- Date posted
- 4y ago
- Date posted
- 4y ago
I’m a teenager in high school with a part time job. I have depression along with ocd but I’ve been feeling good lately
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- 4y ago
Good for you for having a part time job and going to school while battling depression and OCD! That’s a success story!
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- 4y ago
@outdoorman Thank you!
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- 4y ago
I’ve had OCD for about 18 years now, always maintained a full time job and been able to support myself and get by. Recently made the difficult decision to reach out and try medication. I’ve always been told “well, your ocd can’t be that bad,” by doctors, family, etc. That’s been a huge reason for not seeking more medical help, the shame of admitting that actually I’m pretty damn miserable and have been in a constant state of distress and anxiety to varying degrees for my whole life. I think it’s easy to get wrapped up in thinking your ocd “isn’t that bad” because you’re able to maintain some normalcy in your day to day life, but I’m starting to realize I don’t want to just “get by” I wanna actually enjoy life and be free from this bullshit that is ocd.
- Date posted
- 4y ago
I relate to you a lot. Especially when you said “it’s easy to get wrapped up in thinking your OCD isn’t that bad” I also am willing to do whatever it takes to just enjoy life and be free from the OCD, that’s why I’m hitting the ACT, ERP and eating healthy religiously. I was on medication for maybe 2 months? I saw a little improvement, but had more side effects then good. Maybe I didn’t give it enough time? But I’m not against medication at all. It wouldn’t bother me to try it again. What field of work are you in? Does it cause you a lot of stress? You don’t have to answer if you want to stay more private. I’m just getting ideas about what jobs aren’t as stressful. I run a business currently and it’s not as stressful as when I worked for someone else, which is surprising lol.
- Date posted
- 4y ago
@outdoorman I really need to give the ERP route a more focused effort as well. That’s always been on me, I know it can help but it’s always been terrifying to take that leap. I’m hoping that a mix of meds, erp and the new doctor I have will be a step in the right direction. Honestly my work doesn’t cause me much stress at all, I also run a business with a few other people as well and I agree, the stress is less now than when I was working for people. Sometimes I obsess about that too, here I am with a job that doesn’t cause me stress and all I do is find ways to feel stressed and anxious. What a twisted cycle haha
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- 4y ago
Honestly hard, its hard on me where I work at a little retail store and I'm scared to get a bigger job
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- 4y ago
Are the customers rude or annoying? Does it trigger a lot of stress for you?
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- 4y ago
@outdoorman No no I just over think
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- 4y ago
I’m unemployed and recently graduated from graduate school with my masters. I’m looking for work (hopefully remote due to covid) but now just living at home with my parents and brother. When my OCD onset first started it was basically impossible for me to do any work. I had to even completely skip a paper because I was at such a elevated state of fear that I couldn’t focus on anything else. As time went by and started doing therapy, I noticed that once I was involved in my work I wouldn’t even think about my OCD and the thoughts would be at bay until I finished so I liked that! I also briefly worked retail (like a week or less) and while I was at work I was completely fine mentally, no intrusive thoughts or fear of them whatsoever, and as soon as I clocked out and walked out the building they would start showing up lol
- Date posted
- 4y ago
Hello! I’m a self-employed residential cleaner. It’s rough, tbh. I worry about contaminating others, being dishonest, and imperfection, and confront those issues at work several times a day. I’ve had other jobs and have struggled similarly with those. It’s good to know much of the problem lies internally and not externally—at least gives me a direction to fight in ?
- Date posted
- 4y ago
I’m a designer and have been for about 15 years. I’ve always had OCD, but I’ve also always maintained a job. Before doing ERP each day was just a matter of survival, I had little joy and happiness. My job is detail-oriented, so I’ve found if I can get my concentration into a project, working is usually helpful. Sometimes that’s impossible though.
- Date posted
- 4y ago
That’s awesome! And a fitting name for your app ID. Also sounds like you put any residual OC tendencies to work for, rather than against you in that position. I’ve felt so lucky that throughout Covid and quarantines we’ve had our pup with us to keep us going outside (while respecting safe distances, etc.). If it weren’t for allergic reactions to bug bites I’d just stay outside all day and night. Thanks for sharing an inspiring story!
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- 4y ago
I almost got a job before Covid hit and closed the art gallery where I was going to teach, so now I’m just making masks and looking out for things to open up. OCD doesn’t usually hurt me when I have worked, but it was terrible for school.
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- 4y ago
I was lucky to not have OCD during my school years. I consider that a blessing. I can only imagine how hard that was for you during school. Probably hard to concentrate and take tests.
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- 4y ago
@outdoorman I also have ADD and other issues. Getting my bachelors degree took over 15 years, including the breaks. But I did it!
