- Date posted
- 4y ago
- Date posted
- 4y ago
Hey Maria. First of all I know it’s hard but the fact that you’re on here is a great first step. What you want to try to do is lean into your anxious thoughts instead of analyzing them. I know it’s easier said than done and it’ll take some practice but it’s something you have to do. For example, if your OCD tells you that your SO has a big nose, you can say to yourself “wow, my SO DOES have a big nose, I don’t know if that’s a dealbreaker for me” or if they say something your OCD perceived as “dumb” you could say “wow my partner is kinda dumb, I don’t know if I could be with someone who’s dumb my whole life”. It’s scary, but you have to face your thoughts. After enough practice you start to become bored of your thoughts and they pass by more easily. I’m no expert, just some tips that I’ve been using. Here’s a helpful video: https://youtu.be/w4r0kir8COY Good luck!
- Date posted
- 4y ago
Thank you! It’s more so over analysis about the relationship on the day to day. Whether I’m doing/saying something that will make them want to leave me or if they actually want to be with me. I’ll take your advice and try to sit with the anxieties until they fade. I’ll also check out the video, I appreciate you sharing it.
- Date posted
- 4y ago
@Maria Ok, I think the concept still applies. You could say something like “oh man I said something stupid, he might leave me, that would suck” and just leave it there. The big thing with rocd is you truly don’t know, maybe he will leave you, maybe he won’t. You have to become comfortable with that uncertainty, and you do that by facing what you fear the ost over and over again and hopefully it becomes less scary over time. It takes weeks, but it works.
- Date posted
- 4y ago
I don't know your past experiences as a child and in previous relationships. So I don't KNOW that what I'm about to discuss is happening. It's just a possibility to consider if you've experienced interpersonal trauma. When people experience trauma within relationships-physical, sexual, financial, emotional- they learn to be on guard all the time for warning signs that something bad is about to happen. That's because their brain learned that to protect them, it needed to be alert to tiny shifts in people's moods, actions tone of voice, body language, etc that indicated danger. If this is the case for you, there's probably more at play here than just OCD. It may help to address the trauma symptoms and maladaptive belief schemas in addition to traditional OCD therapy strategies
- Date posted
- 4y ago
Hi Katie, thanks for your response. I appreciate your insight as that certainly may be happening—I’ll bring it up to my counselor. I don’t necessary fear response, I just overanalyze whether or not my partner wants to be with me (if I’m good enough.)
- Date posted
- 4y ago
I’m afraid*
Related posts
- Date posted
- 24w ago
Does anyone else feel like their partner would break up with them for every gross thought they have attached to ocd, so you distance yourself and now you’re overwhelmed by everything in your relationship and feel like you made the spark go away/ don’t know what to do anymore. I’m so stressed with school too I don’t know whether to take a break in the relationship to better myself to meet their needs.
- Date posted
- 20w ago
I’ve been struggling with relationship OCD and differentiating between what is an intrusive thought and what is a real doubt. I was really happy with my partner then I got one aggressive thought that I didn’t love him and this spiralled into noticing all his flaws. I struggle being around him because I feel a huge sense of guilt that these thoughts even come into my head and I cannot figure out if this is my brain lying to me or this is how I feel. It’s really impacting a relationship that is so important to me.
- Date posted
- 12w ago
I’ve just recently found out that Relationship OCD is a thing. I feel like I relate but it also feels like relationship trauma. I’m in a fairly new relationship and I keep telling myself that things are going great, we are good, he cares for me, but does he? There’s this unbelievable amount of self doubt that sits in me because of what my ex did to me many months ago. I kept getting told that I do too much, i smother, need constant reassurance, then got told that I don’t care enough, the things I do aren’t enough and that I’m not enough. I feel like I am waiting for the day that I get broken up with because of these “problems” just so I can be proven right at the fact that I should be considered unlovable. I go through this every month around my period because I get so emotional and nervous that I stress over the idea that he doesn’t like me. How does someone continue a relationship with Relationship OCD? How do I explain it?
Be a part of the largest OCD Community
Share your thoughts so the Community can respond