I have hocd , tocd and obsessive thoughts about having mental disorders. Hocd and tocd are under control but these thoughts about mental disorders is going out of my control. The problem is that whichever mental disorder I see , I get obsessions about developing it. I have a question that when iam using youtube , if I get a recommendation about a video which is about mental disorders should I avoid it or watch it to expose my fear. This the biggest question iam concerned about right now . And one more question is that which self help therapy should I use ERP or CBT . Iam very confused due to this question . And please tell me how can I do erp for this mental disorder fear . Because it is ruining my life . Thank you.

It depends . If you watch a video to confirm that you DONT have the disorder cause you wanna compare your symptoms - then its a compulsion so you shouldn't do it in my opinion. BUT ! If you're afraid to watch it cacause you'll be afraid it will confirm you INDEED HAVE a disorder then watch it cause it will be an exposure . But dont watch scary videos, educational ones are better like ted talks. Docs a re very often made with dramatic style so you think that certain disorder is worse ,in reality it is not that bad and you can live with it. Like with everything

I think it would be better to distract yourself and work on discipline . Discipline I mean you need discipline to stop digging in this mental health videovideos or googling symptoms . But if you cant resist just watch videos made by people with those disorders , sometimes if yyou watch a documentary or read googled symptoms you Can imagine them differently than they really are and it makes you feel worse. But from my experience when I watched videos made by I'll peoplpeople Like Ted talks or from "private" YouTube channels I felt more ededucated and didn't feel anxiety. I hope it makes sense what I just write cause I'm walking on the street and have problems focusing right now xd

I mean that if you're afraid of developing illnesses just educate yourself from good source like TED talks, yt videos that are made by certain illnesses sufferers, watch educational videos about OCD ! This is what you should be doing the most- if you wanna watch mental illness viDoes! Just simply watching videos and reading stuff that aim to stigmatize illness Makes everyone feel bad ! Even people without OCD .

Maybe try the thought flow ?

Ok i will try to let the thoughts flow ? Thank you

I have hierarchy OCD, schizophrenia OCD , and I had ROCD when I was in a relationship . Now I have a little break from OCD idk why. Maybe cause I changed my diet a little bit and taking new antihistamine pills for allergies that makes me calm . Idk . But I generally had all the themes of OCD just ththose 3 were the worst for me and the most difficult

Same with me

You dont know what is epilepsy ?

Have you ever seen when person faint on the street and start shaking ? Its epilepsy ,googling it will be a waste of time .

I am afraid to see these videos because then I obsess about having the disorder . So I should watch them . But I obsess about many mental disorders now and if I see more of them then there is no end to it. I will be trapped.

Help

But when the idea of watching these kind of videos came up ? You were just interested in a topic of mental illness and then you started obsessing ?

I saw a post about schizophrenia on Instagram last year. And from there this all started. I started googling symptoms and then I came to know about bipolar disorder. After that it was dyslexia . I know I don't have anyone of them . Then my fears started then I avoided those videos . Everything was going right .Because I didn't have fears . But this month on 12 february I saw a video about probability of mental disorders and when I read those . My ocd got worse after that . And now if I see anything that I fear I get obsessed about it. Like I don't have pedophile ocd and religious ocd but when I read about them I got thoughts about getting them .And after these my old themes of of like tocd also came back . I think this is happening because of lockdown in my country. Because iam in quarantine since 9 days. I just get obsessions after I come to know about them . And now I am avoiding youtube videos. Help me !!

How did u get over HOCD?

I don't usually search videos about disorders to check my symptoms . Because I know it is a compulsion . My problem is that whenever a video pops in my recommendation about any mental disorder . I get thoughts that I will now start to obsess about it . Suppose I saw a video on autism and my brain tells me you have it and I know I don't because the symptoms don't even match . What should I do to that thought? . Should I tell myself that you don't have it . Or should I let the thoughts flow . Or should I think that I have this mental disorder for erp ? Please reply .

Js64 i got a thought that i like boys and from the point my life got ruined , i got depressed . But when i did self erp and let my thoughts flow naturally these thoughts distressed me less . I have some thoughts nowadays also but it does not effect me that much . But yeah it worked .

What kind of ocd do you have ?

Yes

Do you go to therapist ?

No. Doctors in my city barely know what is ocd. :(

I have one more question . I was watching a video which was funny. There was a joke about epilepsy and I don't know what is it . But my mind wants me to google it . But if I google it I will get obsessed. I am an a dilemma . I think that if I don't google it . It will be avoidance which is a compulsion. Please reply .

Oh thamk you

*thank

You are really helpful. Thank you.