Closed, sorry

This blog is being left up for archive purposes. It is no longer being updated, and asks likely will not be answered. I hope you find the archives useful, though!

[theocdnetwork]

hey your ocd masterpost has a bad link, when you click the link for self harm it leads to a blog with a rape meme as the cover : /

Yikes, it looks like the original blog owner must’ve deleted and someone’s squatting on the URL trying to hurt/offend people with it... Unfortunately there’s not a lot I can do at this point, since editing the original post doesn’t change reblogs of it. That’s really awful, though, and was not intended at all. It’s an old post, and the link was originally to a legit resource. Really sorry about that, and I wish I had the tools to fix it somehow.

[theocdnetwork]

For the hallucinations anon, I used to have them as a child and know of a few people that did too so you're not alone

[theocdnetwork]

i spend a lot of mental energy trying to have the "right" feeling, or the "perfect" feeling. and i think it has to do with the fact that i assess situations based entirely on how i feel about them, which is something that's hard to change. how can i move away from focusing so much on my feelings that i spend all this time trying to make myself feel "right"?

I’m not sure, Anon.

I’m also not sure if I’m understanding your question correctly or not, but the personal experience that comes to mind is how I will wait for the “perfect” time to do something. I can’t play certain games or watch certain movies/TV series, etc, unless the time is right and I’ve had enough sleep and I’m feeling good and focused, etc, etc. Like I’m going to ruin it by not enjoying it properly if the conditions aren’t 100% right. I’m trying to get over that, and have had only slight success.

The only advice I can think of that has also worked for me... is admittedly some pretty bad advice - power through it and just do things anyway. That’s easier said than done and I know it sounds like I’m taking this lightly, but the point I’m trying to get to here I guess is just that once you start fighting it, it will slowly get easier. You could try to start “powering through” on things that don’t actually trigger that reaction as much or at all and analyzing your feelings and actions.

I think to some extent, it’s good to take note of your emotions in a logical sense. I mean, personally, I often feel things and don’t know how to classify them. It’s just a vague “good” or “bad” and I need to sit down and ask myself questions like “what is this feeling?” and “why am I feeling this way?” In my experience, OCD and anxiety can really obscure those answers.

Like for an example regarding the above, one of my more severe symptoms is intrusive thoughts. If I’m anxious or feeling really bad for whatever reason, and also have an intrusive thought pop into my head, suddenly it’s like that validates the intrusive thought somehow, in a weird way. Anyway, being anxious also intensifies intrusive thoughts in general for me. So it becomes this constantly escalating loop of anxiety. I’m sorry, I don’t know how to explain it properly without getting pretty personal, but... Anyway...

I know your question was in fact not about intrusive thoughts, but do you see what I mean about OCD and misreading your own feelings?

I’m sorry, this probably isn’t particularly helpful, so if anyone else wants to suggest anything please feel free!

[theocdnetwork]

. But anyway, I was wondering if tapping your fingers in a beat and not counting but making sure that you tap them all evenly is a compulsive habit. Ex: I'll tap all five and then do it the other way and then do it that same way and then the other way and then all at once and then I'll do it again the other way around until I feel like I've evened it out and I can't do anything until I've finished that. If that makes sense😕

Yes, I think so! For me personally, this sort of symptom isn’t bad enough to be a huge inconvenience, but I do still experience it. Especially when it comes to getting my hands or feet wet - if I need to rinse off one hand, or put one hand on a cold/wet window or something, then i have to get the other one wet too or it just feels wrong. Like a nagging sense that something’s off, or a sort of mental itch, if that makes sense.

The whole thing about tapping patterns may or may not have originated as a compulsive behavior for you, I don’t know. But even if not, it does sound like it’s become one. That’s one of the frustrating things - pretty much anything can become a compulsive behavior.

[theocdnetwork]

I have ocd and one of my compulsions is tapping things 7 time or it doesn't "feel right." I was wondering what category of ocd that would fall under?

Sounds to me like that would fall under counting or the catch-all “other” category. It’s a very common type of symptom, but hard to categorize, I think.

[theocdnetwork]

Do you / any of your followers have any experience with hallucinating, I don't have schizophrenia and i'm not psychotic, my psychiatrist says my hallucinations are from anxiety/stress, but they're really violent and scary. And like they relate to my intrusive thoughts idk i'm scared and confused

I don’t have personal experience with this, sorry. I’ve seen some advice posts about hallucinations in general - I’ll try to track some of them down and reblog them for you if I can.

Any followers have advice?

[theocdnetwork]

Are there any other resources/groups for PoC with OCD? The one I keep seeing being listed is gone. 😢 Thank you!

I don’t know of any, unfortunately. But I’ll publish this in case any followers know of something.

