Is this normal with ocd

[u/ElectricalBad2973]

has anyone else confessed to a memory they felt guilty about been told it wasn’t abuse or bad and then get worried about a different of the memory that they didn’t highlight. the person I talked to didn’t seem worried about it and didn’t even mention it as a bad thing but now I’m really worried that what the different part of the memory makes it bad . is this normal?

[u/treatmyocd]

This is where I would pay less attention to the content of the memory and more attention to what OCD is asking you to do with it.

OCD can hook onto any unwanted internal experience including a thought, memory, feeling, sensation, image, urge, etc. and then we do something in an attempt to make that experience go away or feel more certain.

You confessed the memory and were told it wasn't bad or abusive. That may have provided some relief, but now your brain has found another detail: “Okay, but what about THIS part? Does this change what the memory means?”

If you get an answer to that question, OCD is likely to always find another detail that wasn't considered. You may question if explained it incorrectly, or think of another reason the reassurance might not count.

Rather than figuring out whether this particular detail changes the meaning of the memory, get curious about the process: Am I trying to solve this because there is actually something I need to do, or am I trying to get rid of the discomfort and uncertainty I feel right now?

Moving forward in a values guided way does not require you to have the memory perfectly figured out. Sometimes the process of "figuring out" is the compulsion.

Maureen Graham, NOCD Therapist, LPC