OCD can often make you doubt your diagnosis or your struggles. So many times, I hear from people who feel like they are faking OCD or are an "imposter" - like they're not sick enough or OCD enough. OCD is the doubting disorder and will make you doubt EVERYTHING - including your treatment, your symptoms, whether you have OCD in the first place, etc. Try to respond to these doubts the same way you would with other doubts in the disorder. Just try to let them be there, try not to answer those questions, try to just move on with your regularly scheduled programming as if you did not have that thought and witness the anxiety come down naturally.

Yes, this is a sneaky trick the OCD tends to play - doubt about ocd in general! Try to treat it the same. Maybe maybe not, I'm not sure but I'm going ahead with my values regardless of what the OCD says!

@NOCD Therapist - Jenna O. thank you for this

Same!!

@NOCD Therapist - Jenna O. even without a diagnosis? ive received tons of reassurance from my family and even know that the questions are from anxiety and arent even real questions that I have. the fact that im worried should mean that its not true but the fear is still there bc im not diagnosed and prob wont get one until later in december or jan. so what would the most effective way to handle the fear of it not being ocd and the fear that it may be real bc im not officially diagnosed?

@throwaway45362 I used to have the same fear, and I can confidently say now that it was totally my OCD. It’s perfectly okay to have OCD too- I think everyone has it to some degree, and it’s not a bad thing to have it. It’s about understanding you have it that way you can learn how to work around it so it’s no longer effecting you. something my therapist taught me was to play out the worst case scenario when it came to the fear of me having it or the fear of having a “mental illness” in general. she asked me “okay and what if you do?” I nervously answered “idk, then I have it and something is wrong with me.” i shortly started laughing because I realized that’s all that would happen. nothing would change and i now am not afraid of my obsessive thoughts and fears. with time and practice u will get there

@margobrandenburger ik like i fully understand its def my ocd but bc i dont got an official diagnosis thats what makes the fear feel real but its really not so ye. and plus logically ik its ocd bc its not like anything im saying is false or im living an imposter life that humans are incapable of. im getting the hang of it tho but its just fears if being misdiagnosed ig or something even tho ik the fears arent true at all

@throwaway45362 also whenever ive had the obsession “coincidentally” they’ve never became true even when i fully explained it to my parents and brothers they did not judge me or even think i was bad, so what is an expertise on intrusive thoughts gonna say. yk what i mean so i havenr been as stressed on that but i also have my episodes now and then

If it’s not even, is it odd? 😉

Lol

Haha I was afraid that I wrote it that way on accident and definitely had to go back and check ;)

your experience described here resonates so strongly with mine.

Oh yes, sometimes I also feel like I'm lying to my therapist or somehow tricking her or myself. Thanks for sharing, you got this! Hang in there. One day at a time.

I definitely relate to this

Yup, that’s one of my main themes

Yea, I’ve had thoughts... that make me think it’s something else. Then I get the anxiety spikes, when I have those thoughts.

Yes. This is what my whole OCD is about. It’s tiring and so difficult. Mine has always been this however. The theme.

I Agreed.

valid. i also think this existed before social media, except back then you couldnt even try and prove anything because if you did manage to do that the stigma was very very strong (still is in a way). social media has allowed for a little more openness and discussion, but it still has its pitfalls. having to prove something is another version of the same struggle mentally ill ppl have had for many generations. hide it. prove it. whats next? the stigma is a shapeshifter so to speak

@Manz So, so true! "Hide it/prove it"... also I do appreciate some of the elements of social media for creating awareness. Sometimes I feel like it's a trap, like the idea it's safe to be open and share and be yourself when really im not so sure how much that's true on a larger scale... anyway just thinking outloud. I do appreciate Maria Bamford, for example, and anyone who speaks out and shares their story or any shows that address it! I guess I feel the pressure to speak out but also feel ill-equipped or afraid. One step at a time i guess 😊

I think this is a huge problem especially for people with OCD. I work with lots of people who definitely meet criteria and by all counts are struggling with impairment in their life/feel very distressed by their OCD but often wonder "am I OCD enough??". It's frustrating because we wouldn't say that about things like cancer or even depression - like do I have enough depression to actually HAVE depression even though my doctor and everyone else says it?! It can be hard for sure.

@NOCD Therapist - Jenna O. Omg yes! That's so true! I wonder why this is... ❤ maybe because people have used "im so ocd" in a flippant way but depression and cancer have gravitas...

@NOCD Therapist - Jenna O. Do you think that people with OCD identify their symptoms as part of their character or personality and therefore see it as simply who they are and not an illness? For example, no one with cancer thinks I am cancer or I am _____ fill in the blank with a cancer symptom. But I think a lot of us do think we are our symptoms. Like I am overanalytical.”, for example.

@Jamie L One step at a time, and one day at a time. It's taken me my entire life to finally accept that. Let's hope I don't regress. <3

I relate to this

OCD always makes us doubt our values especially. LOVE the Maria Bamford content so much.

fact

@throwaway45362 Cool

im sure. it just cracked me up when i realised i read it wrong and wanted to share :)

@Manz - <3

@Ashleyx0x I feel this! Sometimes goes as far as doubting the doubts. Just doubts on doubts on doubts!

You mean... that the condition of ocd... causes us to believe the lies it tells us. So then, we have to seek out the truth... which then causes a never ending cycle of compulsion..? Best regards,

You are so welcome <3

So if someone is straight and they are having HOCD issues... what would you say to them?

@7EMPES7 Have the same question cause i am tired of the thoughts…

@Brave through I don’t seem to have as many issues, these days with the HOCD... I find my OCD moves around from one subject to the next. But the HOCD started for me 20yrs ago, after harassment from fellow pupils... I had never had thoughts such as that before. So that kind of made me realise, had I not gone through the harassment, I would have not been... brainwashed with the HOCD thoughts.

Dude what? What sounds like to me is that you are trying to tell people that they are gay, people with hocd / so ocd arent but their minds try and make them believe its true. If im not reading it right please clarify help me understand. But if you are straight then you are straight same rules apply to gay,bi

Yes, I would think so... when I was in my teens I had a good sex drive. Whenever I saw someone I was attracted to I’d instantly get turned on, sexually excited. But when I began having HOCD issues, in my 20’s... my drive seemed to fall flat and waver. I do find it difficult, getting... aroused these days.

For me it has in the past. I get so in my head with intrusive thoughts about why my body was or wasn't doing or feeling something, or that I should or shouldn't be aroused etc. It would affect my ability to just relax and be in my body. And then THAT I would analyze... 😅 ugh. So for sure I found the thoughts would get in the way of physical relaxation and enjoyment. I found it helps when I really like and trust the person who I know will be understanding. The last thing you need on top of that is to be dealing with intrusive thoughts about whether they do or don't judge you etc.

I'm sorry

@Jamie L It’s okay we persist anyways :)

@lucas.. Ya same

What’s Your Evidence?