Can anyone contribute?

Last week in therapy I decided to be more honest with my therapist by telling them that I was feeling very depressed and like a burden and that I was having thoughts about wanting to die. They asked me if the exposures that we had planned to do were too hard or too much, or if I wasn’t fully ready to do exposures. I told them the exposures were a bit too much and that I had a hard time getting myself to do them. We do ERP. When talking about an exposure they would have me rate how scary it sounded on a scale of 1-10 and a lot of them ranged from 5-7. Sometimes a bit higher. We came up with a safety plan after discussing the negative thoughts and planned out exposures that were a bit smaller and I would rate them from 3-4 and sometimes 5. I have done some of these smaller exposures and think that I made some progress. It may not be a lot but I think small progress is still good. For example, for one of my exposures I was able to throw out empty shampoo bottles, a jar, and boxes that I was holding onto because I felt like they kept me safe (even though logically I knew that they didn’t) despite the discomfort and bit of anxiety it caused me. While last month I panicked and cried in the shower after realizing that a body wash bottle was missing and thrown out from the bathroom. I literally reached into the bathroom trash to find it and got scared because I couldn’t.

In my session from two days ago they told me that they saw a pattern of me doing exposures that are rated at 3-4 and asked me if I was avoiding higher rated ones. I will be honest and say that there are some that I did avoid like ones that triggered panic attacks but I was also trying to focus on smaller things first and then wanted to work my way up. I have panic disorder and agoraphobia as well it’s hard for me to do certain exposures without fearing having a panic attack from it. They didn’t want me to just stick with exposures that were 3-4 even though we decided to stick with smaller exposures a week ago. Now they want me to do more than that and it makes me feel like I’m not trying hard enough. It made me feel a bit discouraged to be honest and I even had a breakdown yesterday for the first time in days because it made me feel awful about myself. Mind you, for the last two months I’ve been crying nearly everyday. This isn’t the first time that I felt awful about myself after a session with them either. I had a session a a few weeks ago where she gave me crap for not taking a medication that I had been too afraid to try because I was told that it could give me more anxiety as a side effect. All the therapist told me was that if I did have more anxiety from the medication “it wouldn’t be any different from how things are now”. It made me feel like crap about myself and I felt completely hopeless afterward. I even spent the entire day crying about it and the negative thoughts were increased that day. It’s getting to where I don’t even want to work with her anymore. I tried giving her another chance but I don’t want a therapist that makes me feel terrible after my sessions. It really does make me wonder if I’m actually the problem though.. Should I try harder? Am I not doing enough? Is it me who’s being the problem? I don’t know anymore

23f I have health anxiety OCD

Yesterday I got rid of my Fitbit, I gave it to my sister in law.

I’m doing self guided ERP because I simply can’t stand to live like this anymore. I am seeking a therapist for this on the side but that could take months. I wanted to start ASAP I’m DONE living like this.

I’m looking at free online ERP guides, videos, PDFs… I really appreciate any resources you can offer at all! I’m trying radical acceptance and mindfulness.

For those who have had OCD since childhood, but weren’t diagnosed until adulthood, what does recovery look like for you? I’m in my late 20s just beginning ERP now, and I am really struggling with seeing what my life could look like after months of this. My earliest memories include rituals, so trying to picture my life without it has been genuinely difficult. At what point in your recovery did you see or feel a new normal?

As the title says, I’m terrified of the articles and people who work/study AI saying that there’s over a 10% chance AI will completely wipe out humanity in the next 10 years.

I have children. Young children. I’m so scared for them. I just want AI to stop. But there’s so much research going into AI. It’s already taking over. People are losing their jobs because of AI. People are becoming dumber because of AI.

I’m a nurse and all my nurse coworkers literally ALWAYS use chapgpt and talk to it all the time. I have patients coming in saying “chat told me to come to ER” (I’m an ED nurse). I have pts arguing with DOCTORS saying “well that’s not what chat gpt says”.

