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I just started Exposure and Response prevention teraphy due to my OCD getting worsed as time pass by and I would like to ask question to someone who has gone throught his process already.

Hello, My husband has moderate to severe OCD. He struggles with contamination, some checking, some tied to religion/prayer/confession and really bad intrusive thoughts. He has been diagnosed. As his wife, he often asks for reassurance. "Did you wash your hands with soap?" "Did you touch the trashcan?" Those are a few examples. How do I respond to these frequent questions in a healthy way? Any tips or pointers, because I only understand OCD very little.

I was diagnosed with ocd in second grade, I’m 21 now.. it started out with me being a “clean freak” I would have melt downs if things were out of place or order. I would also have to sing the abcs while washing my hands. If I was interrupted, I would have to start over. As I became a teen, depression and anxiety hit. This made me become messy in a way. Things being in order didn’t matter. However, intrusive thoughts and repetitiveness took over my brain. (still struggling with this BAD) for example anytime I cook on the stove, I will look to make sure it’s off what seems to be a thousand times or else the house will burn down or we will get carbon monoxide poisoning and it will be all my fault. I KNOW ITS OFF DEEP DOWN but I can’t stop looking at it because WHAT IF. I have the same problem with social media. I have to have my boyfriend check to make sure I didn’t post anything every time I get on Facebook or Snapchat. My brain tells me I posted a stupid picture or something embarrassing knowing damn well I didn’t. I can’t stop. This takes up my life. It’s so draining. Every little thing I do I overthink. I seen this app on TikTok hoping to find my people. I feel like I’m going crazy..

I feel like I’ll get these STRONG feelings that my partner will cheat on me or is cheating on me even though I have little to no evidence of this. We even just had an amazing open and honest talk about where we want our relationship to go and he’s been consistently honest and followed through since we’ve started dating. The problem is that he really enjoys his alone time and there’s huge gaps between text 5-6 hours. This isn’t a change in behavior because it’s been this way since we started dating 4 months ago. But now since I’m falling in love with him I am so worried something terrible will happen or is happening and I ruminate looking for evidence and looking for signs that I’m right everywhere because my biggest fear is being cheated on and lied to for a long period of time without knowing. I do have self esteem issues that I need to work through as well, but it’s hard because I’ve been cheated on before and it was devastating and has left me with more trust issues then I’ve ever had. I’m even open and honest about my fear of cheating and no matter what he says or does it DOESNT alleviate my anxieties and my “gut feelings” (although I hate that term because what even is that?) I waste hours looking at videos, reading articles of cheating partners, the signs to look for, stories of the partners or got cheated on. I know I would never cheat on him, my ocd fixated on what he could do, what is he capable of doing, and how can I protect myself. I’m so exhausted and defeated. What do I do?

Does anyone struggle with feeling like when something good happens in your life, or your excited about an accomplishment that you feel undeserving of it? You feel excited or happy about something then the intrusive thoughts come back saying "no you aren't a good person so you don't deserve to feel good" almost? I am really struggling with this bc once it sets in, it prevents me from moving forward and continuing the thing that was making me happy bc I don't truly believe I deserve good things. Any helpful tips to come out of this? I'm working with positive affirmations reminding myself "you are a good person with a loving heart" but it's like I'm lying to myself when I say them.

I’ve been on Paxil for a year never had anxiety or my one intrusive thought that made me so anxious and stuck , after seeing the Lindsey case I’ve been horrible my doctors upped my Paxil to 40mg still having my one intrusive thought stuck !! Anyone have any ocd medication that really helped them thinking of switching !

