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Do any of you have lots of trouble “accepting uncertainty” as part of your ERP because as a Christian sometimes you wonder if it’s really OCD or true conviction? I’m struggling with this right now.

my aunt gave me edibles to help with my anxiety from my intrusive thoughts. well i think i ended up greening out and i woke up this morning and my brain feels all fuzzy and i still feel like im going to die. has anyone with ocd ever been through this. im so scared right now.

My Ocd turns everything innocent and normal into something horrible. Sometimes when my daughter and I are watching tv she will want to play with and brush my hair. It feels so nice and relaxing or she will cuddle up and rub her feet on mine which is relaxing and makes me feel sleepy but ocd ruins it by telling me it’s inappropriate and that i’m enjoying something inappropriate. One day I saw a snapchat video my young grandson made of himself just out of the shower looking at himself shirtless in the mirror and I was thinking that he thinks he’s so cool and is probably going to flex like all boys do and laughed to myself but then the ocd kicked in and said that I was attracted to him and it made me so upset because I never have and don’t think of any child in that way. I don’t feel that way so how can ocd try to make me believe that I do?? How can ocd be more powerful than my own actual thoughts and feelings? This disorder is so debilitating and upsetting. I can’t live like this.

I feel like cancel culture is the enemy of OCD. It goes against everything so many of us have difficulty accepting- forgiveness, self-improvement, and feeling like a morally good person. Does anybody else get severely triggered by people being “cancelled” over small things and thinking: “That could be me someday”

Is it normal to be flattered when the opposite gender gives you attention and to like to feel pretty? I have a loving boyfriend and I would never cheat on him. I feel like I emotionally cheated because I was dancing at a wedding reception and was enjoying that this MUCH older, popular, “attractive” guy was noticing me. I tried to move my butt or dance “better” when he was looking?? My boyfriend was not at this reception and I was drinking. When the older guy left, I was sad because I wasn’t going to get the attention that I was getting. But we didn’t have a conversation other than him saying a few words to me. I did not say anything back to him. But I did enjoy his attention because I felt pretty. I never ever wanted to cheat on my boyfriend. I just wanted to look good. I don’t know why. This sounds awful. This incident was almost two years ago and I still feel horrible about it. My dad has told me this is human nature and I’m just overthinking it. I’ve already told my boyfriend and he was hurt but he said it would be like him wanting to look good on the beach in front of people.

Hello, it’s been some time since I’ve been on this platform but I’m not sure where else I feel safe to talk about this. Every minute of every day, I have the most horrible intrusive thoughts imaginable and I am constantly disturbed and horrified with both these thoughts and myself. I understand that these thoughts don’t define who we are, but it constantly raises the moral questions of if my brain is capable of conjuring these thoughts, even if involuntarily, then what does that say about who I am. The only solace I have is that I’m always disgusted with these thoughts but I’m constantly afraid of being some kind of monster because I have these thoughts and I feel like a terrible person for having these intrusive thoughts. I am in therapy and on medication, but neither are making this any easier, at least not yet. I don’t intend on stopping either nor have I felt any urge to actually carry out these thoughts, but they haunt me every minute of every day and I can’t stop them.

This post is just food for thought and I guess kind of a venting post. I’m curious to see who else would agree with this. Is anyone sick and tired of being labeled ? I was “diagnosed “ with OCD officially about 7 months ago. I’ve been in ERP for the same length of time, and I won’t lie I’m going through it. This journey has been absolute hell for me in all honesty (as I assume it is for most people). However, why is that because we’re going through a hard time we have to be labeled with all these different diagnosis? Like if you’re overwhelmed or stressed you automatically have anxiety, if you experience scary thoughts or have obsessive tendencies you automatically have OCD, if you’re feeling down or sad it’s automatically depression etc …. Why can’t we just be told “hey you’re just going through a hard season right now” or like “you’re human and these experiences are all part of life “. I feel like these labels are what’s keeping people hostage, and making them feel broken or messed up. Even with ERP, there’s like a stigma that after a certain amount of sessions you “should” start feeling better , but that’s not the case for everyone. I’m in this for over a year and a half and I’m still very badly struggling. I think normalizing things like love, patience, and that this is all normal to go through is essential to build up someone’s self esteem. Challenges alone have the ability to make you feel defeated, lonely and broken. We don’t need extra stigma around it….. rant over !

