- User type
- Staff
- Date posted
- 4d
“Why do I keep replaying this?” Understanding mental review in OCD
Have you ever replayed a conversation in your head for hours trying to figure out if you said something wrong? Or worried that you could’ve offended someone, and suddenly you’re analyzing every word, pause, and facial expression that occurred, trying to prove to yourself that everything is okay? That experience is known as mental review. It’s a common OCD compulsion, but because it happens entirely in your mind, it’s often mistaken for being anxious or overthinking. Mental review can feel urgent, distressing, and impossible to stop without getting the “right” answer. But you don’t have to “solve” intrusive thoughts to feel better. Exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD, teaches you how to let uncertainty exist without losing hours of your day to endless analysis. And along with proper treatment, small daily practices—like practicing accepting uncertainty, using non-engagement responses, or gently shifting your attention to the present—can help you build confidence in resisting OCD’s demands. Have you ever experienced mental review?