I remember the exact moment someone said something that triggered an obsession for me. It was like a switch went off and I couldn't stop thinking of it since, years later. Has this happened to anyone else? Why can't my brain let go of this intrusive thought?

That sounds really similar to me. I had always known about what this person said, they were just stating a fact but until they said it I had never really focused on it. Now not one day of my life passes without it lingering in my brain. Have you found anything to distract yourself or help?

@🐝 It's good that you are exposing yourself and trying different steps to go in the right direction. You aren't your thoughts and just because you have those thoughts it doesn't mean you feel those things truly. I wish I could help more but I don't personally suffer from that type of ocd. I have contamination ocd so I have been trying to find ways to expose myself safely since diseases are my biggest trigger.

@🐝 That's exactly where I am at. I used to not worry about these things until someone mentioned how dangerous they are. All of sudden my brain went off and I haven't lived a "normal" life since. I obviously knew that people could carry diseases but until someone else brought it to my attention I never hyperfocused. I want to be able to touch public spaces and not worry someone's spit, blood or snot is on it. Today we had a worker come into our home to fix something for us and they got two small cuts while doing the maintence. Now I am freaked out about the blood in my own home because they touched their own blood and then the surfaces in my home. My home is usually my own safe space. I know the germs die off in seconds and it's been hours but my brain won't let it decifer the difference in my moment of panic.

@🐝 No. I want to do therapy so bad but everytime I go through the steps I talk myself out of it for some reason or start to feel better and think I am getting better.