i have ocd, some other neurodivergent stuff have flags, so i made one!
teal - ocd awareness ribbon
white - clarity
yellow - guidance
sandy brown - grounding oneself back into reality as a means of coping
if you wanna use it, please credit me! i’m very sorry if there happens to be one already, or if my flag looks similar to someone else’s, but feel free to let me know! thank you!
Putting yourself out there, talking to people with a "do it scared" mentality, and facing your fears can help with social anxiety. With every success (aka every interaction that doesn't go as terribly as your brain fears it might), your brain learns that it doesn't need to be so scared. That you can succeed. That you can, in fact, get a good grade in conversation and social interaction.
However. I do not think "just fucking get over it and talk to people lol" is a helpful thing to tell people with social anxiety. I don't think telling people to just get over their fucking disability will help them manage their fucking disability. How about some of y'all get over the idea that social anxiety is some non-issue that only lazy people who "don't want to put in the work to be healthy" struggle with.
Have you instead considered posting actual encouragement? Scripts to ease their anxiety? Teaching people the game of worst case, best case, most likely case? Literally anything else?? "Just get over it" is the most bullshit "advice" in the world. "If you have difficulty talking to people you're a loser who needs to grow up and just do it anyway" is, believe it or not, extremely unhelpful! So perhaps STFU!
"having successful social interactions will increase your confidence and thus help you manage your fears" and "telling people to just get over their disability and do the thing they struggle to do is shitty" can both be true.
✩ this post is a collaborative project with @mogaicemetery so much love to doll & veir help!
row one: the ocd symbol - the hour glass
this is intended to represent ocd and its subsets, with the sand pouring representing the constant stream of obsessions / intrusive thoughts and the flipping of the hourglass representing the compulsions, starting the cycle over again.
it was created with inspiration from the neurodivergent infinity symbol and adhd butterfly symbol. there are three different colors - black for standard png use, teal for ocd awareness, and rainbow for neurodivergency.
a unicode symbol that works well for this is the white hourglass: ⧖
row two: the black and teal hourglasses placed on the ocd flag (linked) and the ocd flag cropped to 16:9 scale
row three: the ocspec symbol - the four club-spoked asterisk.
this is intended to represent the obsessive compulsive spectrum, with the clubs representing neurodivergency, the radial symmetry symbolizes the different specific directions obsessive compulsive disorders can manifest as whilst existing within a larger spectrum, and obsessive/compulsive represented by the horizontal/vertical directions respectively.
the unicode symbol used for this is the four club-spoked asterisk: ✥
row four: the ocspec flag (created by mons) / the symbol & flag
✩ color meanings are as follows: purple for obsessions, indigo for behaviors, teal for ocd, white for bfrbs, green for compulsions
*obsessive compulsive spectrum includes but not limited to: ocd, body focused repetitive behavior, eating disorders, trichotillomania, and hoarding
having NPD and trying to have relationships with other people fucking sucks. everything feels like a competition, whether i'm aware of it or not. except when i'm not aware of the "this is a competition", it hits even harder when i suddenly slam into the brick wall of "this is a competition and i lost" because i didn't even consider that losing was an option. it's even worse when i'm actively trying not to let it affect my relationships with other people. especially people who i just met!
a person who didn't have NPD would be happy for them. i know that it is unfair of me to be angry, so i played at being happy for them and took my anger elsewhere. good! it would have been wrong of me to take my anger out on them.
except, now i am stuck in a crash with no comfort, nothing to help me get out of it, while watching them be completely oblivious to how i'm feeling (which is my fault). and there are a few different voices:
(1) i need comfort. they have shown in the past that they have at least some sort of positive feelings for me, so they might be willing to provide it if i explain and grovel and etc and maybe i'll feel better.
(2) i need comfort. i should ask them to comfort me, because it's their fault i'm feeling this way in the first place, fuck their little party and celebration and joy and whimsical bullshit. they're probably well aware of how i'm feeling and are showing off just to make me Feel Bad anyway!
(3) i can't ask for comfort, that would make me look weak and pathetic and needy. i can't be those things, that's beneath me, and would also give them ammo to hurt me in the future.
(4) i can't ask for comfort, i made this bed, now i must lie in it. it's my fault for not communicating in the first place, ergo, i deserve to suffer for fucking up. you reap what you sow or however that saying goes.
(5) i can't ask for comfort, i shouldn't even be feeling this way; it would be wrong of me to demand they comfort me over something so unreasonable. it's not like they even know i'm having these kinds of feelings, i haven't told them and i have been expressly trying not to let them know.
