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I’m a Christian and I’m in my first relationship, often feeling guilty/uncomfortable with various things in relation to sexual purity. I’m struggling to know when things are OCD or genuine conviction. Any advice on how to know?

I just randomly had this thought when I was driving and I’m super anxious. A couple weeks back I was really jealous of my gf and her guy friends playing card games together in one of their classes and I wanted to see if she would get jealous if I was paying more attention to my friends in my class, two boys one girl. She was in the class and my teacher was explaining a card game to one of my friends who is a girl and I was trying to see what he was saying and showing her but I had to get closer to do that and in the back of my mind I think I was trying to make her jealous by being closer to another girl. I’m terrified because I would never flirt or do anything with another girl. That girl also has a boyfriend. I’m just stuck in my thoughts right now and don’t feel like moving or doing anything, I feel like throwing up. Someone please comment and help me

New member here. I realize this Retroactive Jealousy OCD topic is not thoroughly discussed and most therapists are unfamiliar with this OCD. This is perhaps the most painful form of OCD, and most people have no idea how or why people have these irrational obsessive thoughts. Here is my story in detail. Many of you might be able to relate. 12 years ago I was a 38 years old divorced man with 2 small children. I had been divorced for 4 years, during which time a had a few relationships and had sex regularly with the women I dated. One day I met a wonderful woman and fell in love with her. She was same age as me, and similar divorce and dating experiences. Everything was perfect in the beginning just like any new relationships. 2 months into the relationship I decided that we should disclose our body count and experiences (for transparency). I was only interested in the period after our divorce because we had both been with our ex spouse for over 15 years and stuff before that was borderline pre-adult stuff. Coincidentally 6-8 for both of us. Only difference is I had 2 serious relationships and she had none. She had 1 one-nighter with a friend and a “friends with benefits” situation with 1 other guy. The rest were short 1x and 2x experiences, just like me. Granted we were both in our mid 30s so this stuff shouldn’t shock anyone. For some reason I began fixating on that 1 nighter and friend with benefits. That 1-nighter happened a few months after her divorce and was with an old guy (54) from another country. I felt sickened and kept imagining their sex act. I asked her how it was and she said she was lonely and it was a bad choice. I kept obsessing over it. Maybe she liked older men? Next I started ruminating over her Friend with Benefits which went on for 2 years. They dated briefly but she said she was never in love. Neither wanted a relationship but happens to meet up a few times a year and ended up having sex. This friend was extremely threatened once he found out about me. I felt maybe her connection with him was stronger or maybe sex was so good she couldn’t avoid him. She said no. In fact she decided to end all contact with him and he freaked out. But I felt insecure and I felt extreme pain when I thought about her having sex with these people. I thought it was very unlike her to do that. She felt I was judging her. We had our first fight. I broke up with her. Same day I regretted my actions and clearly it was my issue. I begged her for her forgiveness. I started therapy to figure out what was wrong. Clearly Retroactive Jealousy OCD was relatively unknown 12 years ago. The psychiatrist considered it a form of OCD and treated it accordingly. With the combination medication and therapy I was able to conquer it in 8 months. We got married and next month we will celebrate our 11th year wedding anniversary. But the story is not over. In March of this year I suffered a nervous breakdown, mainly due to severe. personal and professional stress. All my OCDs came back literally overnight. So now I’m being treated again and it has been very difficult. This is work in progress. I’m not out of the woods yet. I am on serotonin and therapy 3x a week. Hopefully in due time, I’ll get better…again.

Recently me and my ex partner broke up. We met recently and when he asked me how I was I told him I was suicidal and broke down crying. I told him instantly that obviously the break up hasn’t made me suicidal but the ocd that’s come with it has. I felt so bad that a few days ago I messaged him to say sorry for how much I’ve contacted him and for being such a mess. I asked him if he still wanted to be friends and he said we would but now I can’t stop thinking that maybe he’s just saying that because he knows I’ve been suicidal. I just want this all to stop, I don’t know how to stop thinking about all I did wrong and how much harder I’ve made this break up

So me and my boyfriend of 5 months broke up and I'm very sad about it, but I'm trying to move on. But it seems like nobody wants me. They either ghost me or we hangout once THAN ghost me. I need someone to date.