Hey everyone! I’m new to this app, but not new when it comes to OCD treatments. A few years ago I had to leave school/ my job in order to work on my mental health which was hard but needed. Mentally things have more or less gotten better OCD wise but I still really struggle with protectionism. I started a new job within the past 6 months that is challenging, but I enjoy enough to hopefully stay at for a few years. As of the past two weeks I have been really struggling with ruminating over my performance at work. I have been trying really hard to learn all the moving parts of the job, but because of lack of mentoring and constant little hiccups I have been stressing. Currently I have been overwhelmed/ overthinking so much that I have been messing up my work and it seems like my coworkers are pretty annoyed by constantly having to correct me. It’s honestly my worst fear as a perfectionist to feel like a burden. My intrusive thoughts as of late is that they are going to think I don’t care or try hard enough, that they talk bad about me to each other, and that they are going to fire me. Has anyone else experienced this type of OCD perfectionism that affects there performance within school or work and if so is there anything that you did in order to help recenter yourself in the moment to stop your brain from running in circles?

i know there’s some therapy like exposure and response but how will that work for me? like im so scared of e. coli that i will shower with BLEACH to kill that awful bacteria… i want this to be over, i hate having these burns. i hate these headaches from the smell. i hate it all. i can’t live like this anymore.

My partner proves to me each day how much he loves me. He is kind, patient, and most importantly present. Even so, I obsess over the small flaws and convince myself he isn’t good or he is a “liar.” It’s almost as if i self sabotage and will believe the fears in my head to the point where I am obsessing that he isn’t the one. The constant theme was planted in my head when his EX 2.5 years ago called him a Narcissist because he no longer wanted to be with her. Now every time something isn’t perfect i obsess over that term and convince myself he is a bad person over very minor things. please help me. i love him and he sticks by my side even when i’m in an obsession. I have shared these thoughts with him and he will sit there and go through the characteristics of a “Narcissist” and will logically help me see that he doesn’t fit that description to help me cope. He is good. I just want to be happy with him rather, him being my theme. My ocd attacks all things I love the most.

You all inspire me greatly and your constant bravery is so encouraging. I’m newer here. My biggest question is - how have you all that deal with ROCD and have had success in managing it, sift through the differences of ROCD thoughts (which drive self sabotage) vs. legitimate concerns in a relationship or partners behavior? Do you find at times ROCD grabs hold of something small or normal in relationship conflict (like white lies from your partner or defensiveness) and blow it up to larger than life indicators that drive your anxiety/ruminations to be incessant? How do you cope? (I just started ERP)

I’m in the thick of dosage adjustments, feeling awful and looking for a glimmer of hope!

Is anyone in a relationship, an extremely happy one and loyal one. But you see a person and you find them attractive and you feel guilty? You feel like you’re cheating and it’s consuming your mind.

I don’t know how to get rid of them

Why do I do compulsions but feel no anxiety? Also why do I get the anxiety and do no compulsions? It’s confusing me 😖

So, I cheated on my wife last year, bad, I know. We were going through divorce at the time and we had a rough last year. For years before I felt unhappy because she wasn't giving me what I need, I'd tell her what I need and how to give it to mee and she says her way should be enough. I felt more like a room mate than a husband. We've been married for 10 years and she hasn't had a job until 2021 when I got out of active duty army. I tried for years to help her get a job and she just didn't want one. She would sit at home, playing on her phone or games or watching TV while dishes and recycling piled up. We had our first son in 2020 and it made her even less desiring a job. We had my chores and her chores and she says that we should just share the chores, which I agreed too until she never helped me with what were my chores. We recently had our second son and she's upset that she has to temporarily go back to work while hes almost a month old, which I can understand. While we were going through divorce she tried to commit suicide, went to a hospital, learned all this stuff and even realized how I felt before the divorce stuff. She learned of my cheating we fought and reconciled but she has returned to the way she was before divorce and cheating. She thinks she's the only victim and doesn't see that I'm unhappy with how things have been going. She changed from how she was while we dated. I married that woman, not this woman. She says she changed into what she thought I wanted but never asked or listened to what I wanted and need. I'm also highly into BDSM and I'm a Dominant and she was my sub while we dated. It's how we met. Well, since marriage I've had to try and surpress the BDSM side of me even though before we got married, I told her numerous times that I can't be vanilla. Well it's come out in fights that she doesn't understand that it's a part of me and that I can't be me. I have to hide and surpress myself. I have been diagnosed with anxiety driven depression. She has some of my ocd traits. We'd start watching a movie, or show, and during she'd want to leave and go somewhere and get mad that I wanted to finish what we started watching, even if we've seen it numerous times. She hates that I need to have things mirrored and that I get upset with my projects if they aren't like perfect, especially when I know I can do better. I tell her I need her to initiate things like hugs or cuddling and sex instead of me always having to do it, she doesn't understand no matter how many times I explain it to her. I feel like I have to do everything while she sits and does nothing. I mean now she has a new born we have to deal with and a toddler. But if I don't do something, it almost never gets done, even before we had kids. I don't make much at my civilian job, I've tried getting a job that pays more and get denied. We are behind on phone, internet and power bills because I don't make enough to pay rent, gas for my vehicle and all the other bills. She just wants to sit and do nothing and gets mad that I want her to have a job to help out.

