Does anyone have any advice for what to do when OCD symptoms are not prevalent? I am coming out of a week of pretty intense ROCD/HOCD thoughts coupled with some severe depression just yesterday morning. I persisted through it all and now I finally feel at ease and clear minded. These reprieves usually come after a strong OCD cycle. I feel almost completely normal and when I think about how much time I spent anxious and ruminating it finally feels foreign. I truly cherish these periods and typically just enjoy them while attempting to not think about my OCD for as long as possible. Is there anything I should be doing during this time to prepare/educate myself in anticipation for the next inevitable cycle of OCD? Does anyone have any tips they can share of what they do to make the most of their limited time free of symptoms? I appreciate anyone taking the time to read this post and respond.

Waaahmo

Date posted: 4y ago

I'd say just enjoy it! But you can also make a memo for your future outbursts, and say that it will pass and you will feel normal like you feel right now again eventually. Or write down rules to remember, skills to use, things like that, so when you feel bad next time you can trust in something you wrote with a clear mind.

DreamEvolution

Date posted: 4y ago

I love this! I will definitely write some inspiring messages for myself to reflect on. Preemptive planning for my future self! Thanks for the suggestion!

Cassandragoth

Date posted: 4y ago

I haven’t had any symptoms for awhile. I wish I would’ve started this earlier, but I’m taking a lot of time to work on my relationship with myself instead of focusing on relationships with others. I do yoga every single day, bike for 30 minutes, meditate, take baths if I’m feeling it, and I’ve gotten myself on a strict bedtime of 10 pm on weeknights so that I can get 8 hours. I think sleep has been the most significant help because not having enough sleep makes yoga, meditation, working out, and eating healthy harder. I didn’t realize that doing all of this would be so helpful until I did it. It makes me feel much more at peace with the possibility of symptoms coming back because I remember just to shift my focus to my breath and it helps me remember my thoughts are just thoughts.

DreamEvolution

Date posted: 4y ago

I'm so happy to hear you have been free of symptoms for some time! I spend so much time focusing on my relationships with others when I'm in the thick of it (ROCD is one of my main themes) that these methods of self love you're describing don't even cross my mind. I have tried all of these activities to varying success over the past year but haven't stuck with them. Establishing a healthy routine like you are suggesting would help ensure I can stick with my self love even when I feel consumed by ruminations. Thank you so much for the suggestions!

Faye June

Date posted: 4y ago

This is very common with many OCD themes. I heard someone compare it to a wash cycle in a washing machine, you’re down for a while and really in the depths of it, and then you fly upwards and it’s like your heads above water and everything’s clear and then BOOM, you’re back down under. These may feel great, but it’s important to remember that you’re not tackling the issue at hand... you’re just letting the cycle perpetuate. Try and get hold of an ERP therapist, or if that’s definitely not an option - trying the self-administer option on this app after doing research on ERP is your gateway to recovery. Sending you my best wishes!

DreamEvolution

Date posted: 4y ago

I have heard that analogy as well, it perfectly describes the cycle of OCD. I did 3 sessions with a therapy through NOCD, and on the 3rd session my therapist informed me she would no longer be working with NOCD. I was in-between wash cycles at the time and feeling pretty good about my progress so I chose to take what I had learned from her and proceed without further sessions with a new therapist. I have since been laid off due to COVID and having complications with my unemployment so money is very tight. Once I have income again I plan to start with another therapist and do some exposures. It feels great now to have this clarity and surety of self but I know all too well how temporary it can be. In the meantime I will look into the self administer option through the app. Thank you for your words and keeping me on track!

DreamEvolution

Date posted: 4y ago

Best wishes to you as well!

Faye June

Date posted: 4y ago

@DreamEvolution I’m sorry you’ve been messed around so much... I really hope the money situation improves! Having to break the bank to escape what’s going on inside your head is definitely... something. If you do enough research on ERP and are aware of the risks that you’re facing, self-administration can be equally as beneficial as working with a therapist, and plus you have had the initial ground-work set. Knowing that your time between ‘wash cycles’ (lol) is finite can be pretty crushing. The wash cycle doesn’t have to be a way of existing, you can escape it with ample amount of ERP, this has been proven by many recoverers. You don’t have to live your life waiting for the next punch in the stomach! Sending you my best, best wishes! I hope you beat this beast soon!

