I have HOCD and my biggest dream is becoming a mother. However, with my intrusive thoughts/images I’ve stopped trying to conceive. Is there any other people that has been going through this same fear?
Yes! It’s actually one of the biggest themes out there- HOCD of your kids or future kids. As weird as it sounds, the thoughts that you get only attack the things you love. This means that you love and value being a mom and you love so hard!
@Zoey98 Thank you!
@Zoey98 In the thick of this right now and in nocd therapy. Thank you for sharing this ❤️ the theme popped up out of nowhere in February and has felt like it’s been ruining my life ever since.
I went through this undiagnosed for almost a decade. Was diagnosed postpartum and started NOCD treatment 18 months pp. wished I would have sooner. I think a big tool you have is your awareness of OCD. Stick to your treatment or start it if you haven’t! Hugs!
@Anonymous Yeah my partner and I want to have our first baby. I have PCOS and have been struggling with HOCD as of recently. I’m currently going through treatment with NOCD but it’s hard because of how graphic and violent the images are. I’m also a little scared because they say that OCD can get worse after giving birth. Maybe I’m just overthinking and getting to ahead of myself but it’s just so annoying
@Anonymous i haven’t had kids or won’t for a while but this is a fear of mine too and it makes me scared to have a family even though that’s all i want in life ! it’s best to just face the fear and not let your fears control you. i found this out recently as i was coming home for easter and terrified to come home and be around my family as i had thoughts that i would go crazy and kill them or something. but now ive been home for a few days and feel much better! avoiding what your fear will only make it worse and the fear will grow. if you face it and accept you might have some ocd scary thoughts, you may realize it’s not as scary in the moment!
@Anonymous also wanted to add that i heard getting off birth control COULD make your OCD worse and i was scared to stop taking it but i did 2 weeks ago because i wanted to face that fear and i honestly feel the same if not better! so similar to hearing giving birth could make ur ocd worse etc. remember to lean in and face your fears and just accept that you may or may not feel more ocd and if you feel yourself “picturing” or trying to figure out if you would or not, just instantly stop those thoughts. i think of it as “clicking” on a thought. i’ll feel myself randomly getting a thought and feel my brain wanting to picture and test/figure out if i would do that or not. but instead of doing that i instantly stop my brain and don’t “click” on the thought. almost like an ad that you see on your phone. you may see it for a split second but don’t click on it and spiral into it. that’s what’s helped me A LOT with harm ocd. hope it makes sense!!
Even if you do have same sex interests, that does not mean that you have to act on it, and even if you do act on it that doesn’t mean that you can’t have kids. Accept the uncertainty and live the life that you want to live, not the life that OCD wants you to live.
Good evening, there are many issues regarding intrusive thoughts during pregnancy and the postpartum period, with some tendency to worsen during this period. However, with adequate drug therapy and lots of therapy, I am sure that you will be able to get through this period and will be a great mother. If you are taking any medication that is contraindicated during pregnancy, I highly recommend that you research transcranial magnetic stimulation, it is very safe during pregnancy and although studies with OCD are not yet definitive regarding this therapy, there are many off-label cases of success.
I’ve always had ocd. But never experienced pocd until after I got pregnant and was fixing to deliver. Anyone else? I’ve been struggling with this for almost 2 years 😩 and Prozac gives me heart palpitations I’m at my breaking point. Idk who I am anymore. And it’s so hard having to be a mother of two on top of not wanting to do anything bc my brain tells me everything I’m doing is inappropriate ☹️
So I’ve just found out I’m pregnant and I’m freaking out rn I’ve been getting thoughts like “I’ll be a bad mum” and overthinking everything & my OCD is convincing me that I’ll act on my thoughts because of my hormones and stuff. I’ve also got a fear of being sick & I’m stressing over that too. Anyone else who has harm OCD pregnant or a Mum can give me some advice pls😭
I’ve been struggling with HOCD for years, and it started with an intrusive thought about being gay when I was younger. It came up at age 12 and ever since, I’ve been trapped in a cycle of doubt and anxiety. I obsess over whether or not I’m secretly gay, even though I don’t feel that way at all. What makes it worse is the fear that I might have internalized homophobia, and that’s why I’m having these obsessive thoughts. I worry that my anxiety is a sign that I’m repressing something or rejecting part of myself. It feels like my mind keeps repeating the same question—am I gay?—and no matter how much reassurance I get, the fear doesn’t go away. I used to pray for my family members, fearing that if I didn’t, something bad would happen to them, and now it feels like I have to control these thoughts, or something will go wrong. For a while, it was quieter, but a week ago, the thoughts spiraled up again, and now the anxiety feels overwhelming again. It’s exhausting, and I don’t know how to break free from this constant loop of doubt. Has anyone dealt with the fear of internalized homophobia alongside HOCD? How do you manage the anxiety that comes with it?
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