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It seems like once i calm myself down from one fear another one comes up. My brain just can’t let me be calm recently for some reason and I feel like it just scans for ideas to scare me. I have been sick for the past week and have been going through some problems with dysautonomia and tmj. My body has been very on edge and having symptoms lately like dizziness, lightheaded, nauseous, headaches, heart racing, etc. The dizziness has really been freaking me out but it seems to be getting better with time and not scanning for it. All day i find myself switching between wondering if i’m going to feel dizzy again, it getting worse, it lasting forever, or if im going to lose my mind and go crazy even if im not even feeling dizzy in that moment. If i calm myself down from that my brain wants to think about death to scare me. If i can calm myself down from that my brain thinks hard about more existential concepts and life. I think my nervous system is just at a very heightened point right now and for some reason I just have to be scared about something at all times. I’m trying really hard to let all thoughts pass by and not pay them much attention because I have a tendency to get super caught up on things and digging myself in an anxious hole that is hard to get out of which I want to avoid. Even when i’m not thinking of anything i just feel on edge. I just want to feel calm and peaceful and be able to enjoy life. Any advice with any of these things?

does anyone have periods of passive ocd after its bullied you or even at the end of a period of ocd silence. like its there and its annoying and its trying to pick something to stick to like one of those randomised wheel spinners but it just isnt landing on anything and its just cycling through everything so quick. ive had bouts of it here and there they normally pass or escalate into full flare ups but it feels like its been in limbo and its so stressful like. “i need to go do this” “remember when you did this why did you do that” “what if this happened right now what would you do about it”. i was saying to my partner earlier ive got a new hobby, my new glasses are coming later today and i brought a new perfume everythings going too well, so its bound to fall apart soon, i asked if he ever gets that. like do you ever think “lifes going too well something life changing in all the bad ways is bound to happen soon” and he was like “uhhh no bahaha”. i think my brain is picking on me in anticipation perhaps

I’m trying to remember if I did something wrong during my late teen years and it’s killing me. They definitely don’t feel like real memories but the OCD is so convincing that it kind of feels like it is? I try to embrace uncertainty but I don’t know how to especially if your themes revolve around harm or other difficult themes.

Had an episode last night, Real Event OCD started flaring onto me- so did other subtypes, and my dog keeps following me and sniffing/grabbing/humping at me and only me and my mom asked why he is acting that way towards me recently which got me really scared- because I heard that dogs can sniff cancer and stuff so BOOM health OCD now onto me . I was FREAKING out. Did NOT help that my dog began to cry when I was gone. On the sprinkle of that, hypersexuality came at me again- fell into it and after it all faded I just felt super dirty and scared . + the intrusive thoughts during it and after were uncomfortable. Thankfully it's not awfully bad as it was in the past, and the relapse is normally only one time every few who knows how long but I always just feel super adultish (not in a good way) and like an object. If that makes sense I just don't like it . :^( I end up feeling super shaky . Other than that- that's that. I still feel depressed and extremely dissociated, I didn't have a good dream. School was cancelled today so yay ! But at the same time why do I have to feel this way when I have a break. <:") I feel like I can't look at anyone or do anything because I feel such a monster at the moment or some sort of freak.. arghhshhsh . Now that "monster freak" is going to still have desert and do fun stuff because there's no school duh, but also is going to cry while doing it because this still hurts. 😞 + no social media for sure for sure . Have a good day everyone..!

She was diagnosed with GAD at age 16 and put on Prozac. She’s had her ups and downs but when she started college three years ago, she got significantly worse. I feel like we’ve been on a roller coaster for the past three years. In the last few weeks or so it has become a parent that she really has OCD and probably BDD. My husband and I booked a session with a therapist from here and it was extremely helpful for us to start to learn how to support her and to hopefully come up with a plan to encourage her to get the help. She’s so badly needs. It is so painful as her mom because I’m the one she shares all her obtrusive thoughts with and they can be scary. Also, I’m feeling a lot of guilt because looking back I can see now as a young child that it was OCD, but we always thought it was anxiety because she doesn’t necessarily have compulsions, but her thoughts are obsessive Looking for any advice out there, and we will continue to go to the classes offered by NOCD.

