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Hi…okay so I don’t know if anyone would understand what I want to say but I hope anyone who sees this understands….so I’m suffering from rocd and when it all started I prayed , begged ,cried infront of god to just give me one more chance to make things right with my partner, I don’t want to lose him i don’t know why I’m feeling like this I just want to feel love for him please give me another chance please give me a new heart with love filled for my partner. I was miserable I was scared I was crying 24/7 day and night feeling terrified and asking god to please make me “feel” for my partner im sorry if I made any mistake . My partner and I are in long distance he’s working hard to build a life he wants so me I just wanted to pray for him with my WHOLE HEART! To please help him help him in managing his struggles and all but I don’t know I was just not feeling that I’m praying with my whole heart when I was trying my all to just pray for him with pure intentions and a pure heart. ( I got emotional while typing all this). I don’t know why but the thought - maybe I’m not right for him that’s why god isn’t helping him or answering my prayers. And now the situation is that I actually feel very difficult to pray to god for him I m just not able to talk to god words are so damn difficult to come out I think what if god thinks I’m not praying with my whole heart. ( believe me I really want to) does god thinks that my feelings now because of rocd (not feeling 100% in love ) is the reason why he’s not answering my prayers or because I don’t feel 100% in love with him I’m not able to make prayers( like something is stopping me really hard to go infront of god and talk to him) I’m not able to go even in the room which is dedicated to god in my home. What is all this? Can somebody help me in anyway. I’ll be really thankful.

It’s my senior year of high school but i have not been to school since November due to an intense OCD episode that was completely debilitating. I was misdiagnosed with GAD twice and just three days ago properly diagnosed with OCD, i start treatment in two weeks. I have been taking sertraline which has worked wonders for my anxiety but i am still having intrusive thoughts, depression, among other OCD symptoms. I don’t know what to do, i have discussed with my mom potentially dropping out and focusing on treatment, but idk if thats a good idea im just scared to embarrass myself at school or have people judge me for things i cant control because of OCD. Im also scared to be around people younger than me idk what to do im so conflicted, any advice?

I can't help but to get really anxious and panic when I'm watching a movie and I see a male that has good looking features. Because it makes me think that if I'm noticing that they are a good looking person. then I have to question my sexuality. Especially when I'm sitting with my girlfriend. I get super nervous because my body reacts with a chill that runs down my skull and hits me in the gut. Then I feel super embarrassed when this happens. I know that I'm not attracted to men because I don't think about them sexually or want anything to do with them in that way. I've had other instances where this have happened in public at my old jobs that I had to leave because ppl think that I must be gay. I'm the straightest gay guy I know I guess. Lol but I was literally tormented and made fun of at those jobs. But it actually gave me a stronger mindset. I also have lots of trigger words that will make me act strange. I just want to live life ! It's been exhausting. I also cannot stop creating the ideas that I'm being cheated on in every relationships and my past relationships suffered and I don't want it to keep happening.

y’all i need a little pep talk. im going back to school tomorrow and im worried about if im gonna start having harm thoughts about people at school and then of course tack on the worry of it affecting my grades. or the even bigger worry of having a thought and liking it

Good evening everyone! Long story short- I had Health OCD 12 years ago but was never diagnosed. No idea how that’s even possible, I had every sign and saw 2 licensed psychiatrists but they labeled me with GAD. Knowing what I know today, it was 100% Health OCD. I fought it for 3 years until one day I literally surrendered. No training and no NOCD…but I remember breaking down sobbing and accepting that my fate might be terminal. Obviously I’m still here and my fate wasn’t terminal and over time it went into remission. For 12 years! Gone! Amazing! Looking back, I still had minor signs but my maintenance dose of Cymbalta kept me straight and steady. Until I decided that I didn’t need Cymbalta anymore and I got off it cold turkey last January. Well, it came back with vengeance and brought a new theme. I finally got a proper diagnosis and found NOCD. It’s helped me but I’m still fighting - after two major relapses. I’m doing all my techniques but the voice is still loud in the mornings. The ruminating is still there. It definitely ebbs and flows and I’m questioning my meds again- Cymbalta seemed to help the last time… Anyway, I got to thinking about how I managed to heal the first time and how I just gave up, literally. I am wondering if that’s what it takes? My new theme has me fearing a local stalker- that he will come after me. I know…it’s not about the theme. But, as much as I want to surrender and get better…my fight or flight is trying to keep me safe from this evil convicted felon. Those of you who have succeeded, did you finally have to give up too? Or can you use the ERP and meds to eventually quiet it? Thank you and much love.

