- Date posted
- 4y
- Date posted
- 4y
Mine is a bit of a different presentation. It is somewhat episodic or it waxes and wanes. I had my first episode when I was 7 and convinced that I was contaminated with poison and that I subsequently was going to die and kill all of my family. That lasted for a few months until my avoidance behaviors stopped. I didn’t have another episode until I was 12 and became convinced that I was possessed by a demon and going to kill my family. That one was really intense but lasted a shorter period of time. Then I experienced mild levels of depression and significant generalized anxiety throughout high school until I had a terrible episode of ROCD after a traumatic experience when I was 18. Since then I have had significantly higher levels of anxiety with some compulsive behaviors and avoidance and also have been going to therapy. It wasn’t until two years later after that I was diagnosed by my psychologist with OCD (which was just a month ago) as I had a bad episode this summer that incapacitated me for a while and I’m working through at the moment but I am doing better at the moment. I wish you all of the best with your journey!!!
- Date posted
- 4y
I cant imagine having to deal with such a difficult OCD thought at just the age of 7. I respect your resilience and hope that you're able to overcome OCD in the future. Best of Luck!
- Date posted
- 4y
My OCD was subclinical as a child. My OCD at that time was contamination based. I think my parents had chalked it up to being a personality thing or me being sensitive, but as a child I genuinely remember being afraid of getting contaminated by germs and dirt. Cleaning my room was a nightmare and I would often feel tingly after cleaning. Like I would legitimately feel like I was contaminated and I would have to wash until the tingles went away. My OCD didn’t become clinical until I was 14 though. That’s when I got SO OCD and it was very severe. At 15 I started having general sexual OCD. 16 I got scrupulousity and real event. Now, 19 going on 20, I just struggle with all of them except contamination. When I was 15, I saw someone who was completely unqualified in diagnosing and treating OCD. They dismissed me and didn’t give me help, but I ended up going back to them during my senior year of high school. I had begged my mom to let me see an OCD specialist but she refused to believe me so she took me back to someone who couldn’t even treat me. They did talk therapy which doesn’t help OCD. I did get medication, but I really needed therapy. I like to think ages 16-17 I had mild-moderate OCD. At age 18, it became severe again. I ended up having to get my own therapist through NOCD after my spike. I was doing well, but recently I’ve been doing bad again. Between being in college, dealing with family problems, having complications with medication, and now only doing therapy once a month, it’s been horrible. Two months ago my OCD would’ve been mild maybe even subclinical. Now it’s moderate.
- Date posted
- 4y
Argh Its always so saddening to hear to someone deal with Incompetent therapists. Im so sorry that you had to go through that, without the support of a parent nonetheless . Balancing this situation is commendable, I actually dropped out. I hope that what your experiencing is the worst of it and that nothing but tranquility awaits you. P.S Ponyo is an amazing movie
- Date posted
- 4y
Mine started when I was around 8. I was so scared because I had awful thoughts about stabbing myself, my parents, or even strangling my baby brother. I also worried about calling my dad swear words that randomly came to my mind. I had no idea it was OCS. Many years later, I got a boyfriend. Everything was perfect and amazing and I couldn't believe how lucky I was to find such an amazing guy who fit me perfectly. A few weeks into my relationship, all hell broke loose. I started worrying about everything. That I was gonna hurt him, murder him, or leave him....just like the thoughts I've had as a little eight year old. I started doing more research, panicking on if I was going insane. Then I found out about hard ocd and relationship ocd. It escalated super quickly from 0-a million in a span of days and started affecting my daily life. More ocd themes popped up like sexual ocd, sexual orientation ocd, and a few more. After a few weeks of constant thoughts and stress and anxiety, I got officially diagnosed with ocd of many different themes at an OCD center. Thankfully, my boyfriend understands my condition and doesn't get mad or anything with stuff I think. He's so understanding and he tries his best to help support me as I try and get through this tough time. I'm gonna get ERP soon hopefully so this nightmare can be over!!
