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Does OCD attach itself to something after the fact? For example, I want to cut my hair. Because I have done this compulsively and impulsively before so I took a lot of time to wait it out and think it through. I know for sure that it's what I want. Unlike other times I found examples of the style I wanted now that I know I want to do it nd found a hairdresser that specializes in the cut. All is good, but now I am having intrusive thoughts about this being being a compulsion and this not being what I want to do. The anxiety is creeping up, and I realize that this happens to me quite a bit. Is it OCD when it happens on the backend of an action/decision?

Really triggered by a Tik tok :( SOS

Has anyone had success with a different class of medication besides ssri’s? I’m on my third ssri right now and they all have only been moderately effective.

The school year has just started and I am seriously considering quitting my job. It’s making my OCD worse. I’m constantly obsessing over my work performance, and the behavior of the students. This group of students this school year are so incredibly mean spirited towards each other and I can’t stop thinking negatively. There is absolutely no support and they keep giving us more to do. I feel like a failure and nothing will get better. I feel like I wasted my degree and I don’t know what else I could do for work. Any other teachers here with OCD? How do you cope? I’m on the verge of a breakdown.

I’ve been avoiding taking medication for ocd because I’m afraid I’ll be stuck on them for years. I’ve heard of so many people saying they have been taking medication for years… what do you think?

So like all the articles say, reassurance doesn't work and makes your OCD worse. The only thing you can do is to accept these thoughts and accept that it's happening, which is easier said than done. Although I suppose it's still rationalization, I do think it's true. That no matter what the topic is, nothing's sacred. If I feel that something is sexually innapropriate, I'm going to react reguardless of what it is. Whether that's my Mom talking about her sex life, or a child half naked, or animals mating, or sex crimes, I will react to it. And I need to learn that's ok, that it doesn't mean I'm attracted to it at all, but it's so difficult. I think with this mindset I may be able to move on, but I feel it'll be an uphill battle reguardless. I also need to learn that although it's unsual to find a child not being fully dressed as uncomfortable, it's still normal to feel that way-- that's even harder.

How long can you have harm ocd with new intrusive images and thoughts popping up? I have been suffering from harm ocd for 6 months now and I just got done with therapy and my therapist told me I shouldn’t still be having intrusive thoughts or images for this long and still causing me distress She made me feel worse I’m not sure she knows a lot about ocd. Is it normal for me to still be having new intrusive thoughts and images pop up? She scared me a little bit now my anxiety is up again 😣😔

Im a mom of my 18th month old daughter and I’ve been taking sertraline for years (even before my pregnancy). In fact I kept taking the medication during my pregnancy and now post partum. Now I get to see the same nurse practitioner every few months to get updates on medication and treatment. However, every time I go in I just end up feeling horrible/massive guilt for taking medication while I was pregnant and now as a breast-feeding mom. His attitude seems to be dismissive, and unprofessional. Today, the nurse practitioner said he does not even treat pregnant mothers (or as he said “I don’t treat babies, they are not my thing”) nor women who are breast-feeding (and has no experience in it). He said that this is because moms are typically recommended to bottle feed their children instead of breastfeeding because as he said in his own words “they don’t want to risk harming their babies.” I understand this sentiment but I just thought it was a bit insensitive given the fact that I already feel horrible for taking medication. He also stated that studies on taking antidepressants while pregnant or breastfeeding are limited and it’s because they, again, don’t want to put their babies’ safety at risk. However, he then looked it up on a website and said that they are generally safe to take…so i don’t know what or who to believe anymore! My daughter’s pediatrician had said she’s treated many moms who take antidepressants and their babies are fine….but then it takes me back to thinking of the times I have skipped a day of medication and how that could have affected my child. I had also asked my pediatrician about how not taking medication ever so often could affect my child she said it shouldn’t affect her at all but it would affect me though…I just don’t know anymore. I don’t want to take the risk anymore, I think I’ll stop. I feel so guilty I feel helpless I feel anxious I feel like I’m alone in this, I feel like I have harmed my child and I have possibly hindered her from developing right. It breaks my heart that sometimes I even forget to take my medication for one day and I obsess over how much harm could I have cost my child if I stop taking the medication for one day ever so often. I am thinking about being off of the medication. Even though my daughter is completely healthy and developing as she is supposed to, I can’t help but think what if there’s something invisible to the eye that happened or will happen to her? How will her brain develop? Will this be the cause of something tragic for her mental health in the future? Please any other moms who take medication and would like to give advice on this matter because On my end, I am alone.

