- Date posted
- 6y
- Date posted
- 6y
For me, having a quick sit down talk leads to having that comfortable and casual working in to conversations. Also letting them know that they are allowed to ask questions can help!!! Definitely being as open as possible helps. It took me a few tries to get everything out there but it was so worth it being able to have that authenticity now. It can be a struggle sharing everything. It took a few months for my partner to understand too (and it’s normal that it could take longer) I’m not telling you what you should do! Just telling you how it happened for me, it seems a lot scarier until you take those leaps in communicating. Good luck, I wish you the best
- Date posted
- 6y
I understand it's tough! I hope he's supportive though. I found out about having OCD recently and have been with my boyfriend for 6 years so had to let him know about that and bipolar recently. Fortunately he didn't make me feel bad. I kind of just told him randomly but he also knew I was struggling mentally all year just not knowing why
- Date posted
- 6y
Thank you. I think the toughest part is we’ve already been together over 4 years. He’s not a very observant person so if he was he would have noticed my compulsions by now. He noticed one time when I was obsessively turning my alarm on my phone on and off and I forget what I even said to get out of the conversation
- Date posted
- 6y
I haven’t expressed what I go through but I’ve tried many times to subtly expose my compulsions or almost talk out loud the more “normal ones” when I’m with him to try to open up the possibility for having the conversation. Another issue tho is my more “normal compulsions” like repeatedly checking to make sure the fridge is closed or the toaster is unplugged is easier for me to handle when I’m with someone else bc I tend to not believe my own eyes. I perform my compulsions more repeatedly when alone because I don’t have the reassurance of someone else also seeing the fridge is closed so I know if it’s true or not
- Date posted
- 6y
For example if we are leaving the apartment together I will say out loud “okay the fridge is closed I don’t need to check that again” in the attempts to expose my compulsion to him but it never seems to work to get him to take note of what I’m doing and begin a conversation about it
- Date posted
- 6y
My partner knows I have ocd but he doesn't really understand mental health and doesn't know what type of ocd I have. I find it quite difficult to talk about tbh and I think he finds it awkward to bring up. I wish things were different though x
- Date posted
- 6y
Thank you this is very helpful
- Date posted
- 6y
Sorry for the novel lol
- Date posted
- 6y
I also strongly fear that he will see it as a negative trait for our future as ocd has been found to have a genetic link (in terms of us having kids with OCD)
- Date posted
- 6y
Ah i see, yeah that can be tough when you two have already established a routine/dynamic. But that can always change and be worked on to accommodate your needs with ocd! That’s a fear of mine too, but ocd is something we can tackle and manage! It could help getting a peace of mind with that to start talking about this with your partner to figure it out Day by day. Have you ever expressed or hinted to him anything about what you go through with ocd?
- Date posted
- 6y
Not sure if that made sense
Related posts
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 18w
Hi all! I was wondering if anyone being treated with ROCD and/or SOOCD has some advice on how they handle the things *with* their partner. For context, my ex and I were together ~7 months before we broke up a year ago, in large part due to my severe anxiety from untreated ROCD/SOOCD. I’ve gotten a lot better through NOCD treatment and we’ve been friends since then. But we’re currently in a “situationship” kind of stage, where I think we’re both trying to figure out if the relationship is still feasible, and I’m finding that I’m a lot more triggered as the relationship nears becoming “serious” again. We’re both really trying to figure out the healthiest way to handle when things get hard for me. Does anyone have input about what they’ve learned or found what has worked in their own relationships? Some specific questions: - I’ve found that when getting really triggered in my own head, I have no clue if I should explain how I’m feeling to my partner or how we should address it together. How do you differentiate between communicating versus falling into the confessing/reassurance trap? - Related to the above, my partner and I are both a bit lost on the best way for him to respond when I’m really paranoid (for examples, I have major I’m-being-cheated-on paranoia and overanalyze if I’m enjoying sex enough), or if I’m overreacting to feeling rejected/misunderstood (e.g. “he didn’t respond to my comment just now, he doesn’t care/he doesn’t get me/maybe we shouldn’t be together…”) - How much does your partner know about ROCD/SOOCD in general? How much have you shared with them about your thoughts and experiences? I’ve explained both subtypes and some of my thought processes to him, but definitely not all of it, and I’m not sure how much is helpful for him to know. Answers to any or all of the questions are very much appreciated. Thanks so much in advance! Hope you’re all well 💗
- Date posted
- 15w
Hi all, I would really appreciate some advice on how you told a loved one about having ocd, specifically a significant other. I’ve been with mine for over 5 years, and I just had a recent diagnosis of OCD. To be honest, with the subtype I have, it’s really crippling to deal with, and I have a major worry of my partner not understanding the subtype. I would love to get some advice on how to best approach it and how to provide understanding that I’m still the same person. Thanks!
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 11w
I have been in ERP therapy for my OCD for nearly a year now. Before my diagnosis and doing ERP, I really didn't drive a car for five years and rarely left the house. Now I drive to work, coffee and other outings. Most of the people close in my life don’t really know about my OCD. They do see me doing lots of things I haven't done in the past. I don't really know if I should explain about why this progress happened. I hope they don't think I was just being lazy up until then. They will talk about how someone is “so OCD” because they keep their room clean and really enjoy things neat. Anytime I hear this, I just think that if they hear about my diagnosis of OCD and what it entails they will think I’m crazy. I feel very conflicted about how to go about this, so advice is welcome.
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