- Date posted
- 4y
*OCD *harm
- Date posted
- 4y
My story is kind of complicated. I had my first intrusive thought at the age of 8. There are some themes that I have had for many years. Some last for weeks or even months. I am 45 years. Up until about 3 months ago, OCD wasn't even on my radar. I thought OCD was just handwashing and being neat and organized. I never had either. But in July, I heard a podcast. The host was interviewing a woman who has OCD. I was shocked to realize that I had many of the same thoughts as the guest. I threw myself into researching OCD to convince myself I didn't have it. But it had the opposite effect. Once, I knew what to look for, I recognized various themes over the course of my life. But I started to doubt I really had it. So much so that when I had my 90 min assessment, I was convinced my counselor would tell me I didn't meet the criteria for OCD. Instead, I got a diagnosis. I threw myself into ERP. I made rapid progress. Honestly, ERP is one of the hardest things I have ever done. Some of the exposures I did were brutal. But it works. I am well on my way to recovery. My OCD is starting to fade into the background. My only regret is not starting treatment sooner. But I believed everyone struggled the way I did. I had no idea that what I was experiencing wasn't normal. Just prior to starting treatment, I was at a very low point. I felt hopeless and like nothing would ever change. Before I knew I had OCD, I did about 10 years of talk therapy. I would go weekly for up to 2 years. I never made any progress. I did everything I was supposed. I would eventually get frustrated and quit. Even switching counselors didn't help. I felt worse at the end than I did at the beginning. Its like I was trying to put together a puzzle. But a lot of the pieces were missing. I had a few pieces that kind of fit together. Once I added the OCD pieces, everything started clicking and the puzzle was finally completely. It looked completely different than I thought it would. But it all fit together. I have made more progress in 3 months with my NOCD therapist than I did in years of regular therapy. Its amazing the difference applying the correct treatment to the correct problem can make.
Related posts
- Date posted
- 21w
Hello, I’m new to this app. I’ve always had an anxious brain, and I’ve had coping mechanisms for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid, from as early as I could spell, until I was probably early teens, I would constantly write words in my head along to the beat of music. It’s such a vivid memory because I never stopped doing it. The word had to perfectly match up to the lyric and I loved that it kept my brain busy. I grew out of that, but felt like good context. My anxiety increased drastically around ages 17-19, and I began therapy. I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety and panic disorder, due to having a panic attack nearly every day at that time. I overcame that as well, and now the panic attacks are every now and then, but the anxiety is constant, and some recent symptoms have led me to believe I might have some form of OCD. Maybe not. I’m trying to understand myself and get better so I joined this app to make sense of things. Lately I’ve been having really intense intrusive thoughts. I’m really embarassed and they make me feel like a bad person. Thoughts pop in my head seemingly out of nowhere. It will be an image of me harming myself or someone else in a really bad way. (Trigger warning) for example the other day I couldn’t shake the image of me putting a knife through my own forehead, although it’s not something I want to do. Or I’ll imagine someone killing me. I imagine my loved ones dying often. The thoughts feel so out of my control it’s insane. I hate them. Another persistent issue that isn’t as new is replaying social scenarios. I’m a hairstylist so this one is difficult since I meet a bunch of new people every day. I obsess over how I act and if people like me. I will impulsively say things all the time and they will haunt me for weeks. I question even my closest friends and family who show their love. I find myself so angry and numb and like I have so much built up emotion and a busy mind always. While doing my job I spiral really badly if any little thing goes wrong and it’s embarassing. I know there’s more but I can’t think of it now. I just want to feel better and like I’m not constantly battling my mind.