I haven’t done a Q&A in a longtime because my life’s been really chaotic, but I have some time on this chilly Friday to answer some OCD questions! I’ve been on this app since 2019 and volunteering since 2021. I’ve been subclinical/recovered for nearly 6 years now. I’m not a professional, just someone who’s been through hell and back.

My psychologist thinks gay people are miserable,lets name him "ken". Ken thinks that I should gain weight,he barely remembers my name each session,most times he makes tude comments about my appearance even though he knows im insecure (i mean my weight,the way i dress or my hair or something) he mostly looks at his watch during sessions+most times he is on a call like 3-4 minutes gets spent for his calls,he talked about religion and why god was real for 3 sessions when I first went there, I feel like throwing my money into a trash can, he told me to be ashamed of myself because of not getting better and having dirty clothes (I have derealization and cant even walk/talk most days:() I understand that sessions should make you uncomfortable because thats the main goal but I feel like the "uncomfortable" i feel is the other kind of uncomfortable,i feel disrespected and i feel like im just wasting my money,i cried for hours yesterday because of the disrespect and i couldn't say anything,the things he told me yesterday was so horrible that im still mad about it, should I stop going or it will get better with time?

I have been so depressed lately that on my 3-month anniversary with my boyfriend, I can't even feel any happiness from his sappy message to me. He texted me about how these past 3 months have been the happiest of his life and how we'll get through my issues and how much he loves me. I can't feel it. I just woke up and I'm feeling so numb and down and like I need to break up with him. I know that when we're together, I'm happier. But I can't feel it right now. I feel like such a bad person. I'm usually the sappy one in my relationships, but now I can't because all I feel is anxiety. We've been together for 3 months and I've been struggling with these thoughts worsening for about 3 months. At first they were random and I could wave them away, but they got so bad that now the majority of the time I have the thoughts and the anxiety and I've become so depressed that I can't find joy in my hobbies and I've lost interest in my biggest dreams. I want to be happy with him. He's all I've ever wanted. But my body won't let me.

Hi everyone. ⸜(๑'ᵕ'๑)⸝* I am writing this sort of as a way to engage with myself and my OCD a bit more healthily, as I'm trying to not do compulsions and instead things I value, which includes being an active community member here on the NOCD app. ❀ I know that it's relatively common for folks to point out that social media is not the best tool in general, but especially for people like us with OCD and other mental health disorders. I knew this, but I am guilty of using social media a lot to dull my brain a little when I'm bored or have nothing else to do. This, however, sets me up for failure (or success, depending on how you view things). I went on Twitter (I know—literally the worst app to be on, I use it to look at fanart usually) to catch up on some Marvel Rivals drama that I saw on Instagram. Boom, one of the suggested posts was something that is pretty triggering for me both OCD and not OCD-wise. (›´-`‹ ) Admittedly, I've been wanting to stop using Twitter because I hate the guy that owns it and the app overall is... gross and not somewhere I want to be. So, I'm taking this as my sign to get rid of the app and not use it anymore. (‾^‾)ง⁼³₌₃ Social media impacts a lot of aspects of life, but I already don't use a lot of the more popular social media—not using Twitter isn't exactly a big loss (especially because I barely use it anyways, and I've been triggered more on Twitter than anywhere else in my entire time having OCD). I think I'll just stick to Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. I can get my silly video game drama updates from Youtube, Instagram, or just by googling it. Plus, as I'm getting older (I turn 27 this year—I'll have had OCD for 6 years this year!) I'm realizing that I want to move away from being so... internet obsessed? I spent so much of my life online that I want to start to live in the real world more, for better and for worse. Especially with plans to move in with my fiancé this year, plus transferring from my community college to a university, I want to make memories that aren't in front of a computer screen. I want to be present in my real life, not so much in my digital one anymore. (ฅ'ω'ฅ)♪ I'm not sure if anyone else feels this way or can relate, but I'd love to know if you do! Do you guys also find social media to be triggering? How do you go about handling being triggered when you see something online that upsets you or stirs up your OCD? I'd really like to know what you all do in moments where you're struggling because of content online. ⸜(๑'ᵕ'๑)⸝*