Is it normal to miss your partner when they are gone but when they get back you feel irritated and you dont even wanna be around them

Not reassurance seeking just want to know if someone else has dealt with this. When I mention marriage and stuff, my brain and body feel off and it feels as if I don’t want it. I don’t feel excited talking abt it even tho I talk abt it. I can’t tell if I actually don’t want it or if it’s ocd. Is there any true way to tell? Has anyone else dealt with this? When I talk about honey moon or whatever it feels like maybe I don’t want it. I think it’s commitment issues

Would i know if i am losing feelings for my partner? How would i know? I feel disconnected and irritated by him recently and its scaring me that ive lost feelings and just dont want to leave because i am comfortable

Hey everyone, I just need to let this out because I feel like I’m slipping deeper into something I can’t name anymore. I’ve been struggling with ROCD for a long time, but right now… I don’t even know if it’s ROCD anymore. I feel completely disconnected from my partner. I used to say I love you and mean it. Now it feels like a lie. I used to enjoy being close to him — emotionally, even sexually. Now, even a sweet or intimate comment makes me want to shut down. I feel irritated, cold, distant. I’m not trying to be like this — it just happens. And I hate it. He loves me so much. He’s been there for me every step of the way, even when I told him about the thoughts. And yet I feel like I’m slowly hurting him — by being so numb. By being quiet. By not feeling anything when I know I should. And I feel like I’m hurting myself too. It doesn’t even feel like anxiety anymore. It feels like: “This is the truth.” Like I’ve realized that I never really loved him. Like I was just scared of losing something that felt safe. And now I feel like the only honest thing to do is admit that it’s over — even though that thought also hurts. But nothing feels right. I don’t cry about it anymore. I just stare at the wall and think: “What if I was lying to myself all along?” I told someone close to me (my mom), and instead of support, I got judged. And now I feel even more alone. Like I’m not allowed to be confused. Like I have to pick a side — and I don’t even know who I am anymore. If anyone else has gone through this… this numb, distant, dead-inside-but-still-caring-somehow place, please tell me it passes. Please tell me the numbness is a symptom. Please tell me love can survive this kind of fog. Because I feel like I’m just fading — from him, from myself — and I don’t want to give up. Even if I can’t feel that right now… I don’t want to give up. I keep searxhing on r/rocd people that feel the same so i can read the comments there and i dont find people just like me. i feel nothing like my live is gone that i am a different person now. i keep seing this “love is a choice “ but what if i dont want to choose him? what if im forcing myslef to feel… my list could go on and on

I’m struggling a ton rn and would love some insight from people. My bf and I broke up bc my OCD got to the point where it was extremely damaging to my exes mental health. We’ve been on a break for the last 2 months while I get therapy and help and he wants to try again in August. We talk everyday and fall asleep on the phone but I’m miserable anxious about what he’s been doing during the break. My mind is flooded with the idea that he might follow new girls on Instagram or he flirting and talking to new girls. It’s KILLING me. I’ve made up an entire situation w no proof. And I’m scared it’s not my OCD talking but a gut feeling. I know we aren’t together but it’s not fair to emotionally invest in each other if he’s not being loyal like I am. I’m just losing my mind and need help honestly.

I have intrusive thoughts all the time. I married the wrong woman, she’s not right for me, I don’t feel right with her, I’m going to fail at work, I’m going to lose my job, what if I can’t sleep at night, I can’t sleep at night, what if my surgery doesn’t work, what will people think of me, I’m a failure, I let people down, I’m a horrible father, my son hates me, do I or don’t I drink coffee, what if I eat the wrong foods, there’s something wrong with me physically all the time, etc, etc, etc. It’s extremely annoying and exhausting. I just can’t wait to go to bed at night and try to fall asleep to shut off my brain.

