So the fact that i haven’t been officially diagnosed kind of makes my ocd worse. I’ve kind of become positive that I have it. Thinking back now, I can think of a few rituals I did as a child that could be seen as warning signs for OCD, but the debilitating stuff happened about 5 months ago in October. I saw a therapist for about a month and a half but she never gave me an official diagnosis and even though I asked, she just said it hasn’t been long enough to tell. It seemed like she wasn’t helping at all and wasn’t doing anything for me I couldn’t hear off of a forum such as this or an informative YouTube video so I quit going. I had problems this entire time but just this past week it has spiked up to the severity it was when it first started and is once again making me desperate for help! I think I want meds this time so I want to go to my regular doctor and ask. I guess my general question is how should I go about seeking help and can I say I have OCD even if it wasn’t officially told to me? This week has been very debilitating and the fact that I’ve been suffering for 5 months makes me believe this isn’t going to just go away.

Call a few cognitive psychologists in your area and ask what kind if experience they have dealing with OCD and ERP therapy. Someone who has a background in it or a lot of experience with it will be able to tell you definitively. The more they’ve dealt with it before, the better equipped they’ll be to help you if you wind up being diagnosed.

I would recommend meeting with a psychiatrist, because their main role (at least where I’m from) is to diagnose and also prescribe meds. While a family doctor can prescribe meds, a lot of them don’t have the same knowledge of mental health as a psychiatrist. Most therapists aren’t able to prescribe meds and as far as I know some don’t even provide official diagnoses. I had a 40 min meeting with a psychiatrist for the first time, and she was able to diagnose me just from that. They do it every day and know the DSM-V front to back, so if you’re just looking for a diagnosis and meds at this point I think that would probably be your best bet. I hope this helps!:)

Unfortunately it may take some time before you find the right therapist (I tried several over the years), but when you do its so worth the search. You can do this! ?

I’m so nervous to go to therapy because it was such a waste of money last time but I know if this doesn’t subside I’ll have no choice! If i don’t have ocd then what could I possibly have? Just repetitive thoughts? That’ll mean I’m such a toxic person for what I’m doing to my boyfriend through compulsively confessing every ROCD thought. Honestly there’s no way I don’t have some kind of mental disorder the way my life has been affected.

I’d still try and find an ocd specialist, it’s definitely worth it. I understand your hesitation but really believe it is the best way to get help. Let me know if you have any specific questions regarding treatment or anything, happy to help!

One bad experience with a therapist doesn’t mean you’ll always have bad experiences. You just have to find someone that is a better fit. I agree with what was suggested above. Good luck!