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the NOCD Community

I’m interested in hearing an example of intrusive thoughts you guys have. I’m having a tough time and could use support. Thank you!

I’m in a really low place with my ROCD. I feel like I have feelings for someone else & like someone else because of the feelings I have around/about/for this other person I guess. I’m only around this other person when in group settings with friends. I dont want this. I feel nauseous, guilty, all the things as I love my partner so much. I know I struggle with ROCD terribly and I need advice from someone who’s been in my shoes. Is this common in ROCD? Idek

Like to the point of your mind being yours? And not being anxious or harassed by your thoughts 24/7? I just wanna know if escape is possible?

i cheated on my bf, never thought i'd ever do it, i didn't mean to, it just happened, and i feel terrible about it, as i should, and now im not able to ever move on, even tho he wants to fix things, and now im prob just using rocd as an excuse to cover the fact that im genuinely just a shitty person, i hate that this a part of my identity now, idk how to come back from this

I got a thought while looking at a picture of a kid saying that she’s going to look good when she’s older. Why did I have this thought? I know it’s not even true, as peoples appearance change as they grow up. Does this mean I was attracted to this kid? Did I think this image of a kid was pretty in a way that suggested me to have this thought? I know I’m supposed to label these thoughts as ocd but how do I know I don’t truly believe this thought.

If there was a possibility of curing your ocd, would you be willing to enter an altered state of consciousness? This can be done through breathing meditations, polyvagal therapy and psilocybin mushroom use in a professional and guided setting. It may be a very negative and intense experience and feel worse than any exposure you've ever done for ocd, but if done right, you'll come out ocd free. Would any of you be interested in that?

Is not really an ocd post.So some weeks ago I started to date a guy who is going to college with me.We met recently and I hold his hand.After..he started to touch me...is a way that I was not really uncomfy(is not something serious).And it bothered me 2 times, but idk if it was intentional or not.I was never in a relationship..We started talking 4 months ago and he told me we can be togheter and get to know eachother over time..I accepted..But now idk if it was a good decision..I mean..when he was actling like that before I was fine with it..now I am not really.When he kisses me I feel weird..maybe even grossed out.I dont understand myself..but the idea is that I told hom before that he can be more affectionate with me.And now I am honestly a bit scared of how he will react if I break up with him.I feel anxious.And when we got togheter I felt like that and I told a friend and she told me is normal because is my first time..What do you think? (Plus...I also like women and idk if I am bi or a lesbian)

I just woke up and I keep calling God this terrible word in my head and it feels so real and I’m not super freaked out. I feel kinda numb to the thought but I just feel terrible at the same time because I don’t wanna talk this word I’m scared that God is gonna take me away. I don’t know what to do.

So I finally set out today to start doing in public exposures for my severe social anxiety and agoraphobia. I was walking along the sidewalk as an elderly man said something I didn’t hear so I asked him, “what was that?” While touching my arm, he said, “you would look a lot better if you smiled”. My heart sank as it’s my worst fear to have others judge me in public. I just responded with, “well that was extremely rude of you” and continued to walk. I almost started crying but continued to go inside the library and complete my exposure. The audacity of men to stop us and say rude things when women are alone in public is still prevalent and I felt so humiliated and disrespected. Now I can’t stop replaying that interaction in my head and it’s driving me mad. I’m angry, upset, disappointed, humiliated, frustrated, etc. Of course that was my very first in public exposure and while I did complete my exposure, its got me shaking still.

If anyone can maybe relate or offer advice if this is a normal thought process…trigger warning, I discuss breakups in this post. My boyfriend and i have been together for 3+ years. Over a month ago, we got into the worst fight possible where we actually broke up for a week. During the week I felt we were broken up but had the hope we were going to work things out - and then I come to find out he didn’t think we were broken up but just taking time apart. Anyways, I went to a party with my friend and my boyfriend and I’s mutual friends. Keep in mind, during this entire time I didn’t know if we were getting back together and for the first time in our relationship I had true doubts. Anyways, one of their friends I hadn’t met before walked in and I met him and thought he was cute. No big deal right? But then I remember having a thought of “maybe this was supposed to happen, you meet someone else and this is the universe telling you that”. I kind of remember brushing the thought off and I barely spoke to that guy the entire night/didn’t even have interest in chatting with him. Honestly didn’t even bother me. Now over a month later, I’m worried about this thought and feel GUILTY over it. Like, is that a normal thought to have while going through a potential breakup? Does that make me a bad partner? (Because now things are back to being great with my boyfriend). Dare I say it makes me feel like I cheated somehow, when literally it was just a thought. If anyone maybe can offer insight I’d so appreciate it. I feel like that was a normal thought to have given the circumstances but idk.