When I was younger I was a very edgy person and I drew a lot of edgy anime art of the adult variety. I am ashamed of what I drew and I removed it all from online. (However some things were reposted and simply can't be taken down which horrify me)However now I find it hard for me to even draw at all at times because every time I see my art style it triggers me. I used to love drawing and I used to use it as a coping mechanism and as a way to escape but now it's just something that I dread and I just don't do anymore. I really miss creating art and creating stories but now I'm so ashamed I feel like I don't deserve my talent. I feel like I'm not worthy enough to be an artist anymore not even for myself. Has anyone else ever felt like this?

Hello I am new to this application. I am 34 years old and I’m not sure if I have OCD but I’ve noticed that the last two weeks I have been having these horrible thoughts I can’t believe I am having them. It makes me so sad and scared and I can’t seem to stop crying. I’m going on week two feeling this way and can’t seem to get myself out of it. How can I possibly have thoughts about harming my child? They are the precious gift from God. They’re my flesh and bone how can I?? The anxiety I get every day has turned into having it all day and night, just the thought of How I can could possibly think of such thing, now followed by depression and lack of sleep. I have never had this problem ever up until now. I can’t even watch any crime shows or the news because it spikes my anxiety. I can’t even look at anything like knives, guns because it causes me major distress.

Hello, My name is Rebecca. I have had OCD since I was 15, but was not diagnosed until I was 26 by a psychiatrist. I have experienced Relationship OCD, Religious OCD, POCD, SO-OCD, Transgender OCD and Harm OCD. I do also identify with Pure O OCD. With the different themes over the years, I always experience the same feelings: a heavy chest, unsettled stomach and of course guilt and doubt. I have been managing quite well for the last 2 years with the help of 4 steps that I have obtained through the book Brain Lock by Jeffrey Schwartz. So, I am writing this because I have been experiencing a bit of a lapse. Now, it’s not quite a theme. I recently got back from a vacation from Disneyworld with my mother and daughter. We really enjoyed ourselves and decided to go back again next year. So, I have been excited planning and thinking about Disney a lot. About 4 days ago I had a thought that my thinking about Disney was my OCD. So, of course it scared me and I got the usual feelings and now I don’t even want to think about Disney, watch Disney+ or see anything Disney. It scares me and I have guilt. I also feel upset about it because we had such a good time, and had good memories. Now my OCD is ruining it! I know it’s not a bad thing to be excited about planning a vacation and thinking about Disney! But, my OCD is telling me different. It’s so random and I am kinda struggling with how to cope with this! Thank you, Rebecca

Does anyone have the intrusive thought that maybe they should just end their life? I really don’t want to but the urge feels so real. I’m just so confused. I have not been diagnosed with OCD but I’m pretty sure I have it.

I've got a Christmas party with my husband's family this afternoon and there will be a LOT of people there. I'm so anxious to go because his family always seems to be sick with something. There will also be a few very young children (walking petri dishes in my opinion). How can I enjoy myself and not let the fear of catching something get to me? I'll be using my response prevention messages of course, but those don't always work for me. There's going to be about 35-40 of us in a small home exchanging presents and eating and drinking. (I will not be eating or drinking ofc) It really bothers my husband when I'm anxious and uncomfortable around his family and I'd like to be calm and happy and enjoy myself for him and for my sake as well. Any advice would be appreciated!