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the NOCD Community

Going through a really stressful time right now. I am looking for a job, dealing with financial stress, I was in a minor car accident a week ago (no one was hurt), and I really haven’t been doing great emotionally or mentally since my grandpa passed away the end of last year. Does anyone have any tips for managing stress when you are dealing with a lot of life changes? I feel like it is sending my OCD into hyper drive, I fixate on every little thing, think about all the what ifs, and worry about every perceived mistake I make and how it is going to affect my situation. I feel like this is caused by all the stress and pressure that is on me right now. If anyone has any tips or forms of stress relief they find particularly effective that would be amazing.

I’ve been struggling with intrusive thoughts lately and after a lot of research, I’ve learned to just let them happen. But now, I’m scared that since I’m not having anxiety or crying over it, it must mean that I like the thoughts or that I don’t find them bad. I know that this in itself is OCD. I haven’t been diagnosed with OCD, but I have been speaking to a specialist over email to set up an appointment. I don’t feel like myself anymore, my brain is so full of questions and thoughts that I can’t even figure out what they are. It feels so foggy and I feel so lost. Does anyone else ever feel this way? I’m all alone in this and I’m just so confused.

I’m really starting to see that I may never get better, but that’s ok. I accept it. I’m starting to be able to accept that my symptoms are anxiety related and I don’t have to take them seriously. It’s a relief because I was always trying to get rid of the symptoms, now I’m accepting them.

My HOCD gets so bad in the mornings with thoughts. Last night I kept trying to tell my boyfriend about a problem too and my mind kept saying “tell him your bi or gay!” And it gave me so much anxiety and it was kinda like an urge. I want my attraction back. I don’t trust anything my mind is telling me anymore.

Sorry, I have a few of questions: Has anyone needed inpatient treatment? My psychiatrist told me this morning that she’s considering admitting me. I’m a little scared. Has anyone got any experiences they’d be willing to share? Also I’m taking Fluoxetine augmented with an antipsychotic (I’m not experiencing psychosis, however). Has anyone been told to try this? Thank you so much in advance for all your help and kindness! :) d a i s y

I refuse to believe that ocd is chronic, does anybody else? I’ve heard people’s stories of fully beating it so why can’t we? I just don’t think we should have to accept dealing with this forever! Have a good day guys ❤️

I’m new to all this..... I’ve never had some of the thoughts I have up until the last year but looking back I’ve always had OCD just in different forms. The thoughts make my anxiety go through the roof. I’m afraid I will act On The thoughts even though I’ve never done so.... How do you get through this? I’m seeing a psychologist... Sometimes I get feel like I want to give up even though that’s not an option.

With ocd It seems it’s very hard to keep friends or even have a best friend. I finally thought I found someone who understood me and accepted me for me and yes she is there when there are emergencies, however, she knows that after a traumatic event I talk or text a lot to vent and calm myself down. And while I’m grateful she is my support system, at the same time she makes me feel guilty. I never know what I do wrong or how to fix it. It sucks because she and I have so much in common and I entrust my life with her but at the same time I feel she lets me down and disappears and ignores me and then gets mad when I’m upset. Sometimes I wonder if friends are the greatest things to have or the things that cause more stress/ I love her dearly and don’t want to lose her friendship but every time we are on the same page something changes. Ugh ?

Hi everyone, I actually have a question about OCD. I was wondering how long do the symptoms have to be present, in order for it to be considered as a disorder as opposed to it just being part of anxiety. Like how if you have anxiety for six months or more it’s considered to be part of GAD and if you have been depressed for more than two weeks, it’s actually clinical depression, etc. I hope that makes sense, if not please let me know if I have to clarify.

Overwhelmed and feeling stressed. I am moving and have a week to finish packing and then load in truck and out. Any tips or help with how to manage the disarray, I am feeling extremely anxious and having obsessive thoughts that are haunting me in dreams now too. Just can’t wait for this move to be over. Transitions are hard enough and it took me a looooooooong time (years) to make his jump. Any suggestions on how to handle ocd tendencies when moving and through a major transition? I feel like I’m falling apart.

What are good ERPs for ROCD? (When you get intrusive thoughts questioning how you feel about your partner)

My husbands phone got a text from an app called IRL which is apparently an app geared toward teens. It said he was “sent a compliment”. After doing research it looks like someone has to share their contacts info within the app that’s how you get a text. But it sent me in a panic. My ocd is thinking did he give his number out to someone? A teenager? Has he done something bad? I hate this. I feel like every time I turn around there is something else.

I’ve been diagnosed with OCD but I don’t have these intrusive thoughts like everyone else...so I’m convincing myself I don’t really have OCD I struggle I guess with rOCD (and more)...I guess I always check to see if a person texted me back. I blow up the persons phone until they respond. I use to have it really bad where I had so much anxiety if I didn’t do it and so much anxiety if I did. When guys leave me....I freak out and have damn near a heart attack from panicking so much. And once I get this thought in my head whether it’s “you should’ve said this” or “he probably lied to you when he said this” or whatever there’s this feeling in my body. It’s like an uncomfortable negative vibe and that thought becomes priority. I have to do it. I have to text them and it’s hard to think of anything else. And when I do it doesn’t stop so i shouldn’t give in but sometimes I do. And if I get over that thought later another might replace it and it starts again. Anybody else feel this way...?

I haven’t found ANYONE with the same “tics” as me. Feels really lonely over here. Just to start with one, does anyone have to breathe in while counting and blinking while they look at something they need or want and have to breathe out while counting and blinking when they see something bad or negative? This one is so exhausting! Makes me too aware of my breathing and makes me feel like I’m going to die from not breathing right.

I don’t know how much longer I can cope with this ?

How long have you struggled with OCD? My first memory of intrusive thoughts and constantly rechecking stuff is from around third grade. Around sixth-seventh grade it got really bad, though. I was constantly confessing to every bad thought and action I had ever done. Then I got really bad intrusive thoughts about harming myself/others alongside sexual ones. It continued like this for a while, although I stopped confessing. It wasn’t until 11th grade it really started flaring up again, and I was eventually diagnosed this year.

I am a recent college graduate currently looking for my first career job. In most of the applications I have submitted there is a question that asks if you have any disabilities, and it lists OCD. I was just curious if anyone has experience with this, and how they answer this question. Has anyone experienced discrimination because of their OCD, any positive interactions? Is this just another tactic employers use to try and narrow down the applicant pool?

What is the longest period of time you have been symptom free? I was symptom free for 6years in between flares. I know it’s possible and I know I can’t be the only one who has experienced that wonderful period of calm.

Is this really all ocd... I can’t sleep I can’t eat. I just think all day..

I just broke down crying because I’m so wracked with fear. It was bad. I feel like I could pass out.