i dont know what say without a fear of triggering others on here but i feel so helpless i just started therapy and will have my first erp session tomorow has anyone ever felt just to broken and beat down by life right now i feel like a monster and having trouble not hating myself i also try to reinvision myself as other people who have it together attractive funny and smart sometimes while talking to someone i feel like a spectator like my life is a movie but i see myself as someone who is more likeable prettier even during disagreements someone who is understood and not hated but rather felt sorry for instead of being the antagonist it makes me wonder am i just truly crazy typing this makes me worry that since im typing it it is true what if me typing this means i will find out im crazy and a awful person after all i cant except that as a outcome it makes me sick i just wanna get well and know that im not crazy or a monster and that i deserve to be loved happy and to get well and recovery is possible for me it all feels so bleak

As you're all probably aware, it's sometimes very hard to tell what is reassurance seeking and what is healthy self-education and peer support. So, at the risk of blurring the lines, I'm reaching out to in the hope of getting some positivity and advice from like-minded persons who might be a bit ahead on the OCD recovery journey. Some background, I'm a 31 year old Australian male, didn't get my diagnosis until 26 but have presented in varying degress roughly since age of 10. Up until a few weeks ago I'd basically recovered from my OCD, which historically has presented as 'pure-OCD'; obsessive thinking over big questions with no answers, around morality, harm, relationships, beauty, humour, identity, love, existentialism, gender, orientation, the lot. I've had a big journey over the last 6 years, I've gone from this stuff swallowing me whole to very much engaging in life regardless, through a very loose model of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy I have embraced the ambiguity and stuck to my values and goals regardless of the doubt, and as the years have gone on the doubt has faded, less anxiety, less time ruminating, and eventually it just became background noise. I'd say I probably should have started seeing my psychologist again earlier in 2025, as I noticed myself beginning to give these thoughts and feelings more time and power, but with work, my relationship, and general life commitments I just felt confident enough to let it be. Until I had a bad dream, haha. I can laugh now, but a few weeks back I had a dream that sparked an extreme, acute spiral into POCD. I won't go into details of the dream, but you can fill in the gaps, it was horrible. I had dealt with this theme in the past, but had learned to let it go before it grabbed hold of me, but this time it really, really got me. During the first week, I was genuinely concerned I was going to lose my partner, my job, my whole identity and may fall into a complete regressive collapse. It really was a crisis that came out of no where, I was almost convinced my OCD was dealt with for the most part bar some scary daydreaming here and there. Now, I'm back seeing my psych, I'm upping my meds (Efexor), and I've been as open as I can be with my support network (partner fully aware of my struggles, extremely supportive). And, to my surprise, I have felt like I somewhat dodged a bullet, I'm back at work, I'm no where near as anxious, I'm eating and sleeping again. And I am not letting my thoughts determine my actions, as in, I am not avoiding any situations, etc. I guess who I'd really like to hear from is parents with OCD. I think a big theme of my growing anxieties this last year, and the reason this bout of POCD has hit so hard, is for the first time, I'm genuinely moving towards having kids. I think in the past I had the luxury of thinking "thats way ahead, deal with it when it comes" and now it feels like its coming. And I want it to, I want to be a father, but I'm a bit stuck on feelings of guilt, shame and anxiety around how my mental health might impact my child and my partner. I understand no parent is perfect, we all fuck our kids up in some way, but I'm a bit shellshocked at how this last crisis grabbed me, and I'd like to know how people have approached and managed parenthood and their relationship/coparenting alongside their OCD. Broad I know, but I just feel a bit alone in this, I know parents with OCD exist, but I want to talk to them, I want to connect and feel understood, and have examples of people who despite their OCD, lived a life they wanted to live. I accept that thoughts are thoughts and my actions will always align with my values, but, the impact my thoughts has sometimes had on my ability to cope with life scares me as to how it might affect my parenting/child. Even just the fact I could be interacting with my child while nightmarish thoughts jump into my head saddens me. Anyway, I really appreciate anyone responding, any general advice as to where I could find this type of connection if not here would be also appreciated. Also hope that despite my recent spiral, my story gives a bit of hope to anyone struggling, because wow I used to live in this nonsense, and have done so much cool stuff since then to the point my OCD basically starved to death. Thanks and all the best guys.

