Do any of you think they are traumatised besides OCD, or their OCD is part of a trauma, or have been diagnosed with PTSD?

Since my severe OCD returned two years ago (and still going), I have noticed alot of traumatic flashbacks of horrible panic attacks and OCD related problems, it happens to me quite often, seems like it could be PTSD due to OCD.

From what i've gathered, many studies have solidified a link between OCD and childhood trauma. I read a theory that was proposed by psychologist, Stanley Rachman, he suggests that people are more likely to experience OCD symptoms when they are exposed to stressful and traumatic situations. The theory also suggests that these thoughts are triggered by external cues. And when it comes to compulsions, he believed that they occur when a person believes they have a responsibility to prevent unwanted events. Now, in the case of childhood trauma, a person might respond with compulsions that they believe will prevent these events.

I am literally amazed more therapists are not making this link. It’s really fucking annoying me. The more I read about this, the more an interplay of trauma and obsessive thoughts occur. The traumas may not be big T (my abuse on its own did not cause major problems until I had other problems). I had an issue similar to deputy dean where as a late teen in college I got into a few fights over some bullshit with a girl, lost, looked a twat and was remedially treated like one by everyone. I bounced back but then failed resits part way through uni. That’s when my first obsessions started. We’d always had funny parents me and my brothers too in how they brought us up. All this surmounts to having a brain that, according to the experience in its data banks, sees the world as inherently unsafe in many regards. So when stress occurs or something happens that relates to past traumas, the brain kicks into overdrive. I have no doubt that my brain could do this again. Unless I can get all this trauma resolved. I know they say traditional psychotherapy has no place. But I’m starting to think it does alongside ERP and CBT. Trauma. For individual people drives this shit, no doubt! Everyone here has dealt with some major fucked up shit. Maybe our brains are not broken, they are just responding to the data in them. That data being life experiences.

Hey AhmedH, I read a book about trauma at the moment and I find myself in so many descriptions. But then I think how can I have these violent thoughts, when trauma is about having experienced violence or abandonment (which I had as a child)?

My OCD is the cause of my trauma

My OCD theme started after I found out my brother was abused. I was abused as well so there’s some trauma from that. I’ve been looking into some theories on OCD, this article interested me http://hope4ocd.com/neurobiology.php

My therapist seems to think I might have some trauma but​ nothing major like serious abuse or anything. Just a combo family stuff and a bit of bullying. I also think my mental and physical health problems including OCD have been a bit traumatic, too.

I think my mother passed on her own childhood trauma from WWII on to me, binding me in a far too close and unhealthy relationship, and there were some events from my father as well

I have a diagnosis of OCD and PTSD. My OCD started prior to PTSD. But became more severe after trauma.

My OCD has certainly come from childhood trauma. My father died when I was really young. I still remember that day. Then my mom moved us to a completely different town, where I struggled to find friends, be accepted and I was later on brutally bullied. At first I would just freak out about germs, my socks being even, blinking my eyes a certain way and touching myself in a certain and even way. Later, when I was bullied, was when I started to get HOCD and POCD. I was ridiculed by my entire school on the basis of an untrue rumour that I was gay. I had no idea what was going on with me, so of course I went through a period of extreme depression and even tried out to live my intrusive HOCD thoughts to see what it's like and if I'd like it. That eventually messed me up. A therapist told me that that's why in those cases you should not "test"anything bc it ends up confusing you. Now, I know my hardwired sexuality is being straight bc I always liked girls as far back as I can remember. I remember being 9 and a girl had me touch meet thigh and kissed me. That was the first time I got an erection for a girl. However, my HOCD and POCD have messed me up and keep bringing up the events that contradict this. :(

So, certainly I have PTSD. I can't even go to a funeral without having a panic attack. I even had a panic attack when I set out to go to the town I lived in back then. Horrible

Whether or not I do actually have trauma I do agree that my brain is reacting to the data it has. That plus a predisposition for it since my sister has OCD too plus my mom at least shows symptoms. My grandma had lots of anxiety and likely PTSD from WWII experiences, too. And her dad PTSD from WWI and my great great grandmother had mental illness too. I hope it stops with my generation and my niece and nephews are without major mental health issues