Good morning friends. While I'm in my recovery and very close to I think my breakthrough I want to share what has been helping me and really what I came to the conclusion of. We think our minds and brains are broken but really we need to change our relationship with our minds and separate ourselves from them. Your mind is not a bully, your mind is not against you! Your mind is your very best friend. Every intrusive thought you have is your minds way of protecting you to the possibilities it THINKS will happen. You are NOT your thoughts you are NOT your feelings. Thoughts create feelings. Thus feelings are joined with thoughts. Once we start realizing our thoughts are protection we limit our suffering. Stop hating your mind, stop hating your thoughts they are protection. Your brain gathers information to create stories that may be similar to you however, it just wants you to be careful even though you know deep down you're safe. You don't need saving. Your brain is working just how it's suppose to. Our true nature is peace, joy and happiness. Our anxiety is a signal to step back and let our thinking settle like a snow globe when you shake it. When you take that step back and leave your thinking alone it will settle and your true state which is peace, joy and happiness returns to you. (the snow globe settles) Any thought you have while anxious is distorted and you will never be able to solve anything in that state. Leave that thinking alone. When you feel depressed that's actually a defense mechanism. That is a signal to rest you're fighting too hard. You don't need to fight just simply leave it alone. We have been taught anxiety and depression are bad and we need to fix ourselves but what if because we think they are bad we fight them and hence make our suffering worse? What if we change the relationship and notice these are signals to step back or rest? We don't need to fight we don't need to resist. Our minds are our friends keeping us safe from info we once gathered. Our thoughts are NOT us. No matter your worries no matter your feelings your brain is your friend anxiety and depression are defense tools. You don't need fixing you need to just be 🤍 everything will be okay. I love you all and I hope this gives you some help today. Keep on going don't give up better days are coming for you all ✨️

I know this may sound silly to be concerned about, but I have suicidal ocd. I get intrusive thoughts. And ruminate heavily. I feel like lately I cannot stop thinking about suicide 24/7. Until I fall asleep that is what’s on my mind. I had a med change a week ago and that’s when this started. Is this just a phase of my ocd? I am not wanting to kill myself- I don’t have a plan. I am just fearful

Anyone have problems sleeping? Like thinking about falling asleep and it never happens? Or is this just ocd?

Taking a walk down memory lane ❤️I used to stare at the knife blocks in my house because I was picturing myself committing suicide in vivid detail terrified I would do it. I was probably 7-9. I also had one about a stuffed penguin I had, where I’d imagine it lost and crying for me :,) that one still gets me even as an adult.

Hello! I am pretty early in my journey with receiving treatment for OCD, although it seems I’ve had it my whole life. I would love to hear any inspirational stories from people who have seen improvements from treatment! I am feeling good about ERP so far but I could use some inspiration as I embark on the harder parts :)

OCD is so strange because I feel so mentally exhausted 24/7 but i’m so good at masking it that like it’s like i can think double. I’m not sure that makes sense. But i am so used to the OCD thoughts racing through my head that i can respond to my environment whilst completely existing in my head. I can have conversations when intrusive thoughts are taking over my inner dialect. I feel like i am even doubting whether i have OCD and whether it’s all just an excuse. I feel like my rumination hasn’t stopped for the past 3 years. Everything i used to enjoy or look forward to, is now dread and tainted by the thoughts telling me i never knew. I don’t even know what i like or who i am anymore. The thought of getting help and talking through it all scares me because what if i’m invalidated or if i speak about it too much then what if i don’t stop thinking. I’m so exhausted

Have you ever been feeling okay and then suddenly an old intrusive thought comes back but worse and you can’t seem to get past it as easily?

I have had OCD all of my life. It affects absolutely everything I do. Those of you that have it know exactly what I mean. I'm a 50 year old male and I have been on meds for 30 plus years. Most days I'm fine, except for a bit of compulsive checking. Lately, I have been absolutely overwhelmed with my job, which I absolutely hate. I have been at it for over 14 years. I'm at the point of a nervous breakdown and feel so terrible and ashamed for my poor wife having to deal with my emotions. I feel like a failure of a man and husband, though she's always by my side. I'm currently looking for new work but my OCD just accentuates everything. Lately, whenever I'm about to clock on for the day I nearly have a panic attack. And over what? A stupid job that would replace me in a heartbeat?? They have already led on that I'm not too far from that. OCD just makes everything soo damn big. Instead of realizing it's just time to move on and just take the necessary steps to do so, I Instead overthink and panic. This is my current struggle. Just wanted to share. Soo damn tired that all I think about is retirement. I'm just wishing my life away to the age when I'll seemingly be more at peace. Thanks for reading.

