel like my body is on fire. Like I would scream so much if one shoe was tighter lol
I'm the reverse of you! I have an autism diagnosis but received modified therapy for OCD as well. It is a tangle! 'None of these applies directly to you, so we'll try each and see what works'. I use a lot of free (reputable) resources for this reason. It saves time in the exposition part of therapy sessions, which are expensive.
i’m afraid of contaminating my hobbies and interests so i avoid them or “clean them” after i engage with them
@hey.its.courtneyy Would you like any help coming up with a plan for what ERP might look like for that? 🫶
@qualia that would be fantastic, thank you so much!!
Excessive thoughts about things that haven't happened and extreme disconnect with who I am and the people around me
Make me scared from life and my religion ✝️
I thought compulsive rumination was just how everyone thought about things. I would never have guessed that it was a sign of OCD. I also didn’t know that my lifetime of avoidance behaviors were the same. I thought I didn’t talk to people in high school because I didn’t like them. Turns out I’ve lived my whole life avoiding the external world and “solving problems” in my head because I am afraid of not being good enough. I don’t know if I will ever be truly free from the doubt.
@ElenaMarceline Oh my gosh this is exactly what I experienced after being diagnosed with OCD. I was always just “a master procrastinator” “an overthinker” “meticulous” “detail-oriented” “so polite” “a perfectionist”. It was so strange and eye-opening to discover that those weren’t just personality traits that I have to deal with but that I can get back the freedom to exist in the moment. If you need any support I’m happy to chat.
Making me think i was sexually attracted to my cat and wanted to harm her
@bluerainbow Those are some of the worst ones I’m so sorry, I’ve had that theme with my dogs, remember that you are not your thoughts and the reason your brain latched onto those thoughts is because of how much you are not that - and it feels so scary to the true you that you feel like you need to do everything you can to stop it from being true. It can be terrifying to decide that you know who you are and you don’t need to prove it/check/be certain. It’s so worth it though. Sending you lots of strength 🫶🫂
I've had multiple Huge Deaths I my immediate family with recently my Father passing suddenly and I've never in my life have had this mess of constant thoughts of something bad happens and have to knock on wood to feel vindicated from that.. it's so crazy. It's upsetting so much .
Messiness. I’m an extreme germaphobe and that presents itself in my life as being unable to clean, therefore more mess, therefore more fear. I’m really embarrassed about it especially bc ppl assume my germaphobia makes me a clean freak. But nope!
@Sheepery Ugh I relate. This is one of my least favorite misconceptions people have about OCD 🫠😑 I have both contamination and hoarding themes so my room is a disaster and people always joke about how they bet my room is spotless because of how meticulous I am (when not at home) 🫥 Self-compassion can be so hard because of the shame/guilt/embarrassment that can come with this, but I think you’re doing amazing just by taking the first step and recognizing the pattern! Sending you so much encouragement and support 🫂🫶
@Sheepery For me, only things on the floor trigger me for some reason. I can’t stand it. If a table is messy, or a bed isn’t made, for some reason I am cool with that lol. But if there is a straw wrapper or dust on the floor, I meltdown at times
@qualia Thank you so much for the support, I’ve really needed to hear smth positive today. this aspect of OCD for me has begun to take over my life bc I’m houseless right now and finding it so hard to clean in the hotels I’m staying in. Sometimes what keeps me going is knowing I gotta better and go home so I can clean my room before my mom throws away all my stuff lol.
Terrible images in my head
@Meow cat🐱 Those are really the worst, they’re like mini-nightmares while you’re awake
Sleep
“All of the above” 😂
Just how normalized and routine it can become to feel. Compulsions were such a daily ritual for me for so long that I'd written off myself ever being diagnosed: I always assigned it to me just being that way. It wasn't til I was doing a mental health care questionnaire that pointed it out (and is why I'm here!). It's been good to go through therapy, and the diagnosis helped my husband make sense of a lot of things I do, so he has a better understanding of me now 🫶
Calling in sick a lot in the past so I could buy diaries!
The concept of emotional contamination. And looking back realizing how many things in life I had that with
@Scaredycat Carole What's emotional contamination and do you have an example of how that showed up for you? (only if you want to share)
My house is tore apart due to remodel and I'm known to be a obsessive cleaner. I have just come to realize I have OCD because my intrusive thoughts about my wife leaving me or having no interest in me anymore I have been going insane with the obsessive thoughts of this. I just talked to her last night about it I'm so ashamed of these thoughts.
Rel
Thinking that every time I exert energy my heart will explode. My brain can’t rationalize that heart rate goes up when I exercise, apparently.
OCD has prevented me from staying at THREE jobs. I didn't think this disorder would affect my daily life as much as it has/does.
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