Has anyone had any success when dealing with a false memory within a real event. I did something and I have a false memory about that event and if that false memory actually did happy I want to confess to my partner about it. But if it’s false why would I confess to it. There’s no way to tell. So I either live with the possibility that it did happen and my partner doesn’t know about it. Or just say hey I have ocd about this thing and I don’t think it happened but I can’t remember. Option 2 sounds like the best option because this one doesn’t go away

But you found out if those ended up being true or not. I don’t think I will ever figure mine out. It’s a false memory of a detail about an event that actually did happen

@matt_ Yeah same thing with me. I was drunk with a bunch of friends and I thought I kissed someone and I worried about it for years. I told my fiancé and I eventually asked this person if that happened and she said no so I put my fiancé through all that for no reason. Right after I got my certainty my OCD told me I had the wrong person and my memory was with someone else and the cycle repeated until I asked that person as well and they also told me it didn’t happen. Then I formulated another false memory about another time I was drunk. As you can see confessing and seeking reassurance from these people fed my OCD. It was never going to stop. I had to force myself to sit with the possibility that any of these “memories” could have happened. I told myself that I’d deal with the consequences if I ever found out that my memories were real but until that moment I’m going to continue with my life. It took me months but I was finally able to overcome it. Now my OCD has a different theme and I’m stuggling with something else but I know that once I approach my current situation the way I did with my previous theme I’ll be able to overcome it. I understand it’s hard because if it was easy I wouldn’t even be on this app in the first place lol but it’s the only way out my dude.

@Just another OCD guy That is helpful to hear man, because it’s relatable. And yeah when my ocd switches themes or topics this thing goes away but it always ends up coming back. Thanks for the response. If you have any additional tips or insight please send it my way.

@matt_ Yeah man I hear you but it only comes back because we allow it to. As soon as it begins to creep back into your life try to recognize what’s happening and acknowledge the fact that it brings anxiety but keep going about your life without trying to figure it out. The more attention we place onto it the harder it becomes to escape. Stay committed and you’ll see results. Remember that it takes time so try not to get too frustrated if you don’t see immediate results. The best advice I can give you is to not be so hard on yourself. If you do a compulsion, forgive yourself and do better the next time around. Self compassion and self love is critical for healing. I’m here if you ever wanna talk about your memories and get those emotions out without feeling judged.

@Just another OCD guy Thanks brother! Yeah I’ve started to view this episode of ocd as just a part of my recovery journey and not a step backward. It’s been months since I’ve felt VERY shitty due to ocd. So the fact that I went that long without it is actually a win and hopefully next time it will stay away for even longer and eventually forever. That perspective has been pretty motivating. I’m just afraid that at some point I’m just going to not get my anxiety any lower than like a 2 or 3 and I’ll just live at that level