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My boyfriend just dumped me because he lost feelings and thinks we’re too hard and it’s because of my anxiety and ROCD:(( I’m a mess rn guys. I love him and I lost the best part of me. Does anyone have any advice for breakups

Does anyone ever feel that OCD is not taken as seriously as bipolar, depression, schizophrenia, PTSD, and other commonly talked about illnesses? I mean, mental illness in general still needs a lot of awareness and understanding, but I feel like when friends, coworkers, social media friends, etc. do talk about the seriousness of mental illness and what they have been through, or when movies or shows try to include mental illness to spread awareness, OCD isn’t mentioned a whole lot. They do mention “anxiety disorders” as a general term, but that’s usually it. One day my coworkers were discussing some mental illnesses they’ve had or family members have had, and the main ones were depression, anorexia or other eating disorders, schizophrenia, and PTSD. When I said I suffered from OCD all through my childhood but was better now, some coworkers looked surprised, one actually seemed offended that I was comparing my experience with OCD to that of the other disorders, and some even told me, “oh, OCD isn’t as bad as this” or “Oh I have it too, I’m a really clean person.” I’m glad mental illness is being talked about, but sometimes I feel like OCD isn’t seen as a big deal. Maybe it’s because it’s commonly used as an adjective, or it’s been thrown around so much as just being “organised and clean” that it’s not acknowledged by most as an actual disorder that is hard to cope and live with. My friends and family with depression and suicidal thoughts say I had an easier illness to deal with, which is totally not true. Many movies and shows that want to show illnesses and such (the ones that actually do a good job at it, anyway) don’t mention OCD at all. Posts on social media about mental illnesses rarely include OCD. I guess my main question is this- does anyone else feel that their struggle with OCD and the strength and courage it takes to seek treatment and help is severely undermined, unacknowledged, not cared about, overshadowed? Or is it only in my life and what I’ve been observing? Curious to know, and also wanting to get this frustration off my chest so I feel less lonely.

Hello, anyone. I fear being schizophrenic. I read about 10 symptoms of schizophrenia that teens show: • seclusion I agree. I ended the friendship with my best friend, and lost interests. I became more depressed. • lack of emotions Agreed. I‘m a porn addict and used porn to shut off my emotions and obsessions. I feel now more emotions but I don’t feel many things. I‘m always on porn sites to get sleep. • lack of sleep Agreed. Since middle school I was always on my smartphone and looked Series in the deep nights. I‘m that stressed that I can’t calm down. • misunderstood hostility True. I had many bad experience with friends. Many were abusive and treated me bad. As well, i‘m an underachiever and experienced many bad experience with teachers. I think about all possible Szenarios. (I think what would I do, if I would die in 24 hours and other things). As well, I was diagnosed with Aspergers-syndrome and had problems understanding sarcasm or jokes. • lack of hygiene Not really. I’m very hygienic and suffer that my nails aren’t perfect. I have less motivation doing anything, but I’m hygienic. I was more unhygienic, when I was younger. • lack of relationships Agreed. I was never a friend of relationships, cause the relationship of my parents is terrible. I don’t want that a child suffers that way, cause my relationship sucks. I have always someone I’m friends but HOCD makes it worse being friends with male. • light and noise sensitivity I’m autistic and the psychologist told me, that it’s normal in aspergers. • self destructive behavior I have self-loathing issues and I’m always bored, so I do nearly everything to change it (adrenaline-addict). As well, I don’t really care about my health • Escapism I have aspergers and the psychologist told me, aspergers play roles and are in there mind. As well, I have adhd, so I never like being at the same place. • afraid of ppl Cause of the porn-addiction I became more scared of ppl, but always feared ppl. There was a time in school a boy bullied me and I began to fear him. I thought that he was everywhere (never really saw him). I became really paranoid, thought that he could follow me at home. Well, wasn’t a good time. Is that paranoid path of schizophrenia? Some more traits: • delusional and hallucinations No, seriously I don’t know. I love listening to music and try to hear behind the sound (background singers) and sometimes I take off my headphones, but I hear nothing. Or I believe someone is talking about my OCD themes and I try to hear, but there is nothing. Like a nurse that said: “I’m proud that I don’t hear noises”. I know that she liked me and we had our jokes. When I was 15 yo. my mother (that is possible schizophrenic and very religious) said me demons and ghosts exists. I always thought about was that possible a ghost that went through me, or thought I saw a shadow, or that someone is talking. At the time I was pretty gullible and have a huge fantasy. Same time I have an absolute hearing. Sometimes when I don’t read something clearly I see what I think and it happened as well that I thought that I saw the number, that wasn’t there. I‘m dyslexic/dyscalculic and I can’t see good without glasses. Never happened when I had glasses. I use pathological lying, cause without it I can’t lie. At the same time I used visual pictures to believe it myself and I worked too well. I became as well believing my imaginations and I don’t lie anymore with that strategy. When I was stoned I had some hallucinations, but just two days. Then it never happened again. I fear that I could made me schizophrenic. As well, I have a strong period with harm OCD and it’s horrible. I think about if I did things that never happened and about the possible consequences. I see everywhere the police and think if I would have problems. I’m not that kind of person. I feel guilty when I enter to starkbucks without paying a drink. Doesn’t that sound schizophrenic? I feel bad if a child cries or a dog doesn’t feel fine. I have some problems with empathy, but it became really strong (I don’t know why). I can’t empathize cognitive, but learned understanding nonverbal behavior, there I am a real genius. I love the daughter of my Cousine, she’s such a sweetheart, but I don’t know how to react correctly. Last time we painted :) I have cognitive helping syndrome. In my eyes they are just riddles, that are a challenge that I want to solve. The problem is the girls fall in love with me and I don’t like body contact (I must be a time, that I could feel comfortable). As well, I don’t want a relationship, cause I don’t want that she needs to suffer cause of my OCD and anxiety attack’s. Same time, I don’t experience love or deep for others. I‘m very paranoid. Like I said I think of everything. But, I don’t believe in aliens, ghosts, demons, illogical illusions. I have the brain of a scientist and philosopher, that makes it hard. I like acting eccentric and I was an amazing actor in middle school. The people always thought that I am the person I’m acting, that’s my talent. OCD drives me crazy and makes me really nervous. I bought the false ticket for the train station and just realized it, when the ticket controller came and asked about my ticked. That moment I felt as well, delusional and I really fear it! What is if I’ll pens forget my own name or just see others things that doesn’t exists. I went to several therapists cause of OCD and no one diagnosed me as delusional or schizophrenic, just anxiety related thoughts. But, someone that suspected that in me, cause I show the profile of ppl he works with.