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 14w
Hi NOCD community, I wanted to share my story of my journey so far with OCD to provide perspective to anyone who needs it. I can't believe how far I have come with a huge part because of my NOCD treatment and utilizing ERP. For reference I am a 24-year old male, so for anyone who is like me and on the fence with treatment, trust me it is worth it. If you ever want to talk about OCD and are not sure where to start or need guidance please do not hesitate to reach out to me. I am now almost 2-years into treatment and working on recovery to this day. Sending my support to all. My OCD Story Adolescence Growing up, I didn’t know what mental health was—or even much about who I was. I was somewhat consciously aware, but something always felt off. My life seemed surrounded by reacting to fear instead of exploring or discovering like a regular kid. It felt like there was a switch in my brain that never let me settle in. My earliest compulsions were more physical than mental. One example that likely went unnoticed was how I would obsessively organize and align my toys in a certain way. It may have seemed like I was just being finicky, but now I recognize this as an early sign of OCD. The key is understanding that anything can become a compulsion—it’s not about what you do, but why you do it. In my case, it was always to avoid a bad outcome or neutralize a feeling. Another moment that stands out was in preschool during a performance. I was reciting something I can’t remember in front of an audience—a common childhood fear—but the way I coped was by repeatedly hitting myself in the head with my fist. I wasn’t aware I was doing it, but it calmed me, even though inflicting pain had no logical connection to the fear itself. Looking back, this was clearly a physical tic. My dreams were disturbing too. I’d experience that terrifying space between sleep and consciousness. My parents once had to put my limbs in ice just to fully wake me. And even the process of going to sleep became ritualistic. I had to jump into bed using my left foot, pray a specific way (including naming everyone I didn’t want to be affected by harm), rotate clockwise, shake my pillow four times, and do various actions around my room—cleaning, checking the door, and more. All to prevent the visions in my mind from becoming real. Teenage Years Though my childhood was tough, things really escalated in high school. My family life was chaotic—divorce, shifting homes, and being the older sibling trying to hold it together. I was smart and creative, and I found joy in creative writing, fantasy books, cartoons, video production, and drawing. But the storm really hit freshman year of high school. I was bullied relentlessly—for being shorter, having low self-esteem, and dealing with an undiagnosed mental illness. One night while trying to fall asleep, I noticed my heart beating fast. I panicked, convinced something was wrong. My dad said it was heartburn and gave me soda (caffeine), which only made things worse. I slept maybe an hour, and we went to the ER the next morning. After a full workup and an EKG, the doctor concluded I was physically fine and gave me anti-anxiety medication. But that wasn’t the end. I had more episodes. I became obsessed with the idea that something was wrong with my body. I had blood drawn thinking I had a thyroid issue. I panicked at doctor’s visits, which spiked my blood pressure, fueling more health fears. I was also in an advanced biology class, learning about diseases and cancers—which triggered me to the point I felt like I was going to pass out. Motion sickness and vertigo became a daily fear, and I became terrified it would never go away. That became a core theme in my health-related OCD and deeply affected my quality of life. It was also during this time I developed HOCD (Homosexual OCD). Intrusive thoughts about my male friends consumed me. I couldn’t relax around them or enjoy hanging out. I compulsively told myself I was straight, watched porn to “test” my reaction, and mentally analyzed everything I thought or felt. It was exhausting. It chipped away at my confidence, especially with women, though I know other external factors played a role in that too. Still, I had no education around mental health and assumed this chaos in my mind was normal—or that anyone seeking help had to be “crazy.” I couldn’t have been more wrong. Adulthood Despite all that, I managed to graduate high school with good marks—even finishing at a new school I attended for just eight weeks after moving in with my mom. College was a major turning point. For the first time, I experienced independence and the ability to sit with my thoughts. I still didn’t know what I was dealing with, but being away from a broken home and forging my own identity was incredibly freeing. Freshman year felt like a fresh start…until the pandemic hit. Like many others, I was forced to return home. For someone with OCD, the sudden lack of control and isolation was devastating. I was trapped in my room, stuck in my head, with nothing but virtual classes and uncertainty. Still, I eventually got back to campus, focused on my career in the sports and entertainment industry, and was accepted into a prestigious program while working multiple internships and completing challenging coursework. But with roommates and stress came new obsessions—and still, no diagnosis. I eventually sought therapy for anxiety, realizing my mental state was