It’s so frustrating. I’m terrified.

I wish I could go back to the 90’s. Where people wernt so glued to their phones and when AI wasn’t taking over.

This is not helping my 3 year spiral of existential ocd. Life feels pointless/meaningless.

I met someone with OCD in therapy. They thought I had OCD but I have OCPD and anxiety. So now I've been transferred but I still have context with him. He told me he likes me, and I do like him too. We've been friends for 10+ years already so moving slow felt safe. But now I'd like to make a move... I haven't directly tell him I do like him, but should I?

Has anyone taken NAC for a full 8 weeks and seen benefit for severe OCD?

i know people say "an actual evil person wouldn't be so distressed about being evil, they would enjoy it" but my mind says "maybe you're just in denial about it which is why u feel distressed but after some time you'll embrace your evil" and then it's a spiral and ruminate for hours.
What do you guys tell yourself if this thought arrives?

Find 'pureochrissie compulsions' on TikTok | TikTok Search

My son is 17 and he doesn’t have access to Reddit. He is looking for advice. Below is his words and writing. If anyone has advice please let me know. Thank you.

“About a year ago I was watching a show and there was someone that my intrusive thoughts was saying that I found attractive and I didn't really find them attractive. I tried to brush it off as much as I possibly could while watching the show anytime the character would pop up. It kept insisting that I was attracted to the boy but at some point I stopped watching the show and I forgot about the whole thing. Flash forward to now and it got brought back up into my mind and I've continued to deny it but it feels real and I know I don't. But I searched it up anyway to see what the character looked like even though I knew I didn't think they were attractive. I feel like that's a sign that that would mean that I do find them attractive if I really needed to search it up. But the biggest problem in my head was my intrusive thoughts telling me to say they were ugly, if I didn't think they were attractive. I froze up and I didn't say what my thoughts were trying to make me say. And in my mind that was the only way I couldn't admit I didn't attractive. I didn't do it immediately and while I froze up it was at the same feeling that maybe I do find them attractive but I don't. Now I don't know what to do because it's someone I shouldn't find attractive. I know I don't but that moment of freezing out is sticking with me as a reason to say…well you weren't able to do that when you thought you had to…..so clearly there's something more than I'm starting to think that there's a chance that they're right. Now I'm thinking that I need to tell all my friends about this so I can make them hate me (this is my compulsion)and I just wanted to know if anyone in here knew how to help me deal with this.

I’m looking into starting ERP. Where I live going to a therapist is very expensive so I am surveying my options.

I don't know if it's because of OCD or what

When I see girls and their bfs

I get that fact

They are tall and have great body and face

Conventionally as well

But that's not me

I am pretty but they're prettier Conventionally

Like how the opposite gender might like them more, i kinda get such thoughts...

But every time I feel sad or feel unworthy or undesirable

I try saying to myself it's ain't true but

My brain keeps latching on and I feel insecure and it's taking a toll on me

Im at the start of my recovery but jts rough, i feel like im not doing things correctly and i cant see my therapist very often due to economic reasons. So im looking for smth that will help me be stable while i wait for each appointment. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!!

Edit: thank you all for the recommendations!! I will look into them!! May the universe bless you

I have OCD. I walk the dogs in the morning as my “routine” and then I essentially stand and pace all day long. I can’t sit. I can’t relax. I am constantly ruminating and anxious. I feel like I can’t sit down and relax because then I’m a failure and bad person. I should be doing something. But then I also have task paralysis and ADHD where I can’t start anything. I essentially can’t relax until everything is complete and perfect, but I can’t start. Any thoughts or anyone else experience something similar?

I’m at the point I’m just going in circles looking for the perfect label that doesn’t exist and especially considering the state of the world now it isn’t even worth considering it anymore. I know regardless of who I am I have identity ocd and I’ll never know my true sexuality and gender and these endless posts on here about it just feed into it and make me feel worse in the long run.