Nighttime is the worst with a broken heart. I still can’t believe he dumped me.. I don’t know what to do with myself. I feel so lonely and worthless.

Is doing the smallest compulsion harmful to recovery in the long run? Just wondering? Like not exactly doing the same compulsion but just a different approach to get reassurance. Is it possible to cheat on our ocd and cheat on our own brain?

So I had my induction/first day at work today and I felt so anxious I’ve cried ever since coming home. I feel like I was just told a load of information that I HAVE to remember and now I’m left on my own devices. Everyone else looks so confident in what they’re doing and knows their way around and knows each other and I’m just literally alone and know nothing.

I'm worried I won't sleep tonight because I promised my friends I'd go clubbing tomorrow night because it's one of their birthdays and I have to get the bus alone, what would you do to stop worrying if you knew there was no way you could cancel?

I need help! Can anyone tell me if this sounds like Existential OCD? For the past year or so always think “what is the point” about so many things . This started because I realized me and my husband don’t have any friends, so every time I try to exercise or look nice I start thinking “what is the point, why do I care to impress random people” I don’t know .. it’s so fkd I hate this shit I need help or I’m gonna end up killing my self

What’s the youngest you remember having obsessions? The youngest I can remember was when I was 3 and I threw a hissy fit every morning because I needed my shoes tied so tight that it hurt and my mom never tied them tight enough (in my ocd opinion) because she didn’t want to hurt me but yeah literally every morning before preschool I stomped my feet and cried because my shoes didn’t feel tight enough. That has always been a big part of my ocd, is things not feeling right but specifically not being tight enough. I used to wear my jeans so tight with a belt that it left permanent scarring on my stomach area and honestly probably damaged my insides in one way or another. Anyone relate?

Harm OCD help please! There’s been two news stories recently (one where I went to uni) where the boyfriend in a couple has killed the girl, possibly following a fight. Both cases are uni students, really similar lifestyles to me and it’s like, what if I do that? It’s really triggered my harm OCD like I’m desperate to know what happened, why it happened and how people can kill each other just like that because I’m so scared I’m going to do that one day. Does anyone else do that? The first case we know it was a ‘jealous rage’ that led him to kill her, but everyone gets jealous right? So how can that lead someone to kill another person? Thanks in advance :(

Is it bad that my hocd started from porn?? Like I was scared I might like gay porn??? Is this normal

I've had ocd for over a year and no one knows. I tried to tell my mum but she says I don't have it, she thinks it's just being neat but I have pure o but she didn't listen nor care. My dad is against mental health and says it's ridiculous and I went to a therapist a few times but stopped because I was shamed by my family. My brothers bully me and call me nuts crazy for going to a therapist but no one knows my true pain of ocd, no one cares either

Fixating on borderline personality disorder this time... ugh! I can truly convince myef of anything

hi i was wondering i’m 13 find i feel like i may have ocd i havnt been diagnosed but i always think my friends hate me when i know they don’t and last year, all i thought about was if i was gay or not and i know that i’m attracted to girls but i stressed about it a lot and lately, thoughts have gotten stuck in my head a lot and right now i’m struggling with, i did something sorta bad but not even really that bad but it won’t get outta my head and i always feel if it makes me a bad person but it’s not even that bad, also i arrange stuff so that it’s to the right so that it’s facing like right and it’s not really that i stress if i don’t do it too much just that i feel the urge to do it, another thing i do is arrange stuff so that it’s not touching other stuff and if i touch something with my left hand then i’ll have to touch it with my right hand, if i spin one way i have to spin the other, if i say something to someone and they don’t hear it i have to keep saying till they hear it and if they something i stress out if i don’t hear it, and also a lot of it is how stuff will happen on the spot like i’ll just feel the urge to touch that counter 10 time .i’ve been going to counselling for anxiety but i feel like the stuff i do is more ocd than that i’m just really stressed out does this sound like ocd

