question ; can ocd go away on its own (like without therapy)? i'm aware it's considered to be a chronic disorder, but what i mean is, is it possible that it can go away for a year or so and then come back at certain times (ex; when you're stressed). also just wanted to say, i've never been diagnosed! i know it's best to see a professional but i haven't been able to yet:) i've had anxiety my whole life so it could just be that i had bad intrusive thoughts with my anxiety (which is a bit different than ocd). thank u!

thank u!

oh sorry i should've said that i didn't do therapy or medication! but i do mindfulness & meditation. i also educated myself on what intrusive thoughts are (i used to think i was a bad person before)

i've also only had 2 "obsessions" or themes, however i'm not sure if this is just intrusive thoughts revolving around my anxiety or ocd, i'm not sure how to speciate

@coucou Having 2 themes isn’t an issue. Some have 1 some have 4. What does that change?

@Justmesadly i wasnt saying it was an issue, i was just explaining that i've had 2 themes! :) i wasn't sure if this only had to do with ocd or not. sorry for confusion!

@coucou I know, I thought you were trying to take away from the ocd bc you only have 2 themes so I’m saying you’re allowed to be struggling equally as anyone else

@Justmesadly ohh okay, miscommunication lol. thanks!!<3

anxiety is centred around having the thought, the thought feels unacceptable, worrying, often not correlating with our true desires (that's why it's worrying). Intrusive thoughts aren't that constant, and you also don't do compulsions for them.

@Daria Alexandrovna I’m confused. So the compulsions is what makes it different from ocd?

@Anonymousss Yes, and the fact that those thoughts are usually non stop and debilitating. Normal intrusive thoughts don't make person go through such a struggle

@Daria Alexandrovna Isn’t that just pure o? Thoughts with mental compulsions rather than physical?

@Daria Alexandrovna i've heard that with anxiety you also ruminate, but it's not as constant as ocd. not sure if this is correct, i've just heard from a few people!

@coucou I haven’t been diagnosed. I don’t seem to have much compulsions and the few compulsions I do have I can easiily not do them. and I do tend to ruminate but that only ends up making me worse instead of better. The ruminating is also not constant

@Anonymousss this is me as well! except i've had anxiety my whole life (starting with separation anxiety as a kid). i'm not able to get a diagnosis rn but some of the tools on this app help me - hence why i have it. i don't do compulsions but i do ruminate, however ive heard that this is anxiety as well as ocd, it's just with ocd it's more constant. it used to be a lot worse until i learned about intrusive thoughts and how everyone gets them! i still ruminate a bit but i just stop myself now

@coucou Me too. But I worry 247 like non stop I cannot stop worrying with or without anxiety

@Anonymousss hmm, i'm not a professional but i know that ocd can be deabilitating. if it's interfering with your life then it could be ocd, but a ocd specialist would be able to tell you for sure. if it's anxiety but not anxiety about intrusive thoughts, just anxiety in general, then it may just be anxiety and not ocd

@coucou It does interfere with my life, I should probably see a psychologist

@Anonymousss i would suggest seeing a psychiatrist then:) one that specializes in ocd! cause even if it's anxiety and not ocd they'd be able to speciate which one, but if you just go to a regular psychiatrist who doesn't specialize in ocd then they may not be able to say if it's ocd

@coucou I would assume any psychiatrist should be familiar with ocd?

@Anonymousss unfortunately, a lot of psychiatrists and therapists aren't the most educated on ocd:/

@coucou Yes, I went to one lady, she listened to me for 15 min, misunderstood everything and told me I was just anxious.

@Daria Alexandrovna i'm sorry:( but hopefully u went to someone else that could give u a proper diagnosis?

@coucou no bc this one was free...

@Daria Alexandrovna oh i see:/ hopefully you'll be able to get a proper diagnosis!<3

@coucou I'm not sure I'm going to go to somebody near time bc I am afraid

@Daria Alexandrovna if you go to an ocd specialist (if ur able to), i can promise that they won't judge you. they've heard it all. sending love!

@coucou thank you..

@coucou love to you too