Existential Anxiety Anyone else question their life’s purpose or wonder if there is an afterlife. I have been obsessing over the idea that we are mortal and it’s stressing me out. I want to live in the moment and enjoy my life, but I can’t stop obsessing over these thoughts. Can anyone relate? What helps?

Religion & Spirituality OCD

DefeatingThis!

Date posted: 4y ago

I’ve been there . It’s a question many of us ask especially those of us that battle with OCD, and it grips our minds at times. One thing that I learned to do is let it go and trust God. I’m a Christian , so in regard to my belief system I had to learn to be okay with placing my faith in Jesus and leaving it there. In regard to specific ERP around this topic , maybe one of the NOCD advocates can give a better answer. Hope this helped a little.

Kuan462

Date posted: 4y ago

Thank you, it helps to know I’m not alone. I have been researching religion a little bit more, I’m pretty spiritual, but with a busy life with kids and the pandemic it’s been hard to feel connected to those things. I have one parent who’s Jewish and one who is Christian, neither especially religious. Maybe a good time to look into those religions and see if anything clicks for me.

Aylagoose55

Date posted: 4y ago

@Kuan462 Thats a good idea guided meditation helps me sometimes

Aylagoose55

Date posted: 4y ago

I have the same problem I understand your pain its awful thinking about the future and that someday we are going to die I hope we both can live in the moment someday and I know that day will come

Kuan462

Date posted: 4y ago

I hope that for us too, I think the pandemic triggered this distorted thinking for me. It’s hard to feel connected to the world when you are so isolated! (Right now in my area it’s rough)

Carl Cornett

Date posted: 4y ago

Sure. I mean, entire religious doctrines and schools of philosophy have been dedicated to that very question. There’s nothing out of the ordinary about having them, but it’s just what your OCD attaches to. I’d caution trying to research the subject to arrive at some “answer”, because there can’t really ever be a 100% guaranteed conclusion one way or the other. Me, personally, I’m fairly confident there is no afterlife nor deity of any sort. However, that’s a conclusion I’ve made based on the evidence and not something I can “know” for sure. Researching a religion or ideology to try and figure it out with certainty is a compulsion.

Kuan462

Date posted: 4y ago

Thanks for clarifying that for me. I do think I sometimes get lost in my OCD and don’t realize that maybe these thoughts are intrusive and the drive to find answers are compulsions. My intrusive thoughts prior to this were never of this nature, so this is new for me - and super unpleasant! I’m hoping to be able to label the thoughts as intrusive and try not to give in to the compulsion of delving deeper into them

Carl Cornett

Date posted: 4y ago

@Kuan462 If it feels urgent, if you can’t let it go, if you feel the need to seek answers or research, if you feel distress that you can’t know...it’s probably OCD driving it.

Kuan462

Date posted: 4y ago

@NOCD Advocate - Carl Cornett That’s exactly how it feels, the thoughts cause me to cry and feel emotional, then I’m googling spirituality and trying to find answers, it ruins my mood and hinders my happiness .. makes it hard to be present with my kids which is the worse part. Labeling this as a function of my OCD helps already

Carl Cornett

Date posted: 4y ago

@Kuan462 This is why mindfulness is such a great tool. It helps you examine something accurately. Not the content of a particular thought or going down the rabbit hole, but seeing it for what it truly is. “Ah, I’m distracted. I’m feeling urgency. I’m fearful right now.” And practicing letting that feeling be felt rather than analyzed.

Kuan462

Date posted: 4y ago

@NOCD Advocate - Carl Cornett Wow that makes a lot of sense, thank you for the insight. This is definitely a challenging time for me; pandemic, lots of adjustments (college student), kids are home from school. Probably why it’s flaring up. I appreciate this, thanks so much

Carl Cornett

Date posted: 4y ago

@Kuan462 Any time!

sophielove

Date posted: 16w ago

What’s the point if it’s all going to end

Existential crisis pls help guys🫶 I’m finding that everything is pointless What’s the point of reaching my goals? Is God even real? Please help guys!!!!!

Jemma_Dan

Date posted: 11w ago

What should I do guys?

I’ve been feeling so disconnected lately, like I’m not even living my own life. It’s like I’m being controlled by someone else, and I have no say in what’s happening. It’s hard to put this feeling into words, but it’s like I’m here physically, but mentally, I’m just... not. Every day feels like a struggle. I wake up afraid of what’s coming next, almost like I’m bracing myself for the next bad thing to happen. Sometimes, I don’t even want to get out of bed because it feels pointless, like I’m stuck in this loop of fear and doubt. I keep questioning everything, life, my purpose, my choices, and it’s exhausting. I just want to feel like myself again, to feel like I have control, like I’m really here.

Sosa2loud

Date posted: 4w ago

Kind of Spiraling

Hi guys! I’m new to the community and I’ve recently received my OCD diagnosis (tho I’ve known about it since childhood). I’ve been somewhat spiraling lately as I wait for my first ERP session (hooray!) I was just wondering if any of you guys have received ERP for existential OCD and if it was successful? My existential OCD compulsions are more so mental and have been affecting me in the sense of dream/memory flashbacks and giving me a sort of “uncanny” feeling about everything around me. Any advice is appreciated! Thank you❤️

Be a part of the largest OCD Community

Share your thoughts so the Community can respond

Related posts

Be a part of the largest OCD Community

Be a part of the largest OCD Community