Hi everyone, I’ve been really anxious lately, and I just need to get this out of my head. Someone recently told me that maybe I’m bisexual — that I might be more sexually attracted to women, but more romantically attracted to men. That bisexuality is not 50/50. And ever since I heard that, I’ve been spiraling. The thing is: I don’t want this to be true. It scares me. I don’t feel romantic attraction to women, I’ve never wanted to be in a relationship with one. But yes, I get aroused by fantasies involving women — and that makes me feel broken or like I’ve been lying to myself. I love my boyfriend deeply, I don’t want to lose him. I want to feel fully connected to him, physically and emotionally. But now I’m stuck in this obsessive loop of questioning: “What if I’m just in denial?” “What if I’m not really straight?” “What if this is why my libido is low?” It’s exhausting, and I don’t know if this is OCD, anxiety, or if something is fundamentally wrong. Has anyone else felt this split — romantic feelings for one gender, sexual feelings for another? I feel so alone and scared. Thanks for listening.

Lately, I’ve been kind of confused. I’m in a relationship with a person I’ve known for a long time. I also happen to deeply like two famous people I know. It’s like I’m extremely attached to them. All day I think about them. But it’s kind of weird, because I don’t spend all day thinking about my girlfriend. I love her, but it’s like these other two people are on my head all day. It makes me feel insanely horrible for being in a relationship. I feel so myself with thinking about those two, like I’m free from everything. I feel insanely guilty too. To the point it’s been causing depression, and this obsession of needing to know what’s wrong with me for this. It’s like I try to tell myself nothings wrong, but I feel so guilty. I just think about them all day, and not my girlfriend. It concerns me. I’m 15, I just turned 15 yesterday. And I always try to talk too my mom about this, but she always says the same shit. “I was like that at your age” but I’m not trying to say that. But like seriously I’m so confused about myself at this point I don’t even know what too do

I’ve recently been having the spiraling intrusive thoughts coming up out of seemingly nowhere. Well not exactly nowhere, having some relationship issues but the thoughts will just randomly show up when I’m clam home reading a book.

Has anyone felt like they never would find their person. Like you really couldn’t see it happening for you and then you found that person ?? What was it like?? Because I’m losing hope here. I really feel like there is no one for me

Today I decided to leave relations that consume my mental health I was always the one who starts and pulls them all together I was so attached and i guess they weren't but today I decided to leave everything I know it was unhealthy and I need to stop my heart from this attachments loop.. I know I will wake up tommorow in ache but pray for me to break this anxiety loop because of lonliness..

My all-consuming compulsion is to coddle someone who shows opposition to my boundaries. My boyfriend and I love each other dearly. In fact, he's going to propose soon. But we're working through some really difficult things. When conversations get difficult for him, or he feels the slightest bit of guilt, he totally freezes. He can't talk or make eye contact for awhile. I've been incredibly compassionate about his coping mechanism and his needs (he grew up in an emotionally abusive household), but at the same time, I have needs that must be met, too. The conversations in which he freezes up are ALWAYS ones in which I'm expressing discomfort/hurt about something. What I NEED is to feel validated, to have the space to feel hurt/uncomfortable WITHOUT judgement. Because I am super attentive to him and always ALWAYS validate his hurt, even if it affects me personally. But whether it's big or small, he KEEPS getting really hurt and affected by the things I bring up. His mom is not nice to me, she hasn't been since we met. He's not responsible for her actions, but he IS responsible for defending me when his mom is being super judgemental and rejected me outright, multiple times, even though she didn't even know who I was. I just automatically wasn't good enough. I should be able to trust my boyfriend with valid concerns of mine/expect him to apologize when he's caused discomfort, and he unintentionally invalidates me by guilt-tripping me like crazy. And I've talked to him about this stuff, which is SO HARD. I explain what is and isn't helpful. I brought up therapy, because I can't make him go, but he says he's been trying to ease off his coping response for years to no avail. For this and many other reasons I think he needs professional help (I'm seeing a therapist myself. We both got chronic mental illness that needs addressing somehow). I explained my feelings, I explained what I need. He's starting to try harder to give my emotions space, and say things that validate me. I appreciate it cuz I know the freezing response is something he's trying to fight. It's SO HARD for me not to fawn. My OCD is screaming at me, telling me that I HAVE TO accommodate my boyfriend's feelings, oh I must have hurt him SO BAD, oh imagine how horrible things will be if I DON'T give him reassurance!! But this isn't about him. These conversations with him start because a boundary of MINE has been crossed!! Even if he has a whiny reaction, or has a freezing response that stems from trauma. It STILL causes me too much emotional distress and places blame on me in an unfair way. For example (this is a BRIEF explanation), I've made it clear that I don't want dogs. I've never even had dogs and he knows this. And my boyfriend got really pouty after I reiterated this once, because he thought his dog back home would come live with us after we got married. Mind you, he's NEVER brought this up with me before. I had no idea he wanted his dog to move in with us. The dog has only ever lived at his parents' house. His parents assumed I'd be fine taking on the responsibility of an OLD, SMELLY DOG!!! WITHOUT EVEN ASKING ME!!! And when I explained my frustration about this assumption to my boyfriend while ALSO sweetly acknowledging how SPECIAL his dog is to him, he broke down and shut down!! It's SO FRUSTRATING when he does that, it's so stressful, it's SUCH a burden on me when my boyfriend doesn't have the capacity to validate my feelings the way I do his! Holding back and not compulsively fawning is SO HARD!!!! But I gotta stand firm---it's NOT fair that I have to edit my true feelings because he's not equipped to be more emotionally present for me.

