I hope everyone is doing really well today! I’m curious: how does your menstrual cycle affect your OCD spikes? I went off birth control a few months ago, which REALLY helped me mentally, but now in the week or so before my “natural” period and during, all those intense intrusive thoughts come back. Does anyone else struggle with this, and how do y’all deal with it? Thank you in advance - y’all are the best !!!!!!! :-)

aloe

Date posted: 5y

YES!ALL THE TIME I don’t usually see people talk about this but my symptoms are incredibly stronger during my period and it’s something my therapist and I have tried to work with since I don’t have insurance and I haven’t decided to go on the pill but it can get pretty bad that I’m finally starting to heavily consider it simply bc my OCD causes me too much discomfort during that time period but then when I’m off of it I’m so much better it’s a situation that is so distressing but it’s so relieving now that I have been able to notice the pattern. It’s made it slightly easier to deal with now that ik what to expect

Fathomable

Date posted: 5y

Me too! Right at the same time. When my OCD isn't much of a problem it's just real moodiness and sensitivity, but when I'm already anxious it makes the compulsions a lot stronger. I try to be prepared and during it to remind myself that this isn't regular life, it's not going to last forever and I'm going to feel better soon.

MJocd

Date posted: 5y

My period is lit due any time now and I'm getting all those intrusive thoughts again.

aloe

Date posted: 5y

It’s the worst but try to remind yourself that this isn’t you and they are just thoughts being created by the spike in your hormones it takes the power from them and makes them meaningless

jessicabellomy

Date posted: 5y

I didn’t get the notifications for all these comments, I’m sorry!! I hope y’all are all doing okay... it’s something I had noticed personally but I didn’t know if I was just making something up in my brain lol. even after I’m off my period, the first week is still pretty rough anxiety-wise, which sucks. But when I was on birth control it was OCD 24/7... I hope the person above finds the right kind for them! The pill completely screwed with me, but everyone’s different and I’m sure it will cause relief for some folks :-)

RaRaRa

Date posted: 16w

Menstruation and OCD

How are your experiences during an ocd spike while going through a menstruation? It doesn't matter if you are afab, your experience is valid too! I noticed my thoughts get worsened and the spike intensified, but now that I'm taking sertraline I don't feel an panic attack as before but the throughs and feelings are definitely there so is an unpleasant situation

Oceanlove325

Date posted: 11w

OCD worse than ever-life changes

I have had OCD my whole life and was diagnosed by a therapist 2 years ago. Specifically I struggle a lot with health, contamination and pure ocd. I was doing exposures and really felt like I conquered by contamination ocd. With the health ocd I have an intense fear I will have a food or medicine allergy and go into anaphylactic shock. This takes up a lot of my energy day to day. Within the past year, we bought a home, renovated and recently got married. My husband wants to start trying for a baby soon but I am not ready at all because of how much I feel like I have gone backwards with my anxiety and ocd. This spiked a lot with the stress of wedding planning. I’m scared pregnancy will spike my health/contamination ocd even more and I won’t be able to handle it. I always wanted babies but now that it’s getting closer and I know how much ocd I truly have I am so nervous I will cause myself and baby more stress than good. Does anyone have positive stories of TTC/pregnancy/PP and motherhood with ocd?

rosiemae474

Date posted: 11w

For the ladies out there- the luteal phase + pmdd

I was wondering why my ocd was so much worse and I think it’s the luteal phase. I got diagnosed with PMDD recently. For a couple cycles, the pre and during was brutal but I was put on supplements that I thought helped. Now, I think the luteal phase just started but my religious ocd is coming back at full force. It’s scary. It feels so urgent. Like I must figure out the answers to every problem because it is life and death. It’s hard to recognize it is OCD. I feel like if I don’t figure everything out, I’m sinning and disappointing God. Does anyone have advice for surviving the luteal phase?

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