This week for exposures I have been looking at photos of women in lingerie/bathing suits. I am using my tools of naming thoughts, feels and sensations that come up during the exercise. I don't know if the sensations I have are actually anxiety or attraction. How can I know? How can I continue to do these exposures without having that worry or questioning what it means?? Any feedback or advice is appreciated.

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Hey y’all, I have had a few stressful interactions at work with someone and I can’t stop thinking about what I wish I had said or “should” have said. It’s making me sick, and I hate the idea of going back and being around this person. It’s also making me question if I’m any good in my career in general. I know ruminating can be a compulsion, but idk how to stop. I’ve talked to a friend and prayed about it but I just want it to go away. Thanks ✨

Going through a very very tough time with anxiety depression and OCD The counseling wait for the nhs is long I’ve had my meds increased from 50 to a 100 For a solid 2 weeks I’ve felt terrible with what started off as a panic attack I’m now consumed with an overload of thoughts, mainly negative doubt guilt worry what if questions Generally feel like I’m going out of my mind I’m now fixated on my marriage should I be with him ? Am I even happy ? Do I even like him ? I don’t like my home at the moment and don’t want to be there or what To do with myself Like I want to leave work right now and break down I worry about things that happened in the past my fault and then ruminate in why I done what I did It’s so overwhelming No appetite Exhausted Emotional nothing interests me apart from googling my feelings / thoughts Anyone been here before ?

What kind of events that caused you to have OCD?

I (21F) just graduated college and moved back in with my parents. During this period I’ve been staying with different friends and doing long distance drives to my college town because my life is still there (church, friends…etc). So, while I’ve technically moved in with my family again, I’m hardly around. I’ve been in a really deep depression since graduating for a couple of reasons. I’ve applied to countless jobs and heard back from hardly any, I went through something really hard in June that kind of threw everything off for me, and I’m still mourning a previous relationship where the door just can’t seem to close (we go to the same church and are both pretty involved, although he hasn’t been as involved recently). My family doesn’t know I have depression, let alone OCD. Everything I’ve done for my mental health I’ve had to do behind their backs. Now that I’ve seen a psychiatrist and have talked to counselors about my symptoms and stuff, I realize that a lot of my mental health issues began in elementary school, and I wish I could have gotten help for them sooner. The thing is, even if they did know, my family doesn’t believe in antidepressants. I’ve tried opening up to my mom a couple times but it’s never received correctly. For clarification, it’s not like she tells me this stuff isn’t real, rather, she’s never helped me be proactive in it. Growing up it was always “well maybe you’re just not going enough” and “maybe you just need to do another sport” or whatever. I remember one time I told her explicitly I felt that I needed to speak to a therapist, she acted supported but then insisted she could find an “alternative”, aka, just talking to her friend about it. The worst part is I know this is her trying to be helpful, but it never is and I feel like I’m always stuck back at square one. Now that I’m out of college, I realize that I kind of have to do this whole “getting better” thing all by myself, and that’s what I’ve been doing. I found my first real therapist and we’re meeting for our first session tomorrow, and I spoke to my GP about re-prescribing me the antidepressants I was taking before my psychiatrist stopped taking my insurance. Anyways, like I said, I’ve been in a rut since college ended, but things are finally looking up. I just got a hybrid-remote job at my church (it’s part time but it’s 5 bucks above minimum wage), I’ve been doing freelance work for a couple startup companies, and I actually have a job interview tomorrow for a full time job pertaining to my major. The job is close to the city I went to college in (3 hours away from hometown. Church is in the same proximity) and would need me to move there, which I feel excited about. I feel like I had a rocky start, but things are getting better. HOWEVER, my mom doesn’t see it that way. She’s been telling me it’s “been too long” and I need to be doing something. She’s been pressuring me to do insurance. It’s all she talks about with me. Insurance this, insurance that. It’s gotten to the point where my whole family won’t stfu about how I should do insurance. I found it kind of funny at first but it’s become suffocating. I didn’t see my parents for a MONTH and the very first thing my mom said to me when we talked after three and a half weeks is how I should do insurance. Even if I was interested, I’m so sick of hearing about it. When I tell them I don’t want to do insurance, that I went to school for marketing and graphic design and want to do something in that field, my mom tells me that I’m not doing enough and I have to be doing SOMETHING. I’ve been doing freelance, she does not care. I just got the job at the church, I can tell she sees that as a waste of time. I just told her today about my interview, and she basically told me to choose insurance over the job that I went to school for. It’s just so discouraging. I’m upset because I’m TRYING, and she’s just so fixated on one thing that she can’t see me moving. It’s discouraging when my depression takes over and I feel like I can’t move and nobody in my family understands. It’s upsetting when I try to connect with my younger sister by confiding in her with my OCD diagnosis and she just shrugs and goes “I don’t see it”. Also, I don’t mean to paint my mom in a bad light. I love her and I know she’s trying her best despite her biases (for context my parents are not American; I think this might be a cultural thing). She’s the family member I’m the closest to (which maybe says something about how close I am to my family haha), and I hate having to sneak around her like this I WANT to tell her I’m going to start therapy and about my medication and all this great stuff, but she’s so anti antidepressant I don’t know what she would say. I’m just so tired of being discouraged. I feel like I’m lying to her, and i want to just be honest with my family that I’m getting help without them getting all weird about it.