(6) i can't ask for comfort, if i tell them i'm feeling this way, they would probably hate me for killing the joyous mood and being a party pooper and whatever else, and it would prove i'm a Bad Friend and i'd lose them instantly. also (knowing me) i would never attempt making connection like this ever again if this happened because of the overwhelming shame.
that is two voices in favor of asking for comfort, and four against. i am far enough along in "recovery" (egh) to know that options 2 and 3 are... Bad, shall i say, but i am not far along enough to know which of the remaining four is the correct way to go.
and every minute i waste on trying to decipher what to do just makes it harder and harder to do anything at all lol.
i probably won't say anything and keep pretending things are normal and just hope to whatever deity might exist that they don't catch on and figure out "hey something's weird and fucked up with M" because idk if i can hide it under actual scrutiny. and if they learn that i've been purposefully hiding it, the reaction could easily be even worse! lol. i am screwed.
(i tried... so hard to act like a Functioning Person Who Doesn't Have NPD because i wanted so bad for them to like me. i mean they technically should know i have NPD because i mentioned it when we met but i don't know if they, like, understand what that means in practice, and i was and am determined to ensure that i don't let my NPD make me do shit that ruins the relationships i have built with them. which is precisely the problem because now i have no idea what to do)
(god i miss having a ChP who was obsessed with me and was willing to give me supply. granted, my former ChP was abusive and made me incredibly insecure in my ability to have a real relationship with anyone else because she convinced me she was the only person who could ever love me because i was either too broken or too good (depending on her mood) for anyone else, but damn what i wouldn't give for someone close to me to tell me i'm perfect and the best and etc right now. why must this shit be so complicated?)
There is no such thing as “the evil kill-people disorder that makes you kill people”; it has always been a myth made up by demonization to sell more ableism.
it really irks me when people complain that so many of the autism diagnostic criteria and evaluations focus on external predictors rather than internal experiences.
so many autistic people (likely most) are diagnosed in early childhood. I was diagnosed at the age of three. I could not tell you what I struggled with and where. I was diagnosed based on external predictors rather than internal experiences (though that diagnosis did consider how those external predictors related to my internal experiences!)
the criteria should be expanded to include the experiences of older autistic people with the ability to self reflect but you can't eliminate the criteria that are externally visible.
those externally visible criteria aren't there because they want to define autism based on its impacts on others, they're there because that is frequently the only way you can tell.
Suspecting npd/bpd(?) culture is compassion and emotional labor feeling like a finite resource you have to dispense carefully and need replenished in turn, preferably in double so you don't feel socially and emotionally drained
Bonus still feeling ashamed and guilty for needing so much bc you just know that the amount you need is so big
Having moral OCD like symptoms and being chronically online is hard enough. Take a break. You're not a bad person for not knowing something or making mistake. You are allowed to take a break, have some self care and find some peace within this chaotic world.
people really need to stop using psychotic to mean evil. Disabilities don't affect moral character. Stop. Neurotypicals shouldn't be allowed to use the word psychotic until they know what it means
plural culture is wondering whether we should stick to journaling/chatting on our current plural system journaling website (Lighthouse) or go back to the original website where it all started (Gmail)
What is ERP? : The gold standard treatment for OCD is ERP, which is a version of cognitive behavioral therapy. During this therapy, the patient systematically faces their fears, working from the least to the most scary. During the course of the session, the patient resists performing their compulsions. This teaches uncertainty and distress tolerance.
Is ERP too much? : ERP is intentionally designed to not be too overwhelming. You don't move on to the next step until you're okay with your current level.
How helpful is ERP? : ERP is effective for around 60% of OCD patients. It's approximately as effective as other therapies. It's also effective when self-administered, and has also been found to reduce depression and anxiety symptoms. Longer treatment sessions are even more effective.
What is I-CBT? : I-CBT is a metacognitive treatment that focuses on the underlying thought processes that lead to obsessions. The idea is to teach patients to question the faulty reasoning behind them. This can be used as an alternative to ERP.
How helpful is I-CBT? : I-CBT has been shown in some studies to be approximately as effective as regular CBT for OCD. However, it's a new treatment, and more research is needed on how it works.
Cognitive therapy
What is cognitive therapy? : Additional cognitive therapies (including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)) are sometimes used alongside ERP. These therapies work with the goal of addressing underlying psychological mechanisms that drive OCD, such as putting excessive importance on thoughts, thought-action fusion, and overestimating threats.
How helpful is cognitive therapy? : Cognitive therapy alongside ERP has not been shown to be more effective than ERP alone. Despite this, it is still used in clinical practice. In contrast, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), is found to be generally effective for most people. However, this effectiveness is only moderate compared to placebo.
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
What is ACT? : ACT teaches patients to stop avoiding, denying, and struggling with emotions and accept them instead. This can involve changing self-talk and problem solving, as well as mindfulness, acceptance, following personal values, and taking action.
How is ACT used? : ACT can also be used alongside ERP to help with distress tolerance. ERP fundamentally involves experiencing scary and distressing situations, which can be difficult for a lot of people. ACT can teach some skills needed to manage these experiences. Some of these coping skills are mindfulness, grounding exercises, and more.
