- Date posted
- 5y
- Date posted
- 5y
this is a hard one! i struggled with it too! Exposures exposures exposures. the OCD stories podcast has a great episode on this called " existential ocd" it helped me alot..eventually i just had to say " okay so what if it isnt real "
- Date posted
- 5y
I completely forgot about existential OCD! I’ll have to check out that podcast for sure, thank you!
- Date posted
- 5y
that is exactly what you have....
- Date posted
- 5y
Thank you so much like once you said that I was like yup there it is!
- Date posted
- 5y
Perhaps there's a way you can turn those thoughts into positives or neutral ideas. I'm not sure in what scenario we could say that life definitely "means" something. So perhaps if it might not be real, that could be a motivation to take risks rather than avoiding, and live life to the fullest. I don't have existential OCD, but I do think about this topic a lot and have some mixed ideas and, of course, no answers, as it can't reasonably be solved. I find I live my life best when I think of life as a game, rather than taking it too serious. After all, none of us get out alive. Some people win, some people lose, for most of us it's a combination. It's still best to play the game now that you're here. It's an opportunity.
- Date posted
- 5y
Hey there! I’ve also been struggling with these thoughts the past few weeks! It can be pretty distressing.
- Date posted
- 5y
How have you been managing and coping? It’s really messing with me :(
- Date posted
- 5y
@Evelyn4416 And it really doesn’t help the suicidal OCD I have either ?
- Date posted
- 5y
I’ve been focusing on things that bring me joy like gardening and spending time with my dogs. I know it’s scary, but keep your head up! What I learned in ERP was to “egg on” those thoughts. For example, if I were to get thoughts like, “nothing matters” or “what’s the point” I’d simply respond with maybe there is no point or maybe nothing matters - and carrying on with what I was doing! It’s all uncertainty. I hope this makes sense?
- Date posted
- 5y
Thank you yes that makes sense, it’s all about uncertainty!
Related posts
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 24w
I used to get caught in a loop with existential thoughts very frequently. Every question made my stomach drop: (TW: existential questions) … … ... "Why does anything exist at all? What will death be like? Is anything even real? Is there any meaning to this? Is the universe infinitely big, and if not, what's beyond it? Are there multiverses? Has the universe been around forever? Will the universe end for good, or will it keep going forever? What is forever like? What even IS reality?" It would get so overwhelming that I remember lying on the floor in a fetal position for hours because I felt like there was no escape. I spent most of my days reading articles and watching videos about theoretical astrophysics and philosophy in a desperate attempt to "figure it all out." Of course that only made me more anxious, raised more questions, and kept me trapped in the cycle. Things started to improve once I learned to turn TOWARD reality, rather than away from it, and ERP really helped me do that. I learned that these questions weren't the problem. I learned that I can actually handle the anxiety that arises when exposed to these ideas and concepts. I don't have to figure anything out to make the anxiety go away; it arises and passes away on its own. Ironically, bringing myself into the present moment and becoming more aware of reality helped me escape the cycle of existential dread. Because of that, this topic no longer takes over my life. If I'm triggered by something I see, hear, or think, I may still feel a little twang of anxiety, but then it just goes away. "Maybe, maybe not" has been the single most useful phrase of my life. Do you ever get trapped in a cycle of existential questions? Are you worried that the ERP approach would be too scary to handle? If so, I'm happy to give my advice.
- Date posted
- 18w
Been struggling with existential OCD lately. Very hard to describe the thoughts/feelings, but it is a constant feeling of being stuck in my head. Like what is consciousness and where do I think from? Like I think it’s OCD, maybe it is maybe it isn’t. But if it is, what would be good ERP exercises? Just existing (lol)? And what would be my response prevention? I’m not even sure what mental compulsions I may be doing.
- Date posted
- 14w
I read about ERP and have seen information about it on here. One of the goals is to say, "maybe I am this or that...ect." That terrified me. The thoughts and images that go in my head are disturbing and upsetting. I don't want to even think about saying, "maybe this or that." It's devasting to have these thoughts and question why you're having these thoughts. Doesn't the "maybe" make it worse? The one thing that helps me is that is to remind myself that these are just thoughts and I know I'm not a monster, even if I feel like one. Is ERP not for everyone? Has anyone else had a problem with the techniques used in this kind of therapy? I had cognitive therapy for years with an OCD specialist and that seemed to help a lot. Writing out the worst case scenarios would make me suicidal. Im having a difficult time not obsessing over the "maybe" after intrusive thoughts now. It doesn't make it better.
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