So a bit of yesterday and today I was able to handle my false memories a bit, but now I'm back to something else again and its if I acted on urges because I remember holding them and having the intense urge that made me so fucking scared so I don't know if I did like a checking or anything but I feel like I'd know. The thing is, this thought didn't bother me for a while because I had confidence, but well you know, once we start to feel better, your mind will just attack you again and now I feel god awful. So how was everyone's night ? What were some things we did today ?

Lately I have been dealing with a lot on my plate aside ocd . There’s way to many stress factors in my life I don’t even know where tk being to start ...for all I know is OCD has been number 1 issue to all of my fallbacks in life . I want to regain strength and stability in order for me to fulfill those dreams /goals I have set up such as college . Therefore , I know I have to prioritize mental health . For starters , I’m not sure college is right fit for me at moment because I don’t know if I’ll be financially stable ...covering expenses etccc.....plus I don’t have enough driving experience for me to drive myself back n fourth . Sure, my original plan was to live on campus , but the catch is it’s way more expensive compared to non housing . I don’t have a license . No one here at my house ever really reaches me to drive and/or let’s me use the car for practice ...this is one of my stress factors rn. My younger brother can drive and has his car , my older sister is in college has all her shit together . I can barely leave the house - so bascually all these obstacles play along with each other ...i habent started therapy because of how expensive it is . My insurance does not cover it unfortunately. Meanwhile I’m stuck at the same shitty job that only puts me at more negative moods when I’m already at my worse with a ocd let alone . What I’m trying to say here is I’m more worried/concerned about my dad’s reaction of me not beginning college again and taking another gap year . I feel like I don’t do much around here ...:I’m isolated . I know how piss he’ll get when Figures out in not going to college . My mom has been on boat wit the idea somewhat considering she’s been more open minded on my mental health and more understanding of my struggles I face everyday . I know this will lead up

Does anyone get horrible intrusive thoughts where your ocd makes you think that you have said an offensive or inappropriate intrusive thought outloud after thinking it? It causes me to go back to the places where i thought i may have said these intrusive thoughts outloud to check if anyone has reacted and heard this. Deep down i know it is just my ocd convincing me that I have said these intrusive thoughts out loud but I can never be certain because of the bully that is ocd. I just wanted to see if anyone can relate to this as it’s very distressing.

My teen says that chores "stress" him and exacerbate the OCD. I of course don't want this to happen but I also feel that his chores are minimal and he needs to be able to be responsible and to function.

Accepting the fact that everyone will die one day seems the only way i can deal with this but when i do erp and accept that we are all going to die i really lose hope.. if im gonna die why should i even do recovery work? why should i even be happy? could i be experiencing sign's of depression with my ocd?