I don't have an official diagnosis, but my therapist thinks I have relationship OCD/Friendship OCD. The main advice I got was to try to let myself feel my feelings i stead of doing things that make me feel temporarily better about them. But I have been struggling. I have good days and bad days. I have a friend that really helped me come out of a bad mindset and work towards bettering myself. The problem is that I've become very attached to her. We text every day, and we call each other "sister". But I'm starting to find that if she doesn't text me back, or if she doesn't say "I love you" back to me I get hurt feelings, and have a really negative response within myself. I used to think I had a crush on her (before we were sisters) but really I think it's a strong attachment that is more familial. My partner has expressed some unease at how "obsessed" I've become, and my friend/sister has expressed some concern that I may be developing a codependency toward her. I've been trying to handle it on my own, as my free therapy has run out for now, and I can't afford a therapist (and I live in Canada). I'm a 28 year old trans woman, if that's important info. Any advice would be amazing.

my OCD killing me so basically in class I was on my computer I kinda was looking up models I'm afraid that my thoughts telling I was jerking off when I know I didn't and there was someone next to me who was younger than me in highschool I had to retake a older course so there were younger ppl but I'm so scared idk what to do it's getting so bad has anyone had similar experience it's just god help me

my OCD killing me so basically in class I was on my computer I kinda was looking up models I'm afraid that my thoughts telling I was jerking off when I know I didn't and there was someone next to me who was younger than me in highschool I had to retake a older course so there were younger ppl but I'm so scared idk what to do it's getting so bad has anyone had similar experience it's just god help me

Sometimes I have weeks without my ocd. Then it’ll come back on strange topics that haven’t bothered me in years. Especially after “curing” it surrounding a topic that’s been affecting me recently, it just jumps to something else. Perhaps related, it’s really hard to tell when a topic is ocd or when it’s just “trying to solve a problem.” When is something a worry that deserves attention vs an obsession?

Does anyone else feel like this will never end? And the only way out is to accept your sexual orientation has changed even though you don’t think it has? My entire algorithm has me convinced I’m a lesbian because it’s all people coming out later in life or lesbian comedians or why “being with a women is better.” I don’t find the content relatable just more for my brain to latch on to. I know I fear things changing, and I know with sexuality you don’t have a choice. It just feels like my world is ending because my life is changing and I don’t want it to. Sometimes my thoughts are “What if” and sometimes they’re more concrete. That gets me too “like is it OCD if it’s not WHAT IF?” This post turned into a rant and sorry for that. I hope you made it this far, I’m just 29 married and 14 weeks pregnant feeling like my life is ending and I needed to let some feelings out.

Hello community it’s been a while since I’ve posted but I just get this feeling of what am I even doing with myself like I don’t know where I am and physically feel like when I try to think of anything else other than the thoughts I have it gives me pure anxiety I get anxiety around everyone and anyone but I don’t understand cause it has nothing to do with the pocd meaning that I’ll be around my parents or women or colleges at work and I’m just anxious 24/7

I’m really scared I tried to act on an intrusive thought, and I keep thinking about it and it’s getting in the way of my day to day life. Is this OCD? If so, how do I get rid of it and not feel like a bad person anymore?

