- Date posted
- 6y ago
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Thank you, zg23. I believe I gave you that advice in your own post. I appreciate it and I’m glad it helps you. I’m not looking for advice. I’m just sharing. I’m handling it
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Hi there, sounds pretty rough. I am currently going through a similar situation but just remember these thoughts aren’t you- they don’t make you who you are. OCD messes with your worst fears and turns them around. The best thing for me is to be around kids it’s the best exposure therapy I can get because it makes me realise how much I care for them. These thoughts are so mentally draining and nerve wracking but you have to tell ocd to shut the fuck up. Every time you feel yourself ruminating breathe and say nope thought I see you, I’m not reacting to you and focus your attention on something else. Try your best to act normal around the kids. Cuddle your son. When bathing the child, bathe him normally if you look you look, it’s a normal psychogical response for humans to stare. I wish you the best of luck and stay strong!
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Oh yes! Thank you for your post. I wish you the best of luck! Be sure to share your progress
- Date posted
- 6y ago
You are incredible. That is some next level bravery, the kind of fear and torment that people going to war face. Sending you lots of light as you push through the next couple days.
- Date posted
- 6y ago
My progress is that I didn’t sleep at all last night because I’d fall asleep and have dreams I was masturbating and enjoying it then I’d realize where I was, in a room with two sleeping children, and I’d wake myself up to find I wasn’t doing anything and it was only a dream. So I’d fall back asleep and there goes that dream again. I’m just so tired and annoyed and disgusted. It’s not really shame or guilt that I feel, I’m just really REALLY annoyed with intrusive thoughts. Like leave me alone already. Have you ever heard that analogy people have used for intrusive thoughts that goes something like it feels like someone is tapping you on your shoulder and you know they’re harmless but they keeping doing it and you’re like Could you please stop? But they don’t stop. And you try anything. Acknowledge them. Ignore them. Accept them. Let them be and go about your business. But they’re still following you around and tapping you. Yeah, that’s where I’m at. I wanna cut off this person’s finger and feed it to the wolves. I think they come most at night because the kids are asleep so they’re the most vulnerable at that moment therefore I’m the most vulnerable at that moment.
- Date posted
- 6y ago
I know exactly how you feel. Stay strong and keep posting! ❤️
- Date posted
- 6y ago
And I should add: that’s exactly the kind of bravery it takes for people with OCD to reclaim their lives.
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Thank you, Fivel ❤️
Related posts
- Date posted
- 15w ago
I’ve been feeling the urge to avoid intimacy or purposefully engage (for reassurance that I won’t give into a compulsion) because of intrusive thoughts and fear that I’ll “check/test” my reactions. My OCD is making me so scared that I’ll purposefully think of a child and try to see if I like it. It’s so complicated but I guess I’m mentally checking if I would mentally check during intimacy. I’ve even envisioned myself checking and it’s making me so nauseous. I know it’s a compulsion like any other but the sound of “touching yourself to the thought of a child” sounds atrocious and vile. I’m terrified I’ll automatically start checking next time I am being intimate. I truly feel so worried. If anyone has gone through something similar, I’d appreciate hearing your experience. Or if anyone has any advice?
- Harm OCD
- POCD
- Students with OCD
- Mid-life adults with OCD
- Older adults with OCD
- Young adults with OCD
- Real Events OCD
- "Pure" OCD
- Date posted
- 12w ago
I started dealing with OCD when I became fixated on health issues, particularly the fear of contracting a life-threatening disease. If I experienced any kind of medical symptom, no matter how small, that even remotely hinted at something potentially fatal, it would drive me crazy, and I couldn’t stop obsessing over it. Then one day, I started having intrusive thoughts about accidentally hitting someone with my car, and I would end up driving in circles to check if I had. Eventually, I found myself overwhelmed by a flood of new obsessive thoughts and compulsions. One day, while I was at the park, a squirrel came near me, and for some reason, I felt like it attacked me. I Googled it and learned that squirrels could carry rabies, which spiraled me into a deep fear of rabies. I became consumed with the thought I received a bite from a squirrel, raccoon, or bat any time I’m in areas that trigger me. It started off only being inside then transferred to even being in my own home. This made me obsess over every physical sensation in my body, compulsively checking to make sure nothing was wrong. One compulsion that I hated the most would to be putting rubbing alcohol on me to make sure that I had no open wounds. Every day feels like I’m walking around in a fog of anxiety, constantly worrying that I won’t even make it to old age. Sometimes, it gets so overwhelming that I just want it all to end. It stresses me so bad at times to where my brain feels like I’ve been studying all day.
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 12w ago
Hi everyone, I’m Cayla. I’m a mom that’s lived with OCD since childhood, but my breaking point came more recently after having my son. I was consumed by terrifying thoughts—What if I hurt him? What if I did something awful without realizing it? I was so afraid of my own mind that I couldn’t be alone with him. The shame and exhaustion were unbearable, and I convinced myself I was broken. In 2024, I finally sought help. ERP therapy at NOCD was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but it saved my life. Even now, I have tough days, but I know I don’t have to be ruled by OCD. When my 12 year old daughter began showing signs of OCD, I felt overwhelmed with guilt. I never wanted her to go through what I had, but I knew what to do. I told her that I have OCD too and made sure she knew it wasn’t her fault—and that she wasn’t alone. One of the hardest parts of this journey was trusting someone else with my daughter’s OCD. I knew how vulnerable it feels to share intrusive thoughts, and I wanted her to feel safe. Her NOCD therapist was able to establish trust and genuine empathy from the start, and that relationship gave her the confidence to face ERP head-on. Seeing her build that trust made me certain she was in the right hands. ERP has helped both of us reclaim our lives, and it is beautiful to see my daughter managing her condition and making visible progress. Parenting with OCD while raising a child with OCD isn’t talked about enough, but I know so many parents are struggling with these same challenges. If you have questions about managing OCD while parenting, helping your child through ERP, or breaking cycles of guilt, drop them below—I’d love to share what I’ve learned. I’ll be answering all of the questions I receive in real-time today 4-5pm ET.
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