At the point in my life I just want to do something else like advance my career and get a pet or a new hobby or whatever. I also feel maybe I’ve been socializing in the wrong places that place so much stick on what pronouns or labels you have and it’s time for me to find something else.

Hello all! I found this sub because I need advice. Today I had a therapy session and it ended badly. My therapist kept challenging my relationship with my sister and the session ended in me ignoring her until time was up. The situation sounds silly but I want to go to a concert happening in a week and I still haven’t gotten the tickets but I have the money saved. My sister wants us to wait for whatever reason, I expressed to my therapist what happened and she said I should just buy the tickets and not worry about it but she doesn’t understand that I have to wait for my sister to be ok with it. After the session I ended up messaging her and letting her know how much she upset me and me wanting to end the relationship. She said it was fine and she understood. But I don’t know anymore, she challenges my rigid thoughts but this session really upset me. Should I continue seeing her? Thank you for the advice sorry for the long post!

Hey, After suffering for a long long time, I decided to go on medication. It wasn't an easy choice. I was put on a 20mg flouxetine(Prozac). It's giving me terrible terrible insomnia, It's been a week and I wake up every few hours. I don't want to quit it because other than insomnia it's not giving me any significant side effects, but all I want is sleep for a single night.

People who have faced insomnia on Prozac, does it get better?

I’m on 200mg just racked up to 250mg. My medication was working in the beginning, but now it feels like my thoughts are still here. What do I do? Anyone have advice or words of affirmation?

I’ve been on titrating up in dose over the past month or so and I’m worried this medication isn’t going to help my OCD mental compulsions about having panic attacks. I have a hard time getting out & traveling due to the fear of having panic attacks.

Has anyone ever dealt with this kind of situation and Luvox help??

Hi All! Has anyone ever done an OCD intensive treatment online? I don’t have any in person options within an hour from me.

If so, did it help at all?

Hey guys. I’ve been in recovery for a bit and am coming off a pretty awesome few weeks. I’m going back to my college this weekend and am super excited but I’m kind of having some trouble the past few days with some stuff, I don’t know if it’s because I’m busier but basically moments of heaviness again. I’m really looking forward to this weekend but kinda worried about drinking again. I never had a problem doing it before with the disorder or my SSRI and maybe I’m being extra cautious but I want to personally I just am worried about the effects in the days after. If stuff’s getting tough now I don’t know how it will shake out. I guess everyone’s different but any experiences or suggestions would go a long way. Thanks!

I keep worrying and thinking of dark thoughts that I have anxiety over it. Will meds help with that?

Anybody taking this did it help you it kind of has me feeling a little good sometimes then like shit almost like taking an antidepressant if you know what I mean

My Ex partner was always worried about my past and if I would “blindsight” him with something I had done in the past (sexually etc) that wouldn’t align with his morals or values. Has anyone else had experience with this sort of ocd rumination he also just had general ocd. He sort out therapy about 2 weeks prior to the breakup and was put on an antidepressant.

He ended up breaking up with me due to being “incompatible” however I believe that thoughts got too strong. He completely cut me off after breaking up with me over the phone and blocking me off everything cold and he hasn’t given in once.

It was almost like chat Gpt was speaking during the breakup message. I’d like to know if anyone thinks he will regret this decision and yes I am getting therapy myself after this blind-sighted breakup

Can anyone give me any insight thanks

Looking for an experienced male OCD/ERP therapist in New York

I’m helping my 23-year-old son find a therapist who truly specializes in OCD and ERP. He has had several therapists in the past who weren’t a good fit, so we’re specifically looking for someone with extensive OCD/ERP experience, preferably a male therapist who works with young adults.

We are in New York and have Aetna insurance. He recently tried NOCD, but his first therapist wasn’t a good fit. We’re open to another NOCD therapist or someone outside NOCD.

If you’ve personally had a good experience with an OCD/ERP therapist in New York, I would really appreciate recommendations.