- Date posted
- 48w ago
ROCD
Any success stories with ROCD and ERP? Would love some encouragement❤️
Any success stories with ROCD and ERP? Would love some encouragement❤️
well i struggle really badly w ROCD specifically with confession ocd. (i also have false memory) sometimes i confess things i recently started making myself think “what if i did that? maybe i did maybe i didn’t” and sit with that. it’s SO hard but sometimes it made me realize, ‘hey my brain right now is telling me that i actually DONT think that way’ and i tried to listen to that. another thing my therapist had me do was write my confessions down. (these confessions were typical ROCD things like intrusive thoughts ab other ppl, dreams, thoughts that are “bad”, etc) this was super hard for me because it made it “real” but i’m happy to say i’ve been writing down so so much and it GENUINELY has given me some clarity. i went from no joke 15/20+ confessions a day to 1-2. it was SO HARD at first and don’t get me wrong i’m still in the process of healing. but whenever i have a thought that i “shouldn’t have” in my relationship i just try and sit with it and think that same thing “what if i thought that? okay it’s just a thought. and maybe i didn’t”
Hi, I am new to ROCD myself as I only recently started dating but the best advice that i got was if your not ready to leave stay and this was helpful because I often would overthink and would be confused about my feeling like if I loved them or not.
Those of you who have overcome at least a bit, if not all, of your OCD. When you went through the CBT and ERP, did it feel like the end of the world? And how did you face the fact that your fears and uncertainties might actually come to life?
Looking back, my introverted nature and struggles to find belonging in high school may have set the stage for how OCD would later impact my relationships. I had my first relationship in high school, but OCD wasn’t a major factor then. It wasn’t until my longest relationship—six years from age 18 to 24—that OCD really took hold. The relationship itself wasn’t the issue; it was what happened after. When it ended, I became obsessed with confessing past mistakes, convinced I had to be completely transparent. Even when my partner was willing to work past them, I couldn’t let go of the intrusive thoughts, and that obsession landed me in the hospital. From there, my struggle with ROCD (Relationship OCD) fully emerged. For years, every time I tried to move forward in dating, doubts consumed me. I would start seeing someone and feel fine, but then the questions would creep in: Do I really like her? Do I find her attractive? Is she getting on my nerves? What if I’m with the wrong person? I’d break things off, thinking I was following my true feelings. But then I’d question: Was that really how I felt, or was it just OCD? I tried again and again, each time hoping I could “withstand it this time,” only to fall back into the same cycle. The back and forth hurt both me and the person I was with. By the time I realized it was ROCD, the damage had been done, and I still hadn’t built the tools to manage it. Now, at 28, I know I need to approach dating differently. I recently talked to someone from a dating app, and my OCD still showed up—questioning my every move, making me doubt my own decisions. I haven’t yet done ERP specifically for ROCD, but I know that’s my next step. Just like I’ve learned tools for managing my other OCD subtypes, I need a set of strategies for when intrusive doubts hit in relationships. My goal this year is to stop letting uncertainty control me—to learn how to sit with doubt instead of trying to “figure it out.” I want to break the cycle and be able to build something healthy without my OCD sabotaging it. I know I’m not alone in this, and I know healing is possible. I’m hopeful that working with a therapist will help me develop exposures and thought loops to practice. I don’t expect to eliminate doubt entirely—after all, doubt is a part of every relationship—but I want to reach a place where it doesn’t paralyze me. Where I can move forward without constantly questioning whether I should. And where I can be in a relationship without feeling like OCD is pulling the strings. I would appreciate hearing about your experiences with ROCD. Please share your thoughts or any questions in the comments below. I’d love to connect and offer my perspective. Thanks!
Hi guys! I’m new to the community and I’ve recently received my OCD diagnosis (tho I’ve known about it since childhood). I’ve been somewhat spiraling lately as I wait for my first ERP session (hooray!) I was just wondering if any of you guys have received ERP for existential OCD and if it was successful? My existential OCD compulsions are more so mental and have been affecting me in the sense of dream/memory flashbacks and giving me a sort of “uncanny” feeling about everything around me. Any advice is appreciated! Thank you❤️
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