Does anyone here have a tendency to fixate particularly on something or someone to the point where it overtakes your entire life? I feel like I can’t live my own life because I’m so invested in the life of someone else. (She is a celebrity.) I just can’t do this anymore. I’ve never heard of anyone having this to the degree and intensity that I do and I feel so alone...

I’m sorry that you’ve experienced that :( I have a good support system but I guess I’m still a little afraid of telling my therapist the full extent of my obsession because I feel so weird for obsessing over her so much?

I have been going through the same thing when people are saying that the celebrity I’m focused on is hot! I feel so jealous and so bad about myself because I just want to be them and be with them so much. It’s comforting to know someone else understands; I’m sorry you had to go through that though.?I just don’t know what type of ERP I could do to help this type of situation. If you have any ideas from your experience or whatever I would love to hear more about them. Thanks so much and I wish you all the best too???

@lifeofm Aww I’m so sorry you’re going through this! I know how all consuming it feels! Thank you so much! I’ve never heard anyone else mention they went through the same thing so i appreciate you sharing your story! Oh I totally get that! ERP can be hard to do on your own when your OCD doesn’t fit perfectly in one of the sub groups talked about in books. I was never able to do ERP on mine back then since I just wasn’t ready for that but now looking back on it I think it would have helped a lot. Perhaps find a blank ERP hierarchy sheet on google and try to fill that out first with things like - a triggering event- such as hearing the celebrity’s name and then labeling how anxious the trigger makes you and then writing down the associated “mental compulsion” that pairs with the triggering event and occurs after the triggering event- so like the need to look up pictures or articles of them or go on their Twitter, etc. Then once your hierarchy is done and includes the things that make you most anxious and only a little anxious, you can try to start on the things that makes you less anxious so perhaps for example with hearing their name- resist the compulsion to search their name online for even only 30 minutes- then you can allow yourself to look them up and then slowly increase the time?! I hope that makes sense and might help a little bit! That’s what I would attempt to do on myself for ERP if I was still having the same thoughts I used to, but it’s easier said than done of course!! I hope I was at least a little bit helpful! I’m sure you will get more of a handle on this OCD theme, you’ve got this! Best wishes! ??

@April E. You are so sweet!!!! Thank you so much for this!! I feel really lucky to have connected with someone who understands how this feels. If you ever need anything, feel free to reach out. Thank you so much❤️ and I hope that whatever you’re going through too will get better and that you will always be able to find solace and happiness!! ??

@lifeofm Aw so are you! ? You are SO welcome! Aw same here! I’ve never heard anyone else talk about the same thing I went through! Aw thank you so much, same to you! Aw thank you so much, I appreciate that a lot! You too! ??

It’s pleasant, like almost like an addictive thing, but it becomes unpleasant when it takes over my whole life?

@lifeofm So you need to focus on the big picture to change your actions?

@NOCD Advocate - Katie I think I do, but I don’t know how to kind of break the “addiction” :(

@lifeofm One place to start might be increasing engagement in other hobbies and recreation activities, even volunteering or work. OCD often expands to fill gaps in our schedule

@NOCD Advocate - Katie That’s a good idea! I definitely try and do that, it just unfortunately takes up space in my mind oftentimes regardless of what I’m doing or how busy I am. But you’re right, it definitely gets worse when I’m completely unoccupied.