How helpful is ACT? : ACT is moderately effective at treating OCD symptoms. It's slightly less helpful than CBT or ERP on its own, but more effective when combined with medication.
Medication
OCD may be treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), typically in higher doses than when treating depression.
Around half of OCD patients find SSRIs helpful, and experience a 40-50% symptom decrease.
Medications are usually used alongside other therapies.
Sources:
Diagnosing and treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (2026). In Apa.org. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2026/04-05/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-diagnosis-treatment
Psychology Today. (2022). Acceptance and commitment therapy. In Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/acceptance-and-commitment-therapy
Song, Y., Li, D., Zhang, S., Jin, Z., Zhen, Y., Su, Y., Zhang, M., Lu, L., Xue, X., Luo, J., Liang, M., & Li, X. (2022). The effect of exposure and response prevention therapy on obsessive-compulsive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Research, 317, 114861. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114861
Julien, D., O’Connor, K., & Aardema, F. (2016). The inference-based approach to obsessive-compulsive disorder: A comprehensive review of its etiological model, treatment efficacy, and model of change. Journal of Affective Disorders, 202, 187–196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2016.05.060
Abramowitz, J. S., Taylor, S., & McKay, D. (2005). Potentials and Limitations of Cognitive Treatments for Obsessive‐Compulsive Disorder. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 34(3), 140–147. https://doi.org/10.1080/16506070510041202
Philip, J., & Cherian, V. (2020). Acceptance and commitment therapy in the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A systematic review. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 28, 100603. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocrd.2020.100603
Olatunji, B. O., Davis, M. L., Powers, M. B., & Smits, J. A. J. (2013). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A meta-analysis of treatment outcome and moderators. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 47(1), 33–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2012.08.020
DEFINITION ⦂⠀Someone who does not experience Schizoid Personality in a disordered way, or rejects the label of "disorder" due to the general, ableist idea that "a disorder needs to be fixed".
PT: Definition: Someone who does not experience Schizoid Personality in a disordered way, or rejects the label of "disorder" due to the general, ableist idea that "a disorder needs to be fixed". /end PT
ADDITIONAL ⦂⠀Coined on the 28th of July, 2026.
PT: Additional: Coined on the 28th of July, 2026. /end PT
jigsaw voice Hello moral OCD having tumblr user. before you is a post saying "reblog if you love minorities". if you don't reblog it, you clearly hate minorities and want them all to die. but if you do, you're exposing your followers to the same dilemma. choose wisely...
Just saw the most chronically online take of the year of someone ranting unironically that you should look up every single artist with a song you enjoy to make sure they are unproblematic. And if you don't do this them you are as bad as the controversy associated with the artist, for being 'willfully ignorant.' They literally talked about how they went through more than a thousand artists they listened to and whittled it down to 200 this way. This is obsessive and they need help
i will never stop being angry about how short attention spans are demonized. my sixth grade math teacher one time told us (my class) about how bad tiktok was because it wired us to love instant gratification (and how liking instant gratification/struggling with delayed gratification were bad things). people online are constantly using "attention span of a goldfish" and "ipad kid"(which has become synonymous with "brainrot tiktok subway surfers video idiot child) as insults, especially towards young gen z/gen alpha. having a short attention span is synonymous with being stupid (which both isnt true in the first place and frankly shouldnt matter because intelligence isnt tied to morality or kindness but insults on intelligence are a whole other can of worms). people constantly go on about how teens are so addicted to their phones and put the responsibility on the teens in question to be better people who don't want to use their phones when bored or whatever. boredom is simultaneously treated like a necessary part of everyday life that you need to overcome unassisted or else you are a failure with a dopamine addiction yet also like a symptom of withdrawal that only happens to disgusting dopamine addicts and therefore is deserved. ive come across many "attention span reset" videos online and while they probably help some people they feel soooo condescending to me (the ones ive seen have a person going on in the softest "talking to a scared animal" voice while talking about focusing on the art they're doing like this is a hypnotherapy session). executive dysfunction (in general but especially the sort where you're doing something you enjoy instead of the task that feels impossible) is just called "procrastination" and procrastination is just used as another word for "being a lazy asshole". being fidgety or having a hard time being still for long is treated like a mildly annoying quirk at best and an action deserving of not just ridicule but punishment at worst. in kids and teens, an inability to focus on schoolwork or chores is punished again and again until the parent decides that there's nothing for the child/teen to do except for the work or chore. adhd/add are constantly labeled as excuses and laziness and an unwillingness to try until you're a full grown adult getting a diagnosis and being told "i dont know why this went under the radar for so long". not only do people with adhd/add feel like failures for not being able to live up to the standards of the society we're in, but we're constantly treated like and punished for being failures by oftentimes even harsher standards and told that our symptoms are actually just symptoms of being a stupid fucking idiot dickhead asshole incapable of anything good in the world. and im so, so fucking sick of it.
pixelskylines
amandla
kianamaiart
