- Date posted
- 6y
- Date posted
- 6y
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.
- Date posted
- 6y
Honestly, existential OCD was my first OCD theme. I've virtually gotten rid of it. My current OCD themes are far worse.
- Date posted
- 6y
I meditate before bed it helps me fall asleep
- Date posted
- 6y
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.
- Date posted
- 6y
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
- Date posted
- 6y
Have you done the ERP exercises this app provides?
- Date posted
- 6y
My ruminating thoughts bring on panic attacks it can be extremely challenging
- Date posted
- 6y
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?
- Date posted
- 6y
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.
- Date posted
- 6y
Hey Christina! It can indeed. What kind of OCD do you have?
- Date posted
- 6y
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.
- Date posted
- 6y
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.
- Date posted
- 6y
Exactly, fear is 100% subjective.
- Date posted
- 6y
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.
- Date posted
- 6y
Also suffering with existential OCD. It’s been the worst for me, but every theme sucks.
- Date posted
- 6y
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
- Date posted
- 6y
What meds are you on Steve?
- Date posted
- 6y
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
- Date posted
- 6y
Me too.
- Date posted
- 6y
@Marco my OCD is centered around obsessing over panic attacks and my compulsion is avoidance.
- Date posted
- 6y
I have the same type and Moral. I haven't met many people with it.
- Date posted
- 6y
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.
- Date posted
- 6y
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.
Related posts
- Date posted
- 17w
There’s this one situation that I haven’t stopped thinking about from last night . So basically, I was reading 'The power of Now' which is a book that I love so much and really got me into spirituality. It’s been so helpful for my OCD and rumination but it’s also been pretty triggering for it as of late, so I’ve taken a long break from consistently reading it. The excerpt I read was about abundance and how its not about being bountiful, necessarily in material things but realizing and being grateful for the things that exist in your life now and in doing so, you will open yourself up to more good things. I understood it but I re-read it a lot because I didn't feel confident enough to explain it to someone else. but otherwise I LOVED IT. It made me feel so at peace, I agreed with it, and it gave me hope to start focusing on the good things in my life rather than the bad. So when I went to bed I rehearsed myself explaining it to someone on a podcast and then all these questions started flooding in like “why should I only focus on the good and aren't we supposed to accept the good and bad? Aren’t those the values of Buddha and spirituality” “Ya, we're supposed to accept the good and the bad but why?- so we can feel more good??? And isn't the point of OCD to not label things as good and bad? and why should I focus on the good- so I can feel good? why should I feel good? because I'm worthy of it? why am I worthy of it? because I'm a good person and do good things? well I’ve also done bad things so why shouldn't I consider that. I just don’t understand why I should feel good without it being selfish. And then this went on for like 2 or 3 hours. Like holy shit. I over explain these ideas and concepts that I resonate with to the point where they don't even make sense to me anymore. It becomes very existensial very quick. And I’m not suicidal but these questions make me feel hopeless in society for some reason?? And myself. Like if everything contradicts everything then what’s the point to life? If nothing can be understood or explained in a senseful way, then how do people move forward and make decisions, like AT ALL? There’s never a right or perfect answer and I feel like with any decision I make in regards, I’m doing a compulsion either way. If I don’t answer them, then I’m avoiding it and if I do then I’m checking and seeking reassurance. I’m sorry if this was way too long and over-explained I just need some advice or to know if anyone can relate in any way. Also, I’m sorry if some of those back-to-back questions were triggering.
- Date posted
- 15w
Been struggling with existential OCD lately. Very hard to describe the thoughts/feelings, but it is a constant feeling of being stuck in my head. Like what is consciousness and where do I think from? Like I think it’s OCD, maybe it is maybe it isn’t. But if it is, what would be good ERP exercises? Just existing (lol)? And what would be my response prevention? I’m not even sure what mental compulsions I may be doing.
- Date posted
- 13w
I have really started to take control of my compulsions and im starting to string together better days! Still not great days or even good, but they are better!!! I have controlled my outward compulsions (googling, research, reassurance, checking) the past couple of days and felt the positive impact of that. But unfortunately, I am realizing that the rumination is still constant. My sexuality and relationship are the only two things constantly on my brain, and if they aren’t I freak out and wonder why im not thinking about them! Anyone have any advice on how to deal with the rumination. Sometimes I don’t even notice im doing it, but it’s taking up 90% of my day. Once I start to tackle this I think I may make some real big progress! Hope everyone is fighting today! ❤️
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