okay so i slept at like 3 am last night, so i obviously slept in lol. i woke up at like 1:40 to be exact but i also woke up multiple times in the morning just for no reason, i check the time and go back to sleep. i had to pee since like 6 am(the first time i woke up) but i didn’t because going to the bathroom and getting back in bed makes me feel dirty so i just went back to sleep. so fast forward to when i wake up at 1:40, i get up normally and as i’m walking to the bathroom i have to pee really bad like i can barely hold it. which is normal duh bc i’ve been laying down too long to know i had to pee really bad. i go to the bathroom and i sit down really fast so i felt a little pee get out before i sat (sorry if it’s tmi) but as i’m sitting i realize a wet spot on the lower part of my underwear and i start freaking out bc i know it’s pee but i’m asking myself what if i peed myself in my bed. so i felt my pants all over the inside and it wasn’t wet at all on my pants but i’m still scared. i showered and changed but now i’m asking myself what if i peed in my bed.. but what if i just peed a little on the way to the toilet bc i had to pee so bad i could barely hold it? does anyone else have this problem😞 i’m trying not to wash my bedding again bc i did like 3 times this week and i’m tired.

I have a lot of change going on in my life and I just saw my girlfriend after being 2 months apart. I missed her a lot but the whole day was feeling a bit off mostly with rocd. I’ve been trying to do exposures but none give me that crazy feeling and it’s been worrying me that I don’t care anymore. I also have been struggling with rocd for almost a year now. Does anyone have any clues as to what makes exposures really expose lol??

Hi everyone, it’s hard for me to share this but I wanted to give it a shot. OCD onset got really bad when I turned 19 and it’s been a huge struggle ever since. Even being able to accept help from NOCD was hard at first, I wasn’t brought up in a family that ever took OCD or other mental disorders as valid reasons to struggle. I’m turning 21 next week. These past few years have so much emotional baggage from OCD and trauma exacerbated by OCD. Sometimes I feel like it’s really hard for me to even assess the severity of my triggers and obsessions because I’ve become so used to being under constant distress. I can’t help but to feel at times that getting this disorder under control seems close to impossible. I’ve basically dropped out of college after trying to keep my head above water (and failing) for my freshman and sophomore year. I’m unable to study or even keep a normal job right now. I believe that now more than ever the world is in need of community building and organizing and I feel so much guilt for not being able to participate in that either. I feel like everything I want to be doing with my life right now, especially socially, feels so out of reach because of this illness. It makes it even harder to feel joy about life in this position, which can’t be good for my depression. I hope that soon I’ll be able to track my progress on here. I know growth isn’t linear and everything comes with time…but damn. This shit is hard.

I feel bit vulnerable to share this, but I feel it's important to voice a struggle i'm having (in case others are too). Per my current journey, i've decided (and have for quite some time) to not try and pursue relationships until I have figured out my "inner self" and have some more stability in my mental health. I think there's a common belief in society that getting into a relationship will solve all my problems cause i'll be happier with where I am instead of feeling lonely. I guess for me being aware of it is the first step- I have ambitions to have a partner/start a family- but I realize that takes a lot of emotional capacity and I feel I'm just not at a point where I can handle it. It sucks because it seems to go against what society is telling me to do, but I keep on reminding myself that is about my well being and mental health.

I have done lots of “bad/problematic/immoral” stuff in my past. My ocd latches onto this so badly :( I have a large social media platform and usually get 20k-100k views quite often. The stuff I did in the past was probably “cancel-worthy” stuff. I have the constant urge + scenarios in my head to make a video “confessing” that I’m a bad person and I deserve to be cancelled although I realised the stuff I did in the past was bad and I don’t do them anymore. The things could range from months ago to stuff when I was a child. Seeing famous people get cancelled is triggering for me and if I see someone being cancelled for something I’ve done in my past I get so scared and anxious and start searching and ruminating. I have a constant feeling of guilt that I’ll never be perfect or be able to call myself a “good person” My ocd also focuses on my partner. He used to say Offensive jokes and more but I made him aware and he realised and stopped. He still makes occasional jokes nowhere near as bad as he used to but when he makes a joke my brain is suddenly like “oh no what if people think that joke is problematic” and because I saw like one person on TikTok be offended by something similar, I feel the need to immediately tell my boyfriend that he shouldn’t say the joke and it makes him frustrated because it’s almost every day my ocd is nitpicking for anything slightly “bad”. He means no harm with the jokes and doesn’t make the same ones he used to as he matured more and realised they were weird but my ocd wants him to be an absolutely perfect person with perfect morals whatever and he isnt allowed to do anything even slightly bad or he’s an awful person. And same for me, I need to be perfect. Anyone else relate? And does this sound like moral scrupulosity ocd?