I recently got diagnosed with OCD back in May of this year. What started it was a month prior, I took an SSRI which triggered an extremely intense couple of days due to panic attacks I’ve never had before. I’ve never had panic attacks but pretty intense anxiety. That’s when I started experiencing DPDR and hyper awareness. I’m good some days, but other days it’s so so hard. Especially because I have no one around me that understands. The DPDR and awareness of every feeling, thought, and just overall awareness of my existence gets really overwhelming. I feel like I’m losing my mind. It’s really hard to sit with my thoughts especially when they’re on a constant loop of every little thing I’m thinking and doing and on top of that feeling like I’m in a dream. I desperately just want to go back to how I was 4 months ago, but I know that’s just not possible right now. If anyone has experienced this and is doing much better now or even currently experiencing this please let me know! I need someone to relate to lol

how can you tell the difference between rocd and a real thought you should act on?

I remember another thing from the past where it was a sexual thought and I don’t remember if I was talking to or dating my gf at the time but it was like “if I was talking to someone else like _____ I’d be able to have sex already” and I feel terrible bc I don’t want sex. I would rather be with my girlfriend than any other girl. Idk if the thought was intrusive or not. I think the people or person I was thinking of may have been intrusive. I’m just terrified bc I really love my gf and don’t care about sex

Is it normal that my brain is now focussing on real event or something about morality and cancel culture, and not anymore about POCD? It's like a sneaky trying to find something other that scares me. I am now week 4 of 200mg sertraline and I still feel that my system is very in alarm mode but the thoughts are not repetitive anymore.

Hi I'm new to all of this so I hope I'm doing this right. 5 years ago my 34 year marriage ended. My ex husband was a mentally and financially abusive, covert narcissist. All that is behind me now and I'm finally remembering who I am again. I'm in a relationship with a really great guy but the problem I'm having is relationship OCD. This has taken me by surprise really as I've had OCD from a very young age but never has it been about my relationship. I constantly check messages and go over and over conversations and convince myself my partner will eventually cheat. Almost every single person in his life I can feel threatened by and I hate this for him and also for me as I don't have any peace of mind. This is ruining the lovely relationship I know I could have so I really need to get a handle on it. Has anybody else experienced this and managed to control it?

i think i started finding comfort in my own sadness and pain. yes, i want to heal. i want to smile again. i want to get better, but i feel like i don't because life is painful and i feel horrible. but when i don't feel depressed or in pain, when i can smile, i feel like i don't deserve it. i feel like pain, tears, or feeling depressed means i feel sorry. i feel guilty. now that i feel a bit numb, i'm searching for pain because i've been feeling depressed for days. i think my mind is burned out and needs rest, but i have this thought that after i rest, i must resolve every thought i have. i've been stuck in this situation because of these feelings and thoughts. i'm really struggling with severe religious ocd and have started developing moral ocd as well. i can barely see the light in my life anymore. i feel so condemned and unforgivable for every thought i have. i don't know if it's really me or not. i don't know what to do. i feel so lost. i feel so confused. i feel so undeserving, and i can't see my life without God, but i keep on hurting Him with my thoughts. i'm so tired of everything. more tired and done with myself.

This might not even be OCD related, but I have a difficult time standing up for myself or just communicating boundaries with others. I'm trying to improve, but it's not easy. I always feel guilty after saying anything, like maybe I'm being dramatic, or maybe I'm in the wrong for not ignoring their words/actions and moving on. Even if the person doesn't respond with a negative reaction, I start spiraling :(

This one's a "what if" exposure; a way to trace the anxiety spiral and sit with the discomfort it brings, instead of trying to avoid or fix it. Here’s how it works: Start with your anxious thought: 1. “What if A happens?” Then go deeper: “Okay… if A happens, then what?” → “Then B.” 2. And again: “What if B happens?” → “Then C.” 3. Keep going (following the fear, not avoiding it) until you land on the core fear, the real root of the anxiety. It’s usually something sticky, existential, or deeply uncomfortable. 4. Once you’ve found it, stop. Now sit with it (the feeling). Notice how it shows up in your body. Where is the tension? The tightness? The urge to escape, fix, or seek reassurance? And just let it be there. Without trying to solve it. Just you, your body, and the fear; without resistance. This isn’t about fixing the fear. It’s about making room for it. It’s about learning that you can feel the fear and not let it control you.

Whats perfectionism ocd like and how do you know if you have it?

I looked at a picture of someone who was 14 and I found her attractive. I’m 19. Why would I find her attractive? Is it possible I think she looked older or am I just attracted to young kids?