OCD: General Discussion Thread

Olivia Rivera77 said:Look, I totally get it. Telling people is brutal. It took me until I was 24 to finally open up to my family. And honestly? Most people who haven't dealt with this stuff don't think it's some huge, terrifying deal, which can be frustrating. You can actually go to a doctor without even telling your folks if you want to, though it’s usually better to be open. Just a heads-up: be careful who you vent to. Since they don't "get" it, they might make jokes at your expense, and while they think they're being funny, it's actually killing you inside. From my own experience, I really recommend seeing a psychiatrist. It makes life so much more livable. I used to think I’d never have a normal life because of the depression and the compulsions, but look at me now...😍Be Brave and hang in there; things will get better. And hey, if you end up needing antidepressants, don't sweat it. They aren't scary. It just takes a minute for them to kick in. It can be a bit of a struggle at first because I had to cycle through a few different types before I found the one that actually worked for me.

Jeremy Bailey61 said:My parents are actually great, they just aren't exactly progressive. We don't really have an adult relationship; they still treat me like I'm five years old. The problem is, I live in a tiny rural town and I have zero clue where to find a clinic or anything like that. I'll definitely make the move once I've moved out on my own, especially since I want to head off to college. Trying to survive university with this weight on my shoulders would be nearly impossible, let alone trying to fit in. Honestly, talking to someone who’s been through the exact same thing has already made me feel lighter. It's weird, but it works. Regarding the psychiatrist—did you actually go to therapy sessions, or did they just hand you a prescription?

NaniBanani;18498265 said:obsessive-compulsive disorder...

I can only actually process information if I’m pacing around the room talking out loud, repeating the exact same phrases over and over. Then there's the whole thing where I can't move on to anything else until I finish a specific paragraph. If a paragraph happens to split across two pages in a textbook, I have to finish that entire page completely before I even think about turning it—if half a sentence is sitting at the bottom of one page and the rest is on the next, it's game over.

On top of all that, I’m dealing with anxiety and depression that swings wildly into these intense bursts of high energy. I also have this habit of picking at my fingers and obsessively messing with my cuticles, usually without even realizing I'm doing it. My sleep schedule is a disaster too—I sleep way too much during the day, but I can't fall asleep at night, and my concentration is basically non-existent.

It's the exact same story for me. Studying is easily the hardest part.

Tyler Moore said:I’ve been dealing with this disorder for about eight years now. It isn't something I face every single day; it tends to flare up periodically. Sometimes I’ll go a year, or even just a few months, without any issues at all, but then it comes back... When I was younger, I didn't really recognize it as a problem. It wasn't until later on that I realized what was actually happening. Honestly, I feel pretty isolated because I don't have anyone to turn to or anyone I can truly relate to who is going through the same thing. My parents don't really grasp why this needs medical attention; they either don't pay much attention to it, or perhaps they just don't want to acknowledge that I've been seeing a psychiatrist on my medical records. For the most part, I'm not entirely sure how serious my situation is. It involves things like occasional intrusive, violent thoughts, or sudden urges where I feel like I might😕do something impulsive, like screaming at the top of my lungs in a crowded bus or something similar. Or sometimes I’ll find myself reading only the first and third word of every sentence and repeating them over and over again—though before, it used to be the first and second words. Other times, it's small things, like placing an object on a shelf and then picking it up and putting it back down repeatedly until it finally feels "right." If I don't seek treatment for this, is it possible for things to get worse?
😕🤷

Jason White41 said:Hey everyone... I've been dealing with this one issue for years now, but this year it’s hitting me hard... OCD—Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
It all started about 7 or 8 years ago—checking locks, checking the stove... honestly, the stove is my biggest nightmare. But lately, it’s gotten way worse, especially on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays when I have to head over to campus around 2:30 PM. I just can't shake this OCD thing—I'm constantly checking outlets for no reason, double-checking every damn thing a hundred times, making sure the water is off a hundred times, or obsessing over whether I actually turned the stove off after heating up lunch... like, staring at the dials thinking "is it set to 0,0,0,0,0,60?" and then checking that ten thousand times. Then, once I think I've checked everything, I lock the door and immediately start wondering if I actually locked it—so I end up checking that too, acting like a total lunatic, locking and unlocking it a thousand times... my head hurts so much doing this, it makes me want to end it all.
Then, once I finally get to college—since I'm always running late on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays—by 4:00 PM I'm sweating bullets, my head is pounding, and I'm just a nervous wreck.

Anyone know how to get rid of this crap?
..or has anyone else dealt with something similar to what I'm going through?....please help me

boldmason572 said:Ah... sounds familiar. For me, it's counting license plates or windows while I'm walking down the street. I have to perform certain actions a specific number of times—usually 3, 5, or 7. I impose these numbers on myself.😁 It can be incredibly irritating. I suspect therapy would probably help both you and me, but who knows? To an outsider, it sounds pretty grim, though eventually, you just get used to it. I'm hoping mine might resolve itself, even though it's been sticking with me for years. Good luck to you, and to everyone else out there. Cheers.

loneraven6 said:I think I’m starting to see the signs of an OCD struggle creeping in... Nothing massive, just subtle stuff. Like, maybe I'm brushing my teeth a bit more often than necessary. 😂
Then there are these other little habits, like constantly rearranging things on my desk just to get them perfectly aligned. Honestly, I can't tell if this is actually a disorder or if I'm just a perfectionist. But let's be real—the line between being a perfectionist and having actual OCD is paper-thin. 🙄

loneraven6 said:I think I’m starting to see the signs of an OCD struggle creeping in... Nothing massive, just subtle stuff. Like, maybe I'm brushing my teeth a bit more often than necessary. 😂
Then there are these other little habits, like constantly rearranging things on my desk just to get them perfectly aligned. Honestly, I can't tell if this is actually a disorder or if I'm just a perfectionist. But let's be real—the line between being a perfectionist and having actual OCD is paper-thin. 🙄