Welcome to
the NOCD Community

Hi, hope everyone is having an ok day. I wanted to throw the question out there to see if anyone has shared this similar experience (yes this may be a compulsion, but I am desperate right now and don’t know where else to turn to.) So my main theme started as POCD a few weeks ago after learning more about OCD. I would have frequent HOCD thoughts, but usually disregarded them as POCD were more disturbing (weird, but true) and distressing to me in the moment. Now, within the last few days, my themes have changed to 85% HOCD and I am thinking about all sorts of things and then placing myself in jail for “committing “ these crimes. It is absolutely driving me bonkers and messing with my ability to function. I had a hysterical Crying attack earlier where I felt like this was never going to end and I was hopeless. P.S. I believe I have had OCD for many years, but it has not been this heightened before. Any advice or similarities? Thanks you guys.

Are there any ways that I can make sure that I am actually straight? I am not homophobic but I just hate it when I have the gay thoughts in my head. It is just not me. I feel like I am losing myself. I cried a lot. I was scared and depressed. Please help me.

So basically I'm on the brink of saying to my parents I'm not straight. But I dont feel like there's going to be any relief ?. I don't get it ?

Does anyone here have OCD and ADHD? If so, how could you tell you had ADHD and that it wasn’t just avoidance of stressors or compulsions mimicking the same behavior? I have contamination OCD and social anxiety but lately I’ve been questioning if I also have ADHD because I’ve been seeing a lot of mental health pages talking about their experiences with ADHD and I really relate to a lot of their posts. I want to bring it up with my therapist but I didn’t want to seem like I’m shopping for symptoms and he didn’t catch it before when I did the super intensive survey thing before I started my intensive outpatient program. But I am a female in my mid-20s and I was a “gifted-kid” (who is really struggling now) so I don’t know if maybe that is skewing the perception of me. Any advice? I am truly lost here.

How do people cope with a lack of support at home? One of my ocd themes is contamination and I sometimes have very very dry hands that are really noticeable and people will comment on them. My dad doesn’t really “believe” in mental illness despite all my diagnoses and appointments with specialists, I’ve been diagnosed with ocd for eight years now. He is very against medication and when I was taking it, he’d ask every day if I was still using it, would I ever stop taking it, when will I stop taking it, etc. so I just ceased it myself to keep him quiet and he was so glad when I did. Tonight he said that my hands looked awful, I need to stop washing them, I need to stop using so much soap. He’s brought this up many times these past few weeks but today I just burst into tears. I told him he’s not the one who has to deal with them, I’m the one who’s in physical pain every time I move them, that I don’t enjoy washing my hands so often, and that he never even tried to understand what it’s been like all these years. I’ve pretty much accepted that this will be something I’ll always struggle with. When I’m medicated I feel a little better, I can often challenge the urge to wash my hands but as I said he hates the idea of medication as well. I can’t win. I’m sorry for the lengthy post, I’m tired and sad and I don’t have anyone to talk to. I’ve had the worst week at work and this has tipped me over the edge.

Does anyone else's hocd make them think like they want to be with the same sex?

When I have my obsessive thought I try to turn my focus on something else. Even If I manage to distract my mind, I still have the obsessive thought in the background, feels like its stuck in my mind. Is someone else dealing with this? How do you manage to "unstuck" ? I try to think sometimes of a comedian doing funny sounds everytime the thought gets in my guts. But I dont know If its good the replace the thought

