Hi! I need advise ASAP please. I have been making someone uncomfortable with my staring ocd. I want to have a chat with her today to explain my anxiety but also don’t want to go into ocd or staring ocd. I just want to explain that I’ve been struggling with my anxiety lately and I’m finding it really difficult to look at people in the face. Any advise on the best way to do this? I just want it to be short and sweet.

@freedomproject I’m having a similar experience atm. I work in theatre and have always worried what the actors (especially the female ones) think of me as a person. I’ve been to the pub a few times with the cast and have found recently that I can’t stop staring at some of the cast members (something which has exacerbated my POCD like crazy although this particular actor is definitely an adult). Much like your friends sister she noticeably cover her chest area with a cardigan, sat behind me in the pub and even left the theatre on another day through the backstage area (something which I assumed she did to avoid me). To be honest, even before the pub she seemed very off with me but much like with your situation she hasn’t said anything about it at least not directly to me. However if I’m being honest, even the director has been off with me and I think it may have something to do with my habit of staring which is something I appear to have in addition to POCD if indeed that’s even possible? And like you, I feel the need to confront her about it and try to explain what I think is going on and try to apologise but as the other people in this thread have said I think it may backfire so I guess I’ll have to sit with the possibility that I have made her uncomfortable without intending to and that she has told the rest of the cast and that they all secretly hate me