Is it just me or does anyone else experience feeling disassociated and as if they’re actually loosing their mind or going crazy due to their Harm OCD, etc. The constant intrusive thoughts, followed by either reassurance that you are not your thoughts and/or do not want to act on your thoughts, etc. Lastly, does trying to ignore them and not act on self reassurance, changing of thought patterns, etc. Does that make you feel as if you’re going to or could loose control? Is this my OCD that I am dealing with in conjunction with severe anxiety? Or am I dealing with something else? Please help with any feedback that could be constructive. This has become both debilitating and handicapping for me. Thanks in advance!

Hi there, I’m sorry to hear you’re going through this trouble. Please know it is not uncommon, and whatever diagnosis it is, it is just a medical condition and not a reflection you. Disassociation or depersonalization is a symptom of anxiety. I’ve experienced it throughout my life and I understand how frightening the experience can be. While OCD is not considered an anxiety disorder anymore by the DSM-5, anxiety is still a major catalyst in the OCD cycle. Giving yourself reassurance that your intrusive thinking is untrue is also a major source of your OCD cycle. While it’s important to understand that you are not your thoughts, it’s critical you don’t repeat these truths to yourself each time an intrusive thought occurs. It may happen involuntarily, but the most effective response to OCD is no response at all. The goal is to allow the anxiety that the intrusive thoughts bring to subside on its own. The feeling of “going crazy” is also just a side effect of the anxiety OCD has invented for you. The feeling that you’re going to “lose control” is a common and false feeling that OCD uses to keep you afraid of the thoughts. This is also important to respond to with no response. Your OCD may convince you that this is a risk, but you must train your mind to accept this risk until it recognizes that it is just a thought. As far as if you’re dealing with severe anxiety, it is possible you’re experiencing a combordity of mental health conditions. It’s more common than not for OCD individuals to meet the criteria for Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Major Depessive Disorder, ADHD, etc. The best way to rule this out is to be evaluated by a mental health professional. If you are dealing with multiple conditions, they will likely need to be treated separately. I’ve been diagnosed with GAD in addition to OCD. My NOCD specialist recommended seeing a specialist outside of her to combat my GAD, as it can interfere with the treatment of OCD. In terms of disassociation, the most effective treatment is the same as OCD- the best response is no response. When I’ve experienced high levels of dissociation, the most effective way out was through it. You can control when it happens, but you can control how you respond to it. When I allowed the feeling to occur without attempting to figure it out or ignore it, it would subside faster than when I gave it attention. This doesn’t mean it’s easy or any less uncomfortable, but it did allow me to build a tolerance for it. It also occurred less over time, and now I’m able to diffuse it before it comes on. It may feel like you’re going “crazy,” but you are not, it is just a feeling attached to the fear of going crazy. If it’s impairing your functioning, I would recommend looking into an SSRI as a tool if you’re open to using standard medicine. I wasn’t for most of my life until earlier this year, and it’s made a world of difference for me in terms of overcoming my OCD and general anxiety. I had wished I hadn’t waited until being in my 20’s to reach out for help. I hope this could be of some help and you’re able to experience relief soon. :)

@plathocd Thank you so very much for taking the time to address all of the above and provide me with all of that information, etc. It is greatly appreciated; so much that I’ve screenshot it as a reference for the future if/when needed (although I should not be doing so because that is a form of self reassurance, etc.). However, your response is highly informative in general, thanks again :)