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- 4y ago
I feel that. Ocd hasn’t really been a major issue with work, but when I was in school it destroyed me, I think it had a lot to do with being younger and totally unaware of what I was going through, and it manifested in a lot of social anxiety on top of the compulsive behaviour
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- 4y ago
@outdoorman what about you? If you wanna share.
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- 4y ago
I own a lawn and landscaping business. I actually went to school for horticulture so I’m pretty good with designing different landscapes and hardscapes for clients. I use to work for a big transport company which I hated because of deadlines and crappy management. I’m a lot happier now! I love being outside and meeting new people!
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- 4y ago
@outdoorman That’s great! I like being outdoors. I thought about cutting back on housecleaning to work at a plant nursery.
Related posts
- Date posted
- 15w ago
whats up guys what are some tips dealing with ocd and what to do when a thought makes u anxious ??
- Date posted
- 14w ago
Hi, I’m new here!! I’m praying I don’t get judged for this. But, back in late May of 2022 ( literally right before I graduated high school), I added this one random girl from my school on Snapchat. She posted something about a graduation party , so I swiped up on her story basically saying how I can’t believe we’re almost graduated. She replied and we had a really short and simple conversation. The next day ( i believe) , we started talking a lot , and I just so happened to see her at the highschool when we were grabbing our graduation outfits and doing the rehearsal. When I saw her irl, I kinda got turned off ( I heard she was kinda crazy) , and on top of that , she was a little ugly irl. I remember seeing her Snapchat bio , and she was close friends with my female cousin ( a year younger than me) , who I happened to experiment sexually with when I was 10-11 years old. I remember going to work later that day and having sort of a lightbulb flick thought ( it wasn’t a good thought though) , what if my cousin told her about what happened when we were younger? So I started to kind of panic and immediately distanced myself from that girl. I also experimented sexually with one of my female friends when I was 10-11 , and from that day onwards, I’ve been pretty much living in paranoia and a little bit of guilt about someone finding out and my life being ruined . On top of that, It’s gotten worse to now sometimes I wonder if a girl I added off of quick add ( Snapchat) is underage even if they told me they were 18+ or had 18 and above in their bio, and I get so much guilt and anxiety about that. I even had a quick thought last February on what if I did something inappropriate with my younger cousin when I was 15-16 but I just can’t exactly remember when it happened , and it still eats me alive when I think about it, because I don’t know if it happened or not. I’m sorry for the long vent, I just wish I felt normal again. No matter how much I try to do things that old me used to do, life always feels “ off”. I always kept the top part about when I was younger a secret up until early (ish ) 2024, then I vented to one of my best friends and he told me that that’s a normal thing to do at a young age. Since then, I have told multiple friends and they all say they did similar stuff, but my brain just can’t accept that. Please help me, I quite literally overthink everything nowadays. 2021 was the last full year that I felt normal ( coincidentally, the best year of my life so far) . It’s not just about sexual related things either, sometimes I’ll wonder if I messed up something at work or hit a car while driving/hit someone and drove off. I just wanna live my life how I was supposed to live it after highschool ( carefree and happy) before whatever it is ( I think it’s ocd) hit me unexpectedly. Thanks to anyone who read this , I just needed to pour it out regardless of how negative I felt typing this, I hope someone can relate , because I feel so alone in my head at times.
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 12w ago
Hi everyone, I’m Cayla. I’m a mom that’s lived with OCD since childhood, but my breaking point came more recently after having my son. I was consumed by terrifying thoughts—What if I hurt him? What if I did something awful without realizing it? I was so afraid of my own mind that I couldn’t be alone with him. The shame and exhaustion were unbearable, and I convinced myself I was broken. In 2024, I finally sought help. ERP therapy at NOCD was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but it saved my life. Even now, I have tough days, but I know I don’t have to be ruled by OCD. When my 12 year old daughter began showing signs of OCD, I felt overwhelmed with guilt. I never wanted her to go through what I had, but I knew what to do. I told her that I have OCD too and made sure she knew it wasn’t her fault—and that she wasn’t alone. One of the hardest parts of this journey was trusting someone else with my daughter’s OCD. I knew how vulnerable it feels to share intrusive thoughts, and I wanted her to feel safe. Her NOCD therapist was able to establish trust and genuine empathy from the start, and that relationship gave her the confidence to face ERP head-on. Seeing her build that trust made me certain she was in the right hands. ERP has helped both of us reclaim our lives, and it is beautiful to see my daughter managing her condition and making visible progress. Parenting with OCD while raising a child with OCD isn’t talked about enough, but I know so many parents are struggling with these same challenges. If you have questions about managing OCD while parenting, helping your child through ERP, or breaking cycles of guilt, drop them below—I’d love to share what I’ve learned. I’ll be answering all of the questions I receive in real-time today 4-5pm ET.
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