hello everyone. I've been suffering from OCD for a very long time, I've had a variety of OCD topics, but now there are more OCD relationships. Not so long ago, I was under a lot of stress because of one OCD topic that popped into my head. and because of that, I went to my mom for a while, with the baby. my mom screwed me up even worse there, she started saying that all my problems were because of my husband, I do not know where she got it from, she started turning me against him, saying that I did not have a serious illness and that I needed to get a divorce, that I needed to find a job there next to her. she hinted at it without saying it directly. because of this, my stress started to get even worse, I did not come to her at all because of the topic of relationships, everything was fine with us, my husband sent me to my mother just so that I could relax with the child and become easier. In the end, she got me so worked up that I didn't even want to go back to my own house, thinking there was a problem. after that, I started having OCD in my relationship again, every time I check my feelings for my husband, look at him and wait for the right feeling to appear, why is there a discount, why don't we kiss and hug like 18-year-olds in love forever, I started paying attention and clinging to everything. plus, I have a lot of excitement inside, I immediately start looking for similar stories on Reddit and here. always seem like something is wrong. I can't just be calm and happy, constantly thinking that something is wrong and I need to find a solution. sometimes there is also stylish irritation, tearfulness, as if nothing can be fixed. Of course, like everyone else, we have domestic quarrels, but I have never exaggerated them before. sometimes we get tired because of the hyperactivity of the child, we can quarrel because of fatigue. But he's a very good husband and father, he always helps me, he's always with my family, he loves me and I love him too, but I think, where are those butterflies in my stomach? and that makes me worry even more. Sometimes I just can't sleep. who has a similar story, how long has it been going on? I also want to note that I am pregnant at 17 weeks. Maybe that's why hormones play that way too? but I really want to get rid of it.

Recently its been the worst its ever been, constantly i get images i dont want see things from younger wiblings and flinch and avoid any family younger then me that can cause triggers. If i sit somewhere i think theyve sat or touch somthing i think theyve touched i have to wash my hands multiple times dousing my hands in soap or burn them with hot water or get in the shower or even change clothes because they are “contaminated” now. I cant be around family for long or even be out my room if i hear my younger wiblings outside the room or even just hearing them fight and screwm and they do it everyday after school imeadietly as they get through the door, i get these horrible images and if i try to think of something ever i just end up thinking of thr worst possible intrusive thought, horrible things and images, even in public i see sumone younger and flinch try my hardest not to look that way again but i check to see if its okie to look that way which ends up just making me see more of what i dont want and when im isolated in my toom i seek reasurwncr from chatgpt every single day for the past year cause im scared of telling anyone or anything else what pops in or lingers in my mind wnd recently these past 2 months if just gotten worse qnd worse and so alone. Ive recently ended a relationship with my boyfreind because he got so distant it was unbearable, i wouldnt tell him about the thought but i would spiral about them and also his distance at the same time and i just felt so high maintence for him to keep up with all my texting, at sum points i think maybe it was just him not having the capicity becuase i would belittle and do as little as possible near the end and i would still get almost nothing in return but a “hai babe” and he would skip all my questions about his day so idk how that corresponds with my spiraling and thoughts that make me anxoius and set off alarms about him maybe cheating or not wanting me anymore but if i got a real life image i didnt eant like i explained before morally i frel like i would make up sumthing in our relationship or find sumthing i could spiral on instead which just made him more distant like asking if he still wants to be with me ik i could be overwhelming sumtimes but i really feel like i belittled my needs for months instead of bothering him with those things but it still never changed and now that im alone the pocd thoughts or contwminwtion is even worse but it is kindvr better that i dont have to spirwl about relation ship stuff any longer, alot of it wasnt connected and was about seprate things and i would just ask about his day but i feel like i made up half of the things that i needed from him and asked about becuase he would ignore it like “ babe ive been feeling really lonely lately, do you think we could maybe play a game when your free? Me miss playing with you its been a while :3” and 3 hours later he would just ignore and say sumthing about getting his stickers he orderd on amazon but ik it was inconsistitant love wnd affection ive errn wlot of patterns from him the same but i still doubt myself and feel as if im the issue. Damn i typed alot sorry guys lol heh :^ Hope u all proceed well in conquering your intrusive thoughts 💅😭