Faye June

Date posted: 4y ago

@Ellie (Just realised I said best wishes twice... the more the better I guess lol 🤷🏻‍♀️)

DreamEvolution

Date posted: 4y ago

@Ellie I really appreciate it! My girlfriend is working so we have some stability in income. I did quite a lot of research into ERP before signing up for my first sessions with NOCD. I have also read some of the book Brain Lock as suggested by my therapist and written extensive notes from the parts that I have read so by this stage I'd say I have a solid grasp of OCD, how it works, and what needs to be done to combat it. Yet while all this info is great it does me little good when I'm in the throes of another wash cycle. That's why utilizing this time of clarity for more than just enjoyment seems so important! I love you analogy of waiting for the next punch in the stomach. Thank you again for pointing me towards recovery from this point of understanding I find myself at. It's nice to be aware of the cycles of OCD and how it affects me. It would be even more nice to eventually beat this thing! There can never be too many best wishes! Best, best wishes to you on your journey! And more best wishes to everyone out there struggling who stumbled upon this thread!

Ellen_l

Date posted: 15w ago

Advice?

I’m having a big OCD relapse and would like to hear anyone’s tips on how to be present and healthily deal with these intrusive thoughts and the “need” to preform compulsions. Thank you!!

Sunshine08

Date posted: 13w ago

Some coping strategies?

Anyone have any good coping strategies when they have an ocd flare up or attack?

Beevs

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 11w ago

My Journey With ROCD

Looking back, my introverted nature and struggles to find belonging in high school may have set the stage for how OCD would later impact my relationships. I had my first relationship in high school, but OCD wasn’t a major factor then. It wasn’t until my longest relationship—six years from age 18 to 24—that OCD really took hold. The relationship itself wasn’t the issue; it was what happened after. When it ended, I became obsessed with confessing past mistakes, convinced I had to be completely transparent. Even when my partner was willing to work past them, I couldn’t let go of the intrusive thoughts, and that obsession landed me in the hospital. From there, my struggle with ROCD (Relationship OCD) fully emerged. For years, every time I tried to move forward in dating, doubts consumed me. I would start seeing someone and feel fine, but then the questions would creep in: Do I really like her? Do I find her attractive? Is she getting on my nerves? What if I’m with the wrong person? I’d break things off, thinking I was following my true feelings. But then I’d question: Was that really how I felt, or was it just OCD? I tried again and again, each time hoping I could “withstand it this time,” only to fall back into the same cycle. The back and forth hurt both me and the person I was with. By the time I realized it was ROCD, the damage had been done, and I still hadn’t built the tools to manage it. Now, at 28, I know I need to approach dating differently. I recently talked to someone from a dating app, and my OCD still showed up—questioning my every move, making me doubt my own decisions. I haven’t yet done ERP specifically for ROCD, but I know that’s my next step. Just like I’ve learned tools for managing my other OCD subtypes, I need a set of strategies for when intrusive doubts hit in relationships. My goal this year is to stop letting uncertainty control me—to learn how to sit with doubt instead of trying to “figure it out.” I want to break the cycle and be able to build something healthy without my OCD sabotaging it. I know I’m not alone in this, and I know healing is possible. I’m hopeful that working with a therapist will help me develop exposures and thought loops to practice. I don’t expect to eliminate doubt entirely—after all, doubt is a part of every relationship—but I want to reach a place where it doesn’t paralyze me. Where I can move forward without constantly questioning whether I should. And where I can be in a relationship without feeling like OCD is pulling the strings. I would appreciate hearing about your experiences with ROCD. Please share your thoughts or any questions in the comments below. I’d love to connect and offer my perspective. Thanks!

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