hi i just recently joined this app and i am terrified. i am a 15 year old girl that has been dealing with intrusive thoughts my entire life. my first recollection with it was the constant fear that my siblings would forget how to breathe. i would stay up all night just to check on them and ensure that they are ok. it went away but then i started having problems with my religion. i was so constantly scared that every move i made would disappointment god and that i would be sent to the devil. it got to the point where i would feel as if a demon was watching me while i slept. now i am dealing with my sexuality. i have known my entire life that i am straight. only ever had romantic feelings for men and never thought of women as anything more than a friend. cause of quarantine i have developed these intrusive thoughts where i feel as if everything i do will make people believe i am gay. i am an ally to the lgbtq community but i keep having these unwanted thoughts of me being homosexual even though i have never felt attracted to women. i need help. i am just a teenager but i have been suffering with ocd my entire life and just now i decided to acknowledge it. i am also way too scared to tell my parents. they are so loving and protective of me that i feel as if i will disappoint them. im sorry this was long i just needed to let it all out. have a good day!!

I know it’s hard to tell a loved one but it’s so helpful to have their support. I’m a lot older than you and married. I was so scared to tell my husband about my so-ocd issues but he was more supportive than I ever could have hoped. It helped me to know he was there for me on my hard days & that we would get through it together.

Hi dear, I just want to say I know what you’re feeling because I’ve dealt with both these OCD themes and others as well. For me it started when I was 12, and came back earlier this year ( I am 22 now). You are young and I know how scary it feels to be dealing and going through what you are dealing with. You are not alone and believe me when I say it does get better, you CAN overcome and beat OCD. You CAN rewire and train your brain to treat these thoughts as just thoughts rather than truths. This app is a great resource, but here are some others: Ali Greymond on YouTube she is amazing. I’ve been following her and implementing her tips and I swear for me they’ve worked wonders. Another great resource: Mark Freeman on YouTube. Hopefully you can connect with a therapist soon and maybe if you’re comfortable letting your parents know that you need some support right now mentally, or just letting them know you need a therapist. I’m living proof that you can overcome this, that there are good days ahead and that with hard work and patience it is possible. The best revenge you can get on OCD is living the life you’ve always imagined. You can do it dear, you have a whole future waiting for you and remember never give up 💗

Ayy look, I don’t like saying my age online, but just this once, I’ll make an exception: I’m your age. And when I first started up with the REALLY BAD ocd issues, I felt the same way about telling my parents, as they are similar in nature to yours. My first REAL onset was with harm ocd, then after I got baptized, the religious stuff started. And it’s similar to yours but not quite, I’m worried to death I’m going to willingly go there or already have. But what religion are you, Christian, Catholic, etc, if you don’t mind sharing? I’ve always had little tiny fears or ocd points like I used to have all these gay intrusive thoughts and the like but that’s calmed down for me a bit; now it’s mostly the religious stuff. But anyway, I have no lovin idea what I would have done if I hadn’t told my parents about my issues, and they just tried to help me. So that would be my advice to you, that and schedule with a therapist with your religion, if you can.

I struggle with the same thing and I’ve been in a committed relationship with my boyfriend for 2 years. Know your values. know your self. Know that this is just you DOUBTING yourself. Focus on what makes you smile and your heart beat. I finally opened up to my parents , it’s scary but it’s okay. They won’t be disappointed. What’s there to be disappointed in? You got this I promise . Xo

I feel you, you're straight, you've always been straight, you'll always be straight. I'm a male teen and i also developed HOCD over the quarantine and it terrified me. I was straight my whole life and i've been in 3 relationships with women, but when hocd hit, i didnt know if i still loved the person i was with, i didnt know if i loved her because part of hocd is loss of attraction to the opposite sex. What i usually do is as myself "What would the old me (the old version of me without hocd) would do?". And i identify these fears or what ifs as thoughts, always identify it and ask yourself what would the old you (the old you without hocd) would do? I told my parents about it and they now help me, granted not all parents would be the same but if you explain to them clearly that you've only been fearing it then you'll be okay. Remember that you're straight and that you've always been