I was at church tonight sharing my testimony & how God has worked in my life, especially in regards to OCD, & someone came up to me after church and said that she believed mental health but she thought this was Satan attacking me (could be right) & that I shouldn’t use labels like OCD & make it my identity—that I shouldn’t claim that over myself. I hear this a lot and try to let it go but it hurts every time. I went home and cried. (Still crying.) Scrupulosity is already such an isolating illness and it sucks to be misunderstood. I feel like OCD is not taken seriously at all (she compared it to ADHD). I try to just accept that not everyone will understand & well intentioned people are going to say things because they don’t understand, but sometimes it gets to me. Tonight just really hurt. Just looking for encouragement from anyone else with scrupulosity who has experienced this. I feel so alone.

plz help me i’ve continued thoughts of self harming and have panic attacks also i can’t get rid of it my mind can’t stop thinking

Hi, does anyone have any tips or advice over how to not allow the intrusive images or themes consume to the point of freezing up in petrified fear. I feel that I ruminate over my OCD theme to the point where I’m super anxious or I’m depressed and find no point in my day to day activities because I feel that I need to think over my theme. But I go no where with it than into a freak out mode. Any help or advice is welcomed. Thank you.

Your obsessions can tell you something about yourself - but it's not what you think! Because our obsessions often attach to our values, they tend to indicate things that are very important to us. It's important to note that while the content of your thoughts does not dictate your treatment or recovery, it may often follow the things you love the most. This makes the thoughts even more emotionally charged, making them easier to get stuck on. Remembering the things that actually bring you closer to your values is key.

Hi everyone, this is my first post here. I have OCD for as long as I can remember. But the last year it has become unbearable... I don't know how to move on... My brain began to generate terrible, and scary thoughts about the people who are the most important and dearest to me. It's tough even to write about this... My fear is based on "magical thinking" and the belief that if I think something bad about someone I love, bad things will happen. And the more I worry about it, the more terrifying scripts my brain creates. Here is my OCD story in a brief summary. I started to have intrusive thoughts as a kid. Even in my childhood, my rituals were mostly mental. During my college years the obsessions almost disappeared. Then a few years later they came back (probably because of stress at my work), but I still could live with intrusive thoughts because they didn't take up most of my time. Everything has changed recently, after a chain of traumatic stressful events occurred in my life in a very short period of time. My anxiety has increased significantly, OCD has gotten worse. When I was looking for some useful information about struggling with intrusive thoughts, I read a post by a woman in which she wrote that she was afraid of accidentally cursing her child. I understand that it sounds crazy and there's no logic at all, but after a while I realised that this thought popped into my head and I can't get rid of it. This really scared me. I know that OCD quite often attacks the things we love and care about. For me, it's my family. I'm afraid that I'll wish my loved ones something bad and it will hurt them... These thoughts come up against my will. I realize that this is illogical, and probably the only person I can harm with my thoughts is myself. But the "what if..." thought destroys me. Unfortunately, I can't afford the ERP therapy because I live in Eastern Europe. At this moment, I'm researching sources and specialized literature on my own. As I understand one of the main factors in the success of therapy, and one of the first steps is the acceptance of the thoughts. But in my case, the problem is that there remain a couple thoughts that are still in my mind unacceptable (like wishing bad things on my family). I don't know what to do about it... I'm so desperate... Maybe someone has experienced something similar? I really want to believe that there is a way out of this trap because OCD is taking everything I care about... I'm really scared, and it's occupying all my mind.

Hi! I am expecting and while I'm super excited, I'm also worried about having OCD and experiencing the post partum period that everyone makes sound like the lowest point of one's life. I'd love to hear from other mom's with OCD. Could really use some positive stories or tips! I'm pretty scared.

I feel like OCD is just my entire personality at this point. It’s been going more haywire than usual lately. Just fell into a vicious cycle of over analyzing nearly every thought I’ve had and trying to piece together everything. Just realizing that nearly everything I think just follows the exact same pattern. I felt like I had a good handle on my OCD for a good while, and now it seems to have spiked again. I just feel so low. I hate when you feel like you’re doing good and then it just goes all the way back to the bottom again. Makes me feel like I didn’t have any type of progression. My issue lately is I’m constantly obsessing… and if a close friend that I feel comfort towards talk to me, I’m always telling them my thoughts. It gets tiring. I’m sure they’re tired of hearing about my OCD. I am, too. But it’s hard not to talk about it when it’s pretty much all I’m thinking about. I know my friends aren’t my therapist… I’m not asking them for advice, I’m simply venting because I’m struggling — but I just hate it. My thoughts are all over the place, just feeling really alone and sad. I know realistically I’m not alone. Not the only one going through this. I hope someone can relate to this. I need that reassurance right now. Not an OCD reassurance. I just don’t want to feel alone. I need a hug. I feel so mentally sick. I hate that my brain is like this. I wish it wasn’t.

please can someone explain to me how medication helps ocd? is it that the anxiety that comes with the thoughts reduce so it’s easier to dismiss them or the thoughts as a whole become much less? like what differences do you notice from medication? hopefully will be beginning on thursday

my puppy licked in my nose and i’m scared about that disease that you can get that can cause you to lose your limbs!! omg i’ve been on google for hours!!! i know it’s rare!! but i don’t want to be the one to get it!

