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i just went through something and really feel like someone needs to hear this and not feel alone. i was going through some sort of panic/anxiety attack where i felt like i wasn’t myself in a way. it completely came out of nowhere and felt like it was based off of nothing. i felt not in control with my obsessions and no matter what i did to distract myself, i felt just off and awful. i was spiraling with my feelings and my thoughts that were adding even more distress. honestly, it felt like it was never going to end. i can only really remember 2 other times within the last year that i’ve felt this way. but i want you to know, IT WILL PASS. i know it feels so shitty in the moment, feeling like absolutely nothing or no one can alleviate the panic, anxiety, thoughts, confusion, emotions, and so on. but i’m finally seeing the other side of it and feeling like myself again. while i never really feel 100% anymore, i see more light than i did in that moment. you are so so so loved and understood by this community. never feel afraid to speak about these difficult times and allow people talk you through it.
Does anyone ever worry that they’re inherently a bad person just waiting to do something horrific?
Does anyone else ever question if/doubt that their feelings are real? I've been doing that near constantly for a long time now, and it causes a LOT of distress (at least I THINK it's distress). Lately when I feel spiritual and read my scriptures, pray, or watch a religious message, or get the urge to, my brain says, "What if you're only doing this out of compulsion, not cuz you really want to?? What if your spiritual feelings are fake?" It hurts a lot to feel that way. Years ago my OCD was causing me to do insane scrupulous rituals, and in the aftermath, my concept of OCD rituals and healthy, spiritually uplifting rituals got crossed. :/ Like, "Is that the Holy Ghost or are you just being mentally ill again?" There are other feelings that my brains doubts, but spiritual ones are the most distressing.
Anyone else get so deep into the OCD cycle that they can barely disprove the thoughts anymore? Compulsions don’t even help me anymore. I have no relief. I have been thinking about taking my life every day and have no will to live anymore. I can’t see my future, have no idea what life is anymore. I look in the mirror and have a panic attack because I feel like I don’t know the person looking back at me.
OCD Journey Stories
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It can feel like stepping into a bizarre version of the world, and all you want to do is get out.
By Michael Corey
Read my Existential OCD story →Researching if its the end if the world 😱😱😩😩
People keep telling me we wont die because of climate change. But my brain tell me that it's not true ? And I cant stop worrying. Im currently trying to combat that, trying to remember that just because my brain says it it's not true but it's so hard. Any advice?
I am so tired of feeling like this. I feel so hopeless, I’m having intrusive thoughts about my mom and children but it’s not what if it’s “you’re going to do such and such” I feel like my brain has taken over me. I don’t feel happy and I just sit around everyone and pretend like I’m okay when really I’m having horrible thoughts. Also I don’t feel like myself feels like someone else is controlling me. When I think of myself it’s like in 3rd person, for example when I look at my children my brain is like “those aren’t your kids those are Breanna’s kids” or when I talk to friends and family my brain says “those are Breanna’s friends and family” then It’s like I’m just not scared anymore but I want to be like I need to be scared to be normal if that makes sense. I feel like it just took over and I’m going to give in but it doesn’t scare me so now I think I’m just crazy or stuck like this. I feel numb and just out of it like I’m losing hope. Also I had a nightmare like in my dream I had intrusive harm thoughts like I can’t get a break even when I’m sleep or when I wake up. I haven’t really been able to eat because it makes me nauseous I just feel pointless ugh 🥺
I'm trying to get a general idea of what the community believes. Yes or no answers only please. Once I get a good number of replies I'll follow up with info. Is your brain who you are?
So I was recently diagnosed with ocd and I have always been told since I was little that I have ocd tendencies but I worry that I am not ocd enough. Like what if I don’t have enough like things to address. Sometimes I worry that I’m faking it but I can’t tell the difference between what’s fake and what real
Does anyone constantly feel like they have to think about who they are and even who they used to be or it seems like you’re going to lose yourself. I’m also dealing with depersonalization so I feel like I’m going to just slip away
I don’t even know how to start but this is the worst type of intrusive thoughts i’ve had and it’s breaking me down.I really need to find comfort in this but have no idea how.I have intrusive thoughts about my religion and God which I can’t even describe in detail because I feel horrible about it.Its thoughts about death,contradicting my beliefs and saying i don’t like my religion and what I believe in,terrifying thoughts about afterlife. really need help with this It’s literally tearing me down and it’s sickening to me.I’ll try going into more detail if anyone needs it,if I don’t feel too uncomfortable.
how do you accept uncertainty I find it impossible and so distressing? It’s ruining my life😔
Does anyone else with ocd feel like it’s hard to feel things sometimes. Like for example thinking of someone passing away u don’t feel sad. Or like just everyday things it’s hard to like know how u feel? If so what is this?!