I just want to rant about my struggles with OCD. Sometimes my thoughts are about harming me or someone else it's been my main freak out. Since for a week I can't stop seeing terrible images. I can't eat or sleep properly since it's been going on. I can't even draw anymore due to the thoughts. I panic so badly I'm going numb I start to feel emotionless until I obsess over my thoughts I feel my emotions come back. Since I've been fighting with myself to stop it. I feel like it's toxic around my family members since they have to put up with me and my panic attacks. I feel like my sister is giving up on me she's been helping me fight it for four years now. I don't blame here for wanting to take a break away from me. I'm at a state where I believe that I'm my bad thoughts that I'm lying to others that I'm not this disgusting person. That I'm a manipulator it scares me. I'm at a battle that I'm not. I don't believe it since for a few months back I was happy with better thoughts even though it was poking at me I had better control. Now I'm constantly freaking out and crying mostly everyday. I can't stop them making me believe that I want to be like this. I just want everything to be normal again I want to be happy the way I used to be. My imagination is no longer a place for me to be happy to being corrupted by bad thoughts. My interest in things I like or doing is also leaving me. I feel lifeless most of the time until I fixate on the bad. I also been pulling out my hair I just picked up this habit a few days ago. When I had my first panic attack about bad thoughts I never done this. It seems to get worst over the years. I don't want to be stuck like this I kept trying to move forward but I keep getting trapped into this endless cycle of darkness. I had good thoughts I was being motivated by them but in a few minutes I started to worry about the bad again. I can't get help by an actual therapist since I'm poor and can't afford the treatment here, every place that is near me aren't accepting new patients. I can't go out of town to get help since it's also too expensive. I feel trapped, allowing this to lose my goals that I want to achieve in life. Sorry if this is too long or repetitive. I feel a little better typing out my thoughts.

Can someone tell me if you can get used to depersonalization/derealization? I don't remember what normal feels like so I doubt Ill ever feel like that again.

I'm really hurt. Can I talk to someone please?

My health related OCD has been so bad. I I'm trying an online 12-week program focus just on health anxiety but stopping myself from compulsively checking my body has been so difficult. Physical sensations are common and I have an 11-month-old that is such an energetic joy but physically demanding. Even though I know there are rational reasons to a lot I'm so sick of being scared of my body and being afraid to do simple things like my daily showers looking in the mirror etc.... Pretty much almost every time I touch my body I'm scanning for illness. I don't know if there are certain types of therapy other than ERP or avenues for health-related OCD. If anyone has any advice it would surely be appreciated. I don't want my daughter growing up seeing me compulsively check all the time.

Hey there! Committing myself to getting the help I need. I’ve had a lot of break up urges (first thing in the morning to last thing at night) from the very beginning of my this new long distance relationship I’m in. From the beginning their feeling towards me have been a lot more full on than mine from them, but I feel subconsciously/under the blanket of constant worries and doubts that I can grow with them and have a good time. I’ve visited them in person, which went pretty well but thoughts were still there, and they will soon visit me, but this in-between time has lead to a lot of anxiety. If I “take a step back” I realize how I’ve gone from one 24/7 thought to another for several years now all related to my identity and how i interact with others. The person of question also has a history of symptoms similar to mine, so they have a lot of empathy, but there’s also the chances of it turning into a mess. Should I continue to step into the deep end? I’m also hoping to get a therapist specializing in erp but who has a more holistic view of things as well. A lot of resources on rocd have helped (they may seem a bit “hippy dippy” but they also have allowed me to reflect on issues with our culture and media and how they promote black and white thinking). The thought of being just friends with the person in question is persistent, but I also want to continue to develop something deeper and not live in anxiety, especially as they get me in a way no one else does and there’s something magical about that. Why can’t my brain allow me to just go with the flow? I have little glimpses here and there into “what could be.” Why not continue to give it a try for a reason other than anxiety?