I've been constantly exposing myself to triggers for months now and I just get overwhelmed and worse. I'm so tired and my nerves just feel shot, even though I'm tired my head keeps going... What am I missing?

I gotta share this because I think we can all get through this OCD! But you gotta put the work in! The homework therapist gives is to help us, and for me, i think i had a breakthrough. So I am a month into my ERP therapy through here and let me tell you… it sucks most days. What i like about my therapist I got on here is she told me she’s been working in hospital and prison wards, so she’s probably heard and seen some stuff and what I got probably ain’t that bad. I started with CBT but my OCD was getting rough after about a year so now I’m giving ERP a try. I was asked to write a letter to someone that I believed was triggering my OCD and so I did. I went through a whole spiral with my POCD, honestly I feel like a monster. But! I’m also recalling some stuff I have kept suppressed and never wanted to mention in therapy, and I think it’s probably time I process that stuff, no matter how ashamed or guilty I feel. Ultimately, it’s probably what is causing the doubt disorder to overtake me. So for those of you struggling, keep going! And be completely open! I promise you your therapist has heard some stuff and you are probably far from what they have heard.

I want to beat OCD/GAD? because I'm tired of being this shell of my former self. My brain has been hollowed out by the chainsaw of fears while my body remains fixed in place, unable to run. I once loved to sing and write. I once remembered conversations with others. I once was actually able to hold them myself. Now, I can barely complete coherent sentences without my thoughts veering off. My OCD leaves me exhausted. It's so hard to feel rested when you think something awful is going to happen all the time. I have started to affectionately call it Chicken Little Syndrome. However, it doesn't deserve any affection. I am supposed to be savoring the little songs my toddler sings or the jokes my husband cracks, but I am worrying about making ends meet or about inadvertently not being able to help my patients. Why did I have such issues with time management last shift? Why couldn't I focus on other simple tasks? People have shown me so much love and I can't even think of the proper way to respond, nevermind coming up with something clever, eloquent, or creative. I am a shell. A chainsaw of fear. My family is so good. They deserve to have me back.

My my name Brendan Simons. I first learned about my OCD when I was around 6 years old. It all started when I was in my daycare, and one of the kids was talking about the scary ghost of bloody Mary, and spinning three times in the mirror while saying her name will make her appear and harm you. As a kid, this horrified me as someone that was very afraid of ghost this led to my first experience with OCD. My OCD took this to a new extreme touching doing or saying anything threes times would cause harm to me or somebody that I love and care about this lasted around five years it seems to be a theme in my OCD that keeps coming back, but not always in the way of numbers are doing things multiple times. Later, on in life in my teenage years, it seemed to change from Numbers to that just right feeling. As I’m sure some of you as experienced as I’ve looked online and many people have had that just right feeling, it’s very hard to explain what we’re talking about but I would repeatedly do my actions over and over many times of whether that’s turning on and off water touching closing a door multiple times until I felt just right and if it didn’t feel right, I thought something bad again what happened to me or somebody I care about. More recently, my OCD has come along with intrusive thoughts, and it kind of like what was going on as a teenager with the just right feeling but now my mind tells me to think of harm to somebody that I do not care about so that way it will not affect somebody that I do care about. As family ages my worries continue to grow and I have just recently moved out and live on my own now and I’m very very stressed about my family back home. Now recently, my OCD has started to take over my life. I was prescribed Zoloft for anxiety and OCD and have noticed small changes in my personality. I feel like I have been able to resist the compulsions, but it hasn’t fully taken this anxiety feeling fully out of the picture. It really takes over my day-to-day activities and I still find myself doing multiple compulsions and rituals to try and prevent these things from happening. I understand and I’m self aware that me doing something or a ritual multiple times will have no effect on anybody at all in the world, but for some reason my brain overpowers that and gives you that what a feeling what if this were to happen. Join this app to find people who have possibly has similar experiences just like mine or any advice to help me get through this. As I live in a town that I’m unfamiliar with I know nobody here and I’m just trying to make friends. Please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Hi everyone, i’ve never done this before and I have a lot of trouble accepting help thinking I can do everything on my own. Due to some stressful life circumstances lately I have had a flare up after almost 5 years without any major flare ups. It has been extremely difficult to cope with the deep panic and physical symptoms that come along with it lately and I have taken the first step to getting help from a professional on here. I know I am not alone and I already have a lot of tools and tips that have worked for me in the past but sometimes you just need an extra hand to guide you. Trying to be hopeful and am proud of myself and grateful those around me support me getting extra help during a trying time such as this. 🤍

Does OCD ever make it seem that if you follow your dreams, preferences and goals you will punished by God. I get that feeling a lot that God will punish me if I do and that I’m getting thoughts of God telling me to give up my desires and goals. It’s really stressing me out and getting me sad, anxious, disappointed and angry