I work at a library and i hate it! I know bed bugs can possibly be there and though i have Never seen them or had any problems and it rarely crossed my mind. But then one of our branches had a donation with some and due to the high volume of donations all branches take I am convinced they are everywhere. I am afraid to leave my house and do anything now. I even skipped work yesterday. The only reason i went today is because im planning to basically burn all my clothes when i go home and burn myself in the shower. Am i being crazy or does anyone else worry about these things.

Does anybody have OCD about being depressed, even though you’re not? Like you’re scared of being depressed?

did something trigger your OCD or did it just develop randomly?

I keep obsessing that I'm picking the wrong career. I've had some bad luck and I want a career change. I've been out of college for 3 years now and I spent hours researching myself and what I want and it's driving me crazy that I can't be with a job that's stable and long term. I Google and question often if I picked a bad major since I can't seem to get my foot in the door. I'm just afraid I'll waste money if I learn new/wrong since I'm already in debt. Any advice? I feel like my whole life is work and stability focused and I can't really do what I enjoy because it seems like I'm headed for such an inconsistent job life if I continue with customer service and design. Not to mention, I am very sensitive in jobs and desperate to find a company that will work with me and not use me as a temporary or seasonal fix after I worked long hours and overtime in the office.

Trigger warning for contamination ocd. I saw a dark water spot on the bathroom floor. While it looked like water and not blood ocd keeps making me paranoid it was blood which is my major trigger. How should I deal with this uncertainty and what are some coping mechanisms I can use? Thanks in advance.

A little clarification on my (and many others’) experience with HOCD. Yes, “I don’t care what my sexuality is, I just wanna know for sure” makes the case for HOCD stronger and more ‘qualified’ sounding- however that is not the only HOCD can manifest. Saying that, can trigger some HOCD sufferers who are simply weary of identifying as lgbtq (an understandable fear). Do NOT get me wrong however. I would do ANYTHING for my friends who are bi and gay. I love them SO dearly and will fight for them for forever. Lgbtq folk who struggle with their identities, and not being loved by the people who are supposed to love them no matter what- INSPIRE me with their resilience. Their strength. Their confidence to live out who they are to the fullest extent. I watched the movie Love, Simon and cried like a baby, and am incredibly excited that Pete Buttigieg is the USA’s first openly gay presidential candidate. However this does not discount the struggles that many lgbtq people face. So many are not accepted by their families, have extremely difficult life transitions, and agonize over coming out. These are not things that people willingly want to go through. Is is completely unreasonable for someone suffering with HOCD to also fear these things? As an example (I’m black)- there is a difference in saying that you wouldn’t want to be black because you believe we are less than, versus saying that you wouldn’t want to struggle with the same things that we do. Just because you understand the trials and tribulations that black people go through in this country and would not want that for yourself, does NOT mean you are racist. It simply means you understand that there is pain. And no human willingly wants pain. Although these are exact things lgbtq people have to deal with (making HOCD distinctly different from most other pure o themes because it becomes impossible to differentiate us from people actually struggling with their identity) it shouldn’t be ignored that HOCD sufferers fear them too! Why wouldn’t we? This is such a deep rooted issue for sufferers because, where you could say someone who is suffering with POCD would never hurt a child simply because their thoughts horrify them (and a real pedophile wouldn’t be scared of their thoughts) you can’t say the same for HOCD. For some of us HOCD people who have these specific fears, it’s even more difficult to trust that what we have is ocd and it’s even more difficult to explain to someone else that what we have is ocd. I’ve had different themes of OCD throughout my life and the obsessive and compulsive behaviors have been the same, but this one makes me feel like I don’t even get to qualify. What a mind-fuck for us, huh? Also understand, this definitely isn’t my only fear. I have been attracted to, day-dreamed about, and desperately wanted to be with one gender my entire life. Having a husband was something I’ve wanted for so very long. It IS a part of who I am and what I want. It’s distressing to think this could all be lost one day. To have these ‘dreams’ stolen by obsessive thoughts, and be made to believe that it was all a lie- is just as hard to deal with as any other form of ocd. When I envision the life that ocd is telling me I “actually” want- I’m filled with sadness. How do any of the rest of you deal with your ocd telling you that you want (or want to do) something- that you actually don’t? I know this can be controversial, and truly truly hope I do not offend anyone- lgbtq friends, I truly do love you. I just want everyone to know that what we can struggle with within each theme, can be very different- but none are any less important or qualified than the others. If you truly disagree and want to share, please be kind. I am just as fragile as a lot of us on here. I’m suffering too.