any tips on how to recognize compulsions? those mental compulsions lists you can find on the internet are great indicators for sure but they're kinda too vague in my opinion. like what does "mental rumination" truly look like. i don't even think that all people have the same compulsions. so im asking, is there a way to know what counts as compulsive behavior? i hope this isn't too confusing

It takes practice. Especially if it’s mostly mental. I would say when you hear your voice in your head, like you are purposely talking to yourself it’s probably a compulsion. The initial thought, “remember when you did xyz....” or, “omg, that looks like a knife or a kid” or whatever the initial thought may be, that’s the obsession. What you do with that thought is the compulsion. Some keys I’ve identified when it comes to rumination as a compulsion vs. just depressive rumination is I’m always replaying it to see “how bad it was” or to figure out “what really happened” and it feels like.... like an itch I can’t ever fully stratch. And the more I scratch the more it spreads until my whole body itches (figuratively, of course). Also, I want to think about it REALLY BAD. I will walk away from what I’m doing to “figure it out” and I will replay be confessing to various people in my head to get their reaction. So I’ve learned to notice what my compulsions are but it’s hard. It takes practice.

Write* and for the future, when you are ready, how you combat that is to just keep doing homework. It’s hard, but it works. Take deep breaths and continue. And you’ll feel a “turning point” where the itch is gone and you can breathe again and you know you made it through!

the ocd stories podcast has an episode on “rumination is a compulsion” it’s ep #252 and it has helped me a lot!!

A compulsion is anything that you do in an attempt to get rid of your anxiety or “bad feeling”