I don't believe in God and I know it's all scientifically not true but a few days ago I prayed (even tho I don't believe in God and know not religious) and right after something very good happened so now I'm scared if the praying stuff actually worked like what the actual fuck that is crazy and I know that makes no sense because it's scientifically not possible but now I prayed again and now I'm scared that something good will happen again because that "proves" That it actually works

Help someone is this hocd or not. Sometime I feel as tho I'm being forced into this 😔

I could use some advice, maybe from multiple people. This isn't exactly OCD related but anxiety and mental health related and I didn't know where else to go for for advice. So basically recently my sister got into a relationship and she is 16 and old enough for one so its nothing to do with her and her bf, it more has to do with me. I'm 20 and in college and haven't dsteddated anyone yet. It hurts sometimes to think about and it seems my mom is always bringing up my sister's bf and telling people she has one, etc and it honestly makes me feel awful about myself. I am really afraid my mom or other family members think I am a freak for never having a bf. I really want to talk to my mom about and just tell her what's on my heart and how I feel like a weirdo for never having a relationship. But i didn't know if this would be a form of reassurance seeking or if it would make things worse bc I've been trying to just play it off like i don't care and stuff so i don't know if I'll regret talking to her or if it would just be weird. Any advice would be appreciated. Sorry for the long random post

Relationship OCD “but wait” that is WITH … everyone on the planet including myself 🤦🏻‍♀️!? Does anyone else feel this way? I cannot feel like I am connecting with anyone anymore. I don’t trust anyone as being authentic or truely listening to me or caring… i even feel like I dont trust my own feelings or judgments. I did not know what lonely was till now. I ruminate on every conversation even ones with my therapist. So I don’t know if im being authenic if im analysing my own conversations during them. Everything feels fake and I feel so alone and unloved and unable to love. I want to feel GOOD. Loved and like I am in love. In the moment. Young. I want to feel young while I am young. Ill be thirty in a couple years and ive wasted my youth on OCD. I want to know someone and be known before I get old 😔 but I dont know if ive ever been young. My life is gone. Runined.

Ok I need to rant. I’m a believer in Jesus. But I also have ocd and specifically ROCD so I’ve really been going through it for some time. My current thing is like - If I listen to sermons or read the Bible they just add to my obsessions and trigger anxiety so I’ve been just trying to focus on writing music cause it doesn’t give me anxiety and I think I am on earth partially to write music. Anyways now I feel like a sinner / not Christian or something because it’s like I don’t listen to sermons and I only read like a little of the Bible daily. So I wonder does anybody have a simeler experience and any advice? Thanks.

If youre reading please help. Ok so i have a friend i grew up with. We used to hang out more but now its kind of off and on. So thing is she came out and ever since I just felt weird. We used to have this other friend group and our other friend was a guy who was gay. Anyways when my one friend came out she was saying stuff like you choose who you love well me and my other friend were like no people dont choose to be gay they are born like that. Anyways fast forward to now and i just feel really off. Shes gotten all these tattos and dresses more butch. And it makes me uncomfortable. Idk. I never felt uncomfortable around my guy friend. But with her its really weird. We started hanging out again and my dad doesnt like it that shes gay and she also went through alot and my dad just thinks that it means shes a bad influence. I made the mistake of telling him shes gay and my dad was fine with her before that. I really have no idea if im just letting that get in the way (other peoples thoughts) or if i just dont feel comfortable with her anymore. I think i used to be ok but now she really only hangs out with gay guys most of the time. Idk it’s really weird whenever she brings up dating girls. We made plans to go hang out later this week and im just so confused. I really only have two friends rn and i feel like cutting each one out for different reasons. But then ill be left with no one. But then im like thats not a reason to not cut people off.... so im at a loss! Idk when it comes to friends I really dont know if im going about this the right way.

i have looked this up before to see if anyone else got this with Relgious OCD but never found anything. I get these terrible thoughts about something bad happening and then I make like a would you rather in my head I say would I rather this terrible thing happen not happen or go to heaven. and then I spend hours ruminating on what I would rather or I feel like I won't go to heaven.

can ROCD make you feel like you don’t love him? i do love him and even on good days there’s always has anxious feeling in me that brings on the what if’s and makes me feel like i don’t want to be with him. i have been diagnosed but i still question if i want to be with him. there was a time in my life where this was not even a question and i knew that he was the one i wanted to be with but my theme switched to ROCD a couple months ago and it feels like i’ll never be the same