[theocdnetwork]

I strongly believe I have OCD (i self diagnosed with it though) and i'm seeing a psychologist but he kind of waves it off. He tries to help me and he tells me things like stop irrational thinking but it's not as easy as he puts it. Anyways what I wanted is a diagnose, if it's not OCD, i'm sure I at least have any kind of anxiety disorder. But he seems like he doesn't want to diagnose me? I can spend nights researching on OCD just bc i don't feel valid and I need a diagnose, how can i tell him?

It sounds like you need to find a new psychologist, honestly. A good psych shouldn’t make you feel like your observations of your own behavior are worthless or wrong.

If you can’t find a new doctor... All I can suggest is to be as firm as possible. And if he’s resisting a particular diagnosis, maybe don’t mention your self-diagnosis (not that your diagnosis is for sure wrong or anything, I just say that because he seems to not take it seriously). Just say, “I still have this symptom and that symptom and I’m doing this behavior. I really need some answers about this. What are your thoughts about it?”

But... Can I ask why you want a diagnosis so badly? If it’s only for validation (and not medication), you don’t need a psychologist’s diagnosis to be valid. I am unfortunately familiar with your experience here, with doctors not taking their patients seriously, and I mean, doctors aren’t infallible. If a doctor isn’t taking you seriously, ignores your observations about yourself, doesn’t listen, refuses to diagnose, refuses to change medication, thinks that “just stop doing that” is a valid response to OCD behavior, etc... that doctor is very bad at their job.

Lastly, while I can’t give you a “real” diagnosis, since I’m not a doctor... If it would make you feel better, I could tell you what I think about your symptoms and behaviors. Like I said, I’m not a doctor, but I’ve had OCD for many years myself. If you do want to talk to me about it, then note that I have to respond to anonymous messages publicly, but if you come off anon I promise you I will respond privately. And if you don’t want to talk to me about it, that’s totally fine! I just thought I’d offer.

Good luck, anon!

[theocdnetwork]

The Big Huge OCD Masterpost

What is OCD?

What is OCD?

What You Need to Know About OCD (pdf brochure)

OCD Myths (Handout)

More Info About OCD (great website to explore)

The International OCD Foundation Website

Another Good Website

Self Screening Test

OCD in Children and Teenagers

Postpartum and Perinatal OCD

Subtypes of OCD

Contamination

Hoarding

“Just Right" OCD

Scrupulosity (religious and moral obsessions)

About Violent and Sexual Obsessions

Related Disorders/Conditions

About OCPD

About Body Dysmorphic Disorder

About Skin Picking

About Trichotillomania

About Dermatillomania

Some websites for Skin Picking

Help

Helpful Worksheets

Managing Your OCD at Home

Cognitive Restructuring

Self Harm Help

Sensory Overload Help

Intrusive Thoughts

Great Article on Intrusive Thoughts

Even More about Intrusive Thoughts

Derma Survival Guide

Distractions

More Distractions

Even More Distractions

About Treatments

Finding Help

Finding the Right Therapist

Brain Surgery and Medical Device Options

Know Your Rights

The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 Summary

OCD Blogs/Networks

The OCD Network (member applications available, but optional)

Actually Obsessive

OCD Support Group

OCD POC Network

#actuallyocd

Remember, everyone has quirks, superstitions, habits, routines, etc. It doesn’t mean you have OCD. It is when these rituals and habits must be done and interfere with your daily life, relationships, and cause distress when they cannot be performed. 

OCD comes in all shapes and sizes, in all sorts of intensities. It can vary just as much as the people who have it vary from each other! 

Self diagnosis is important because not everyone can afford and/or has the insurance to see a doctor or therapist! It might not be an option for some people for many reasons. That’s okay! In the meantime, if you think you have OCD, educate yourself on your potential disorder. Learning more about it is the most crucial step in keeping it in check.  However, it is advised that if you believe you have OCD, you see a medical professional as soon as you are able, as it can help alleviate your suffering.

I’m not a medical expert, I’m just a young adult with OCD that manifested itself many years ago and I am currently being treated for it! 

[theocdnetwork]

im pretty sure i have ocd of some sort, i know ocd isn't just about the stereotype of being neat and tidy etc but i get compulsions to have everything in order and if something isn't neat i have to do it again and again until im satisfied and it really stresses me out and takes up loads of my time? i get urges to arrange things and it really does make me anxious when i dont have the feeling that something is just right

i can’t diagnose you, anon, but as a person with OCD myself i’d say that does sound like OCD. and the thing about “it’s not just [stereotypical symptom]” is that it doesn’t EXCLUDE that symptom, it’s about spreading awareness about other lesser known symptoms, not excluding well-known ones. OCD doesn’t have to be + isn’t always about being neat or tidy or putting things in order, but it certainly can be.

if things being out of a certain arbitrary order is compelling you to rearrange and/or stressing you out, i’d say that’s a classic, typical OCD symptom - in your case, obsession over tidiness/arrangement of objects which leads to the compulsion to rearrange and clean (possibly in a ritualistic way - that is, having a certain way to clean/arrange and having to do and redo it to be sure you get it right or having anxiety if you don’t follow the order). and of course the anxiety if you can’t or try to avoid “fixing” things.

but anyway, as i said, i’m not a psychiatrist. neither i nor the main mod can diagnose you. i would advise you to research OCD (there are some great links on this blog that i’ll reblog for you in a sec) or see a therapist/psychiatrist/doctor for a “professional” diagnosis if that’s important to you and you’re comfortable and able to do so.

