How to stop rumination? I have existential OCD, a type of purely obsessive OCD, and rumination feels automatic. Has anyone tried meditation? Did it help? What did you do?

Your compulsions are the mental analysis of the thoughts themselves. I'm in the same boat, I don't particularly have any concrete triggers. My thoughts just come at random whenever my mind isn't preoccupied with something else. A good exposure would be to sit alone with your thoughts, without any distraction from real life activities. Sit with your thoughts, accept them as they are, and resist the urge to disprove them. I have the same type of OCD as you by the way, so if you ever need to talk, I'm here.

Honestly, existential OCD was my first OCD theme. I've virtually gotten rid of it. My current OCD themes are far worse.

I meditate before bed it helps me fall asleep

Hey Steve, I can't come up with good exposures for my kind of OCD. I am kind of always worrying, but things don't specifically trigger me - aside from maybe looking at the night sky or imagining a bad afterlife, but it's not very drastic. I also don't have compulsions to avoid, nothing really gives me instant relief. But I do find I ruminate on it nonstop and feel the need to research and seek reassurance, so that's what I've been trying to prevent. It seems really hard to come up ERP exposures for my kind of OCD on my own. It sucks.

Really? That's interesting, I've seen a lot of people say existential OCD is the worst and all that. I suppose the worst is whatever is making you suffer in a given moment

Have you done the ERP exercises this app provides?

My ruminating thoughts bring on panic attacks it can be extremely challenging

That's a great idea Steve, I might try meditation for a week or two and log my mood to see if it has an effect. What kind of OCD do you have?

I haven't had a panic attack since I've been on meds. They keep me relatively focused on real life. I do still struggle with OCD, but I'm working on it.

Hey Christina! It can indeed. What kind of OCD do you have?

My OCD theme changes weekly, sometimes daily. I've struggled with past-event OCD, pedophile OCD, morality OCD, responsibility OCD, and existential OCD of course.

I've been on Prozac and Wellbutrin for years. Meds help, but aren't the solution. See an OCD specialist if you want to discuss meds, not just a family doctor. They don't know any better.

Exactly, fear is 100% subjective.

Don't go to a therapist unless you know they are proficient in OCD treatment. They have to be able to do ERP. Most don't, which is why apps like these are nice.

Also suffering with existential OCD. It’s been the worst for me, but every theme sucks.

Oh Steve actually you already mentioned you have the same kind of OCD :) do you have more ideas for exposures? For me it's things like imagining reincarnating forever, thinking that I am a brain, focusing on my heart and how it could stop at any moment, looking at the stars and imagining me dying and being lost out there in the universe

What meds are you on Steve?

Do you have any tips for recovery? I'm trying to see a specialist but so far all I've had were 3 visits between 2 therapists who didn't care to do any CBT stuff. I'll keep looking

Me too.

@Marco my OCD is centered around obsessing over panic attacks and my compulsion is avoidance.

I have the same type and Moral. I haven't met many people with it.

My main obsessions are existential and about health (especially mental health right now). I also thought that existential was the worst of all, because of its vagueness and absence of specific triggers... it can be anything. In addition, it is very difficult to do exposures, and find good advices on how to do it. We should create a specific group for it.

To me, the worst of the worst regarding OCD themes is morality OCD. The thought that I'm possibly a bad person just absolutely guts me.