unsustainable. That’s when two of my most distressing OCD subtypes emerged: Staring OCD and POCD. They worked together in the worst way—fears of inappropriately staring at people, especially children. It felt like I couldn’t exist in public without fearing I’d harm someone just by looking at them. It shattered my self-worth. I couldn’t enjoy life, couldn’t even look in the mirror. The guilt and shame consumed me. I turned to talk therapy, where I was diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression. While sessions brought momentary relief, it quickly became clear I wasn’t getting better. In fact, the act of confessing my thoughts—seeking reassurance—was fueling the OCD. Still, I didn’t have the language for it. After doing my own research (a compulsion in itself), I discovered POCD and Staring OCD. For the first time, I read stories that sounded exactly like mine. I brought this to my therapist, but they dismissed it. Unfortunately, OCD is still widely misunderstood—even among professionals. Because I didn’t fit the “cleaning and checking” stereotype, I wasn’t taken seriously. In 2023—just two years ago—I found NOCD, a teletherapy platform specializing in OCD. I scheduled a free consultation, thinking “Why not?” I was miserable and desperate for relief. The therapist who evaluated me confirmed: I had OCD. She administered the DSM-5 criteria and said I was a textbook case. This was the turning point. Through NOCD, I finally received proper treatment with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). I learned how OCD functions, how to track and reduce compulsions, and how to sit with discomfort instead of running from it. It took time—5 to 6 months before I noticed true change—but for the first time in my life, I felt heard. I wasn't alone. NOCD gave me a judgment-free space to unpack the most disturbing thoughts and to not be defined by them. I won’t sugarcoat it—this journey has been painful, frustrating, and nonlinear. I still live with OCD every day. But now I have tools. I’ve continued treatment with multiple NOCD therapists, joined support groups, and practiced exposures: scripting, imaginal scenarios, response prevention, you name it. I’ve learned to live with uncertainty instead of trying to solve the unsolvable. The biggest lesson? Stop trying to figure it out. OCD is emotional, not logical. The moment I stopped trying to outthink it and changed my relationship with it, everything shifted. Today, I’m not “cured,” but I’m grounded. I’m more myself than I’ve ever been. And now, I want to give back. I want to share my story so others know that they’re not alone—and that OCD doesn’t have to rule your life. Whether you're 14, 24, or 44—there is help, and there is hope.
- Date posted
- 14w
Hello everyone! This is my first post since downloading the NOCD app and wanted to share a little about my life with OCD. I was first diagnosed when I was 17 but truly started noticing there was something going on with me as early as 10. To summarize: I have the repetitive ritualistic type of OCD. Basically, I have a fear of becoming other people. I believe that if I perform an action, like turning off the sink or closing a door, or even breathing in and out while thinking about somebody, especially someone that I dislike, that eventually I will become just like that person or experience something they've been through that is negative; like health issues, personality issues, or social status decline. Simple example: I know this one dude named Richard, I worked with him in retail, and he told me about how his brother died at a young age. Now, it’s nighttime, and with that new information known about Richard, I believe, that If I take my contact out while thinking of Richard, or an image of him appears in my head while I’m taking out my contact, I believe that MY brother is going to eventually die too. What’s the solution?: I worked with another kid in retail. His name is Mikey, he was decently put together, and his brother didn’t die. So that means: Now with my contact still on my finger, I put it to my eyeball, and keep tapping at my eyeball with my contact while trying to get an image of Mikey perfectly timed, so that I can cancel out the image of Richard and save my brothers life. This is a challenge because the image of Richard, or I should say, the fear that my brother could die from this thought, is strong, and often times I have to think of other people (from other life experiences) along with Mikey just to feel confident that I got the image cancelled enough to move forward. Every day, I complete many actions and with every action comes a thought or image of some person I’ve encountered in my life that I’m either afraid of becoming or obtaining the same negative life experiences, which therefore means I also have all the othet people in my mind, at the ready, that cancel them out too. Every day I cancel people out and repeat actions disguised to the public. Sometimes it’s noticeable, but knowing how to cover your ugly side while making sure you don’t mess up your future with the wrong thought is just what I call life. I’m a man with a thousand people in his head and its been an EXHAUSTING journey. But through therapy and acceptance of myself, I have found a way to love with it. Like anything else, there are horrible days and okay days, but this is apart of me forever and im lucky to share it all with you! Can anyone relate?? Feel free to comment or reach out! - Matt
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