Hello fellow ocd sufferers hahaha So yesterday my therapist asked me if I was exposed to gore at a young age which actually the answer was no And really nop But as I grew up I became a big fan of Tarantino movies and resident evil games Gorey things that are not so serious like evil dead and some horror movies Like I cannot enjoy movies where people suffer like really suffer or people torture other people or living beings just for the pleasure of it like hostal or saw There's like a limit of what I'd watch But the question of my therapist left me wondering if that makes me a bad person or that makes my ocd worse And if I should avoid these movies I really love Tarantino movies because they're about revenge, journey, self discovery, they have great soundtracks and amazing photography but idk My mind also hasn't been really well to watch that stuff lately
Who am I if not my thoughts, sensations, feelings, or urges? I know some people say you are your values or you are your actions. However, aren’t your values and actions dependent on your thoughts, feelings, urges, and sensations? How can actions and values even arise without dependence on either a thought, feeling, sensations, or urge?
what do you guys do when it feels so real? i’m doubting everything i ever knew, this is terrifying. it feels so real. stuff i used to be certain about i have no idea anymore.
As the title states I wad woken up by strange bird chirping that I've never heard before and it's making me anxious, I guess my brain is making me think that this is somehow a warning for something and now I'm anxious thinking about what the warning can be about and now a million of possibilities is running through my mind?? I'm not sure if it's tuition or anxiety, I just want to go back to sleep peacefully 😭 I hope this doesn't seem like I'm seeking reassurance but I just wanted to get this off my chest at least..
I grew up very conservative and strict and it definitely fed my ocd. I parted ways with religion because of how I never felt “good enough” even though I tried to follow all of the rules. This was after my church community escorted me from the campus because of the rumor that I was gay, even though I was an 18 year old and had poured my heart and soul into to ministry. Now, even though I’m not religious, I still get so afraid about god and religion and that I’m being “called back to god” like my parents and family begs in their prayers for me every day. Like certain numbers or sayings either feel like messages from god or messages from the devil to try and trick me. The thing is that now, I finally have a comfortable life after being abandoned because they thought I was gay, and I’ve finally rebuilt and have so much better of a life. But I keep getting painful thoughts that this is all a rouse and that satan is intentionally making my life “comfortable” (which I still face a lot of stuff because I have had to grow up and figure things out myself) to trick me from coming back to god. Even though I was severely abused and harmed and manipulated by that community, I’m so scared they are right and that me fighting for my freedom was all a waste, and that I’m going to hell. I do things to mitigate this now like burn incense and repeat phrases and other things but I’m so scared that “god” is trying to save me and call me back to him, and that the people who harmed me so bad were right to and should even more now. It’s so disheartening because I truly feel like I have worked hard to find love and safety with my loving partners and found family. But to my parents, and to my ocd, I’m just living in sin awaiting hell. How do I “expose” myself to this? Like how to I break the fear? It’s lead me to do harmful things to myself, like pulling my head out, scratching, hitting myself, and some other self harm that I feel like I can’t control. It’s really impacting my life and my loved ones now who have seen me conquer so much are now seeing me in such a dark place, and it hurts them too. So the question is are these things signs from god for me to leave this beautiful and safe life I’ve built to fling myself back into a life that is physically and emotionally painful but for the sake of my soul? Or just my ocd that probably stems from growing up in that environment?
How do you know if it’s your ocd blowing something out of proportion or it’s actually as serious as you think. Like I want to believe that I’m just over thinking, over-worrying, and catastrophizing, but the thought that I could just be minimizing something or or just biding my time until something horrible is preventing me from being able to manage my ocd.
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