- Lumi

[re-moved]

hello! just a friendly announcement to state that it’s ocd awareness week! as someone who’s suffered with this illness for years, and is only finally getting help for it, it hurts my heart to see people dismissing it, or still use it as an adjective.

so, please. inform yourself. take it seriously. offer help to the 2 out of 100 people who suffer daily torment.

this is a good site to start with.

and from the bottom of my heart, thank you if you do educate yourself. it means more than you know to me, and every other person out there.

[theocdnetwork]

does anyone else with ocd feel really bad and wrong if someone moves or touches your stuff? it's okay if I say they can, though. sometimes the furniture in my room needs to be moved, and I get so fidgity and agitated

yeah i think its a major part of having to feel in control 

[theocdnetwork]

Do other people with OCD get like this sensation where you FEEL where things have to be, in example, in a desk? I feel it physically, as if the desk had sensations and I could feel them too. I also need to touch corners of notebooks or holes on them, otherwise I would feel really uncomfortable.

yeah definitely! i know what you mean, and its a sense of relief when you do the thing. i feel it in my head? if that makes sense. like i feel a sort of tingling or numbness even until i “fix” whats wrong. 

[tlcbfrb]

What are BFRBs?  Body-focused repetitive behaviors, including trichotillomania and skin picking disorder, affect at least 2-4% of the population. Much more than a bad “habit,” the psychological impact of BFRBs can be severe, including intense feelings of shame, isolation, and loss of control. But there is nothing to be ashamed of – BFRBs are neuro-biological disorders, and genetics plays a role in their development. Share this post if you believe BFRBs are under-recognized and misunderstood - no one should suffer alone. ‪#‎BFRB‬ week Find ‪#‎trichotillomania‬ ‪#‎skinpickingdisorder‬ info @ www.trich.org

[honestlyhoarders]

hello !

this is a new blog for hoarding disorder and hoarding tendencies caused by other disorders ! we also now have a tag at #honestlyhoarding !!

i decided to make this blog/tag since we have zero good representation, i’ve never seen any support posts for us on this site, and there’s a rly negative stigma about hoarding. i hope that this blog will help bring us together and decrease some of the stigma around hoarding!

this is okay to reblog (even if you don’t hoard) to help spread the word !

- mod bunny

[theocdnetwork]

I have ocd that involves superstitions and I've looked and not many people really have this type and I feel kind of alone with it :/ I've only been recently diagnosed with it even though I've had it since i was (1/2)

(2/2) young and only just started to recognize it so sorry if this sound weird? Do you have anything that could help?

******

i have the same issues! one of my biggest OCD Things is internal mantras that i have to repeat over and over again in my head. it actually usually involves “knocking on wood” afterwards, and if there is no wooden object around for me to knock on i Freak Out. i think this might actually fall under scrupulosity ocd, which is ocd that orients itself around religion or morals. you might find helpful info under the links provided for that category? to be honest in my experience i just, let myself do it. and if not i try to talk myself down like, you dont need to do this, it isnt going to change anything. but obviously we all know logic doesnt really help. but i sort of, talk myself through it, even if i still HAVE to do it, at least im acknowledging that i dont HAVE to im just doing it to comfort myself. you kind of trick yourself a little bit. i wish i could be more helpful, and i would love to know more ways to deal with it since its somethign i really struggle with. 

i promise you are not alone! 

[inmemoryam-deactivated20151019]

hey a reminder that sexual intrusive thoughts are not sexual fantasies. sexual fantasies are about what you desire and sexual intrusive thoughts are about what scares you the most and your intrusive thoughts say a hell of a lot more about what you DONT want than about what you do. youre okay and youre safe and youre not whatever it is your intrusive thoughts want you to think you are. youre fine.

[inmemoryam-deactivated20151019]

if you have a hard time knowing for sure that your intrusive thoughts arent actually fantasies, fantasies will make you feel good. intrusive thoughts wont. if the thoughts scare you, worry you, or stress you out, theyre not fantasies. promise

[rubyfruitjumble-deactivated2016]

I think that sexual fantasies don’t necessarily feel good and they don’t necessarily reflect your actual desires especially for people with a complicated relationship to sex but otherwise good post