I know people are stressed given the world situation at the moment but can we make more of an effort to be civil please? I'm getting very close to deleting the app.

I noticed your second post as I was typing my other response. I'm really sorry you had to deal with those a-holes! The assurance seeking can almost be like an addiction and makes people do horrible things to get it. It's really sad.

Yeah basically. I know that it's only people who are really deep in their OCD and don't feel safe listening to anybody else or thinking of changing what they do. But I'm just frustrated. Half the people here are seeking reassurance or trying to solve their worry in the same ways all the time and either ignore advice or are hypersensitive to advice by taking it as criticism and immediately start mischaracterising others. I've had it done to me 3 times in a little over a week but I've also seen it happen to other people. I consistently try to share my experiences and the things that have helped me including methods, books, flexibility, the ways in which OCD can be sneaky or be controlling us without us realising it's a compulsion, and trying to put myself in the shoes of the people who post. I can deal with being ignored because it's not what someone wants or is ready to hear, but there are people here who are genuinely quite abusive. It makes me think "screw even trying to help others with this" even though I have made huge strides from how I used to be, I just don't want to be in the firing line of people who do this. I wish the mods would do more and act quicker.

Literally, I have had in a week: A guy with other emotional issues call me uncaring and unhelpful because I told them that they misunderstood what CPTSD is when I had tried to give him resources on it which had helped me a ton and they'd responded by saying that they don't want to blame their parents. A woman started calling me names twice, once because I said on her post (which was about how humanity only cares about keeping people alive and not about connection) that I see lots of connection in the world including the Italians having rooftop concerts and that her outlook was a bit pessimistic, and the second time because when she said she hugs people in the street I said that it's not a wise thing to do at the moment. Now I just had someone with POCD pop the fuck off at me and start name calling and being abusive because they were canvassing for information to fuel their OCD (their post was asking if other people, with or without POCD, ever enjoy their intrusive thoughts to molest children, which they said the posted because it's a worry which keeps their OCD going) and I pointed out that seeking an answer to that question is what is keeping the OCD going. Literally got mouthful after mouthful, plus their English wasn't great so any time I didn't fully understand something they said despite trying my best, they accused me of doing it on purpose even though I kept correcting whatever they said I misunderstood. It's fucking exhausting. People can be so rude and it's hard to keep my shit together and not respond rudely myself when they lash out in response to feeling vulnerable. I have no doubt that a therapist would both say the same things I say and refuse to allow their client to become abusive at the slightest thing instead of just communicating.

@Louw I completely understand your anger, but remember it's not your responsibility to help other people here! If you're getting frustrated with trying to help others, then try to only jump in here to share how you're feeling. You don't owe anyone your help! I've noticed that I've been resorting to a lot of reassurance seeking myself. To control that, I'm trying to just appreciate the fact that this forum is about occasionally engaging and sharing feelings with other people who understand me. Sometimes I take that for granted but there really is no one else other than my therapist and this community of people who I can open to about this stuff. That in itself is a gift for me.

@NickC I think I might do that. It's only very rarely that I feel I want to share about how I'm doing or ask for support, and I KNOW that I don't act out compulsions here. I have felt quite understood though when I have posted, and I also sometimes relate a lot to a post and that helps me. And I have a therapist and a local support group which has weekly meetings which are moving online, so I know I don't need the app. It's just difficult not to try to help when I see someone doing something unhealthy or getting stuck on a certain thought that I recognise in myself from when I'm at my worst and I know what's happening in their head and how they're suffering, I've really been there and I've come through it despite the sticky thoughts and layers and loops of reasoning etc. I've had 100x as many people here thank me for sharing and helping or giving a new perspective, sometimes they say I have made a huge difference, and knowing that other people are going to be able to cope better and help themselves because I shared something makes me feel like it would be selfish to keep it to myself.

@Louw Of course I completely understand. It really is tough to just stand by when you know someone is suffering. Especially when it's so relatable to you. It's about striking a balance though. Your health must always come first! Leave the difficult patients to the experts. You don't owe anyone here anything.

@NickC Thank you ❤️ I'll do that. Obviously I can't stop anyone from screaming at me out of nowhere like the hugging lady but from now on when people start to get combative or name-calling I'm just going to flag it and leave them to it. I'm sure that's what the mods want too.