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I’ve been dating around. And so far I’d say it’s been going good. However I’m in a bit of a sticky situation. I really like this boy and he really likes me. But I am 100% going on an LDS mission, and I really don’t want to be in a relationship over my mission because I want the most fulfilling experience as possible with limited distractions. I know that I could just break up with someone over the mission, I just don’t see the point in dating someone with the intent of breaking up with them. However this boy is a year younger than me which means we would most likely leave around the same time (assuming he serves a mission, which is non negotiable in order to date me). Here’s my other concern, he has been very flirting with me and I can tell he really wants to pursue something with me (he even said it to a friend) and I guess I’m just scared to tell him my concerns because I don’t want to lose him as a friend. One idea I’ve had is that we could date, make a deal that we try again after the mission with no promises, then let everything sort itself out. But I would definitely need to talk to him about this whole thing. I know I have some time, I just really want to do what’s right. I’m also a little worried because single life can be fun and I’ve grown a lot by being single. I know that I need to have an open conversation with him, I just don’t know when the appropriate time is. He doesn’t even know that I know that he has feelings for me. We have a double date coming up and it’s a movie date so I’m worried that he will try and make a move on me. A big part of me wants to talk about this before even holding hands. I don’t want to just bring this up out of the blue though because we have only been in the talking stage for about two weeks. I know that might sound crazy that I’m planning so far ahead but I just want to be prepared, I don’t want him to feel lead on or used in any way. I also know that holding hands is not uncommon at this stage especially considering the dating culture in Utah.

I hope everyone is doing well! I included this cute little image below, but I'm also in need of advice! I'm wondering if anyone has any videos of tips on how to focus on building confidence in yourself? I'm beginning to realize that I base a lot of my self-worth on other people's opinions... just in general. This is an example, but I'll hear about celebrity drama online and, at first, not really care. But eventually, I'll cave if people keep talking about it or it comes across my feed, and I'll just scroll through video after video—comment after comment—trying to make sure that my opinion will be the "correct" one. Does that make sense? This is so stupid 😭 but it really affects me. I try to stay off social media as much as possible, save for YouTube, but I feel like this is something I legitimately need to work on. I'm still young, but I don't want to spend my 20s letting shit like this affect me. I want to be confident in WHO I am, which is hard with OCD stirring up doubt, but I think it'd be good for me! So, if anyone has any recommendations or advice, please let me know! Thank you! 🤍

This is my first week back to work after being off for 6 months to grapple with my OCD as it became extremely debilitating. I made mistakes when my OCD returned and self medicated with alcohol. Partly due to the OCD but also due to severe back pain from working the California fires in January. Long story short I was pulled over and arrested for DUI and although I was a low BAC it was still enough to be taken in and since then I have hired a lawyer to handle it as I dealt with my OCD treatment. I also returned to work and at which point they had been aware of the dui due to a license information pull by the dmv. Even though I have already had the DMV side dismissed as it was proven I wasn’t over the limit while driving, I am still trying to beat the court side. Either way I am now dealing with a ton of fallout at work for this even if I’m proven to be innocent. It has really put me into a dark place and it makes me fantasize about ending it. I know that, that isn’t the way and that’s not the way to win at this. I’m really digging in to sitting with the uncomfortable and what ifs and trying not to solve for problems that have not happened yet.

How do you guys handle uncertainty? I keep having so many what if thoughts and I feel so bad. The worst ones are what if I act on my intrusive thoughts or actually want them and I can’t tell if they’re me or not. It just feels so real and at this point I don’t even know if they’re intrusive thoughts anymore. I just want to not be a bad person and not feel like this anymore.

I’ve decided to start taking my prozac. I’ve had a fear of taking medication for so long and tried all the natural methods but nothing is helping. I’m having panic attacks everyday and living in constant anxiety/fear that I’m ruining my life, losing my dreams, and ruining my relationship. I think it’s time to try.

About 2 years ago I gave my life to Jesus. I've always been a "Christian" but never truly lived liked one until then. One day I had a thought about is God real? It bothered me so bad and I went into a massive spiral. Doubting everything. My faith. if I was good enough. Am I really saved? Do I have enough faith? Is my doubt real? Is it too much? Have these blasphemous made God not want me anymore? Or Jesus? :( Then I started having horrible blasphemous thoughts, then it would go back to doubting thoughts then back to the blasphemous ones. I hated the thoughts and doubts. The thoughts are so mean towards God, Jesus & HS. It’s anywhere from evil thoughts to cussing thoughts to rejection thoughts/denying. Demonic thoughts. Literally anything bad you could think of! Even thoughts of if I really love them or wanna follow them. I feel so trapped or my faith isn't the same. Which makes me sad because I want my faith! I feel like I've gotten lazy and honestly that I don't deserve them or am "too far gone" from them. I feel like idk how to be a Christian or how to have faith or just exist tbh. I’m in a constant struggle of fear, anxiety and sadness. I wanna love God & Jesus! I want faith! I just feel kinda stuck. Please help. I feel so numb and don’t know what to do. Has anyone gone through this or has advice or tips?

I keep having these extreme moods of anger and then with harm ocd coming in, everything just feels super real like the urges and thoughts and feelings and everything. I keep asking Gemini but I know it’s probably only telling me I’m not a narcissistic psychopath or have aspd or I’m a k/ller just hiding or that I know deep down under all this worry that it’s true and I’m just in denial and my ocd was actually just me denying it. Today it’s about this specific time at a restaurant with my family and it might be too long for this post. if anyone sees this and is willing to listen to the story that’d be great.

hi i’m feeling a little discouraged and was just wondering if anyone wanted to share their experiences with pocd like how real it is for them and maybe some recovery stories like what that looks like and what helped you get there and how they are now i just had my therapy appointment and am kinda down bc i have to stick with uncertainty and that really bothers me… but anyone wanna share?

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?