I have been doing very well managing my OCD over the past few months amidst the most amount of life changes I've had in years. However, today I had something catch me off guard that I just want to get off my chest. I'm getting ready to serve a mission for my church, and I've been spending a lot of time praying and getting closer to God. I've had a thought pop in my head few times that, sometime in my life, I'm going to experience divorce. I've been trying to treat it like any other OCD thought, but today when I was visiting my parents, my stepmom told me a story about when she was younger. She lost her little girl in a fire, and she said when she was young and before that happened, she heard a woman speak at church with her same name that had just lost her little girl, and she had a premonition and a really strong feeling that it would happen to her. She forgot about it, but years later, it did happen. During the story, I thought about my divorce thought, and it felt like it was from God and that it is going to happen. I got instant cold sweats and chills, and it's like my heart just dropped. It was suffocating. I'm worried that it was from God, and that divorce will happen in my life. This terrifies me, because my parents got divorced when I was a child, and most of my extended family members have been through divorces with the minority staying with their spouses. More than anything, I want to build a loving, nurturing family, so this is just really scary right now. I prayed to God about it, and He told me to trust Him. I'm trying to keep it together but I'm just so scared I want to cry.

Hey everyone I know I’ve mentioned this before but, I wanted to share again just in case if anyone new sees this. I deal with cheating ocd really bad, like I always have thoughts about the past and such and get worried about things. I know my morals and values and I know id never ever cheat, but my mind always loves to play the “What if” game. It really sucks. My boyfriend is the sweetest and a god sent to me and he is always there for me but ugh this ocd dealing with cheating and false memory/real events kills me, anyone else relate? I dont know how to put up with it anymore, Just today I remembered I had an old twitter account which is now X, but I remembered I deleted my account a long long time ago but ugh I used to be on twitter so much awhile ago and my ocd acted up and was like “You better go check to make sure you didn’t do anything.” And I remembered I sat with myself and said “I know my morals I would never do that to him.” And then my ocd was like “Are you sure? What if you did?” Etc and my anxiety is now so bad about it now :(

Hey, yesterday my ex told me something I did that hurt them. This was that I didnt respond in a supportive way when he came out to me. I genuinely had no idea he was coming out (I thought it was a flippant comment) and I was frustrated as we had been having issues with intimacy for months. He said it made him feel awful and it’s only since telling his friends that he has realised how painful my reaction was. I apologised as I do feel awful I made him feel that way but now I keep questioning my reality or perception of what happened. I also keep wanting to reach out to explain why I responded the way I did. Any tips for when you genuinely feel like a monster or did something so outside of your morals? I feel awful