anyone else had ocd from a very young age? I’m talking like, I remember obsessions from when I was 6. and my family remembers my symptoms from even earlier. I didn’t get help until I was 15 because my family isn’t big on mental health. anyway, it frustrates me that I genuinely don’t know what it’s like to live without ocd. Sometimes I hear/see people talk about how they just wish things could back to how they were ‘before,’ or that imagining what their life was like before onset helps motivate them in recovery. But I don’t have anything like that. in fact, it’s almost scary to think about recovering completely because I don’t know anything else? it depresses me

I was diagnosed for the first time about 5 months ago and while I could see that my symptoms were OCD, being diagnosed professionally made me feel so much relief. And being on this app and researching more has taught me that all of those things that made me feel ‘weird’ and like there was something wrong with me were the OCD too, but just manifesting in a different way.

yes yes yes. I’ve had obsessions for as long as I can remember and always knew that I was a ‘worrier’ but now I can see that it was alllll textbook OCD. The psychiatrist who diagnosed me said that it’s common for onset to be around age 7. But I completely get what you mean. It’s sad to think that we didn’t get to have a childhood without such debilitating fear. And I feel like i’ve built my identity around OCD (and compulsions) to the point that I literally do not know who I am without it. But I think it’s important to remember that having OCD, while horrible, has taught us other things that some people may not have had to learn, like resilience, courage, coping skills, empathy, etc. I think it’s possible to recognize that our OCD has affected our lives completely (and unfortunately it will always be there to some degree), but that it doesn’t need to control our lives going forward as we recover. I try and remind myself that I can get rid of the bad parts of OCD but hold on to those positive traits that it has left me with.

I completely relate to you and the last comment! Unfortunately, I didn’t realize what having ocd really meant until the last year or so, I am 20. That is what I mean myself when I refer to before, before I knew, before the label. It took me being hospitalized for anorexia and attempted suicide multiple times as well explaining to doctors that it was a control issue more than anything. Of course I do have OCD in connection to body dysmorphia, I chose to starve myself over other methods because of the fact that I could control my food /calorie intake. Realizing now that a lot of my anxiety/depression/body dysmorphia is a result of my OCD rather than individual conditions has been really hard to me and I have experience really similar feelings myself recently. It is important to remember that while OCD may be a part of your life and everyday battles, it is not a part of you and does not define you. You are you, and who you choose to be is determined by your choices and your actions, not your thoughts. Love yourself, be yourself and do your best to find ways to be happy in just that, by whatever (healthy!) means necessary. Everything else will fall into place, remember to believe in yourself! Your strength has gotten you this far, a label does not change the battles you have fought and won (or lost and learned from) thus far. As a fellow person, and OCD affected, I know you are strong and you can keep going. I believe in you!

Also, yes I do remember that! It was like everything connected all of a sudden and while it could be overwhelming at times, it was a relief to know there was one roof cause to address, rather than several.

both these replies have been really helpful. I had a similar experience where it took a hospitalization for me to finally get help and realize ocd had been the underlying cause of a bunch of different issues I experienced. often times I feel like I lost my childhood to ocd. But in the end I can’t change that anymore and I need to remember that my struggle has also been a learning experience, and that ocd doesn’t define me. thanks guys :’)

on another note: do you all remember that moment when you were finally diagnosed and suddenly everything made sense?? esp with early onset its like ‘oh, so I wasn’t just a freak kid’ lol

Of course, I’m glad I could help and good luck!

Root*