OCD: General Discussion Thread

OCD was one of my biggest hurdles, if not the main one, if you can even rank them like that.

Looking back on things now, I’ve noticed my symptoms definitely flare up when I go too long without sex. So, my advice to all the OCD sufferers out there? Get some action! Seriously, isn't obsessive-compulsive disorder often linked to repressed sexual urges? (Anyone here a psychologist?)

Wow... This is happening to me too... Beyond the compulsions, my head is just totally 🙄 unknown 🤣 On top of that, there's the depression 😬
How on earth did you get through this without medication? How did you make it stop?
A lot of people have told me that stuff like this hits during your early 20s 😲 And I'm in my early 20s right now.

I’m officially done with deep analytical therapy. You know, all that digging around for the root causes.
What can I tell you? Just find a qualified psychotherapist and don't stop searching until you finally hit the right person.

So, does this disorder actually need an underlying cause?
Because, honestly, I feel like I know exactly what triggered this for me 😢 And the more I try to dodge facing it, the worse things get in the moment 😢
Man, I'm genuinely glad you moved past that 👍 Props to you 👍
It’s pretty fascinating reading about someone actually getting better; I want all the specifics—how, why, where, what happened, etc. 😬

Yeah, those compulsions and intrusive thoughts happen because of some underlying conflict lurking beneath the surface. You might grasp part of why they're there, but there’s always that deeper, unconscious layer at play.
Frank Cooper3, if you think these issues are popping up simply because you can't face one specific thing—and hey, maybe your situation is different—it could just be a temporary crisis triggered by that issue. My advice? Try to actually "look" at the problem. You might not find an immediate fix, but facing it head-on and accepting it exists is better than turning your back on it. That's how you take control instead of letting the problem run your life.
If things don't improve after that, then you'll know the roots probably go even deeper. At least then you'll know where you stand and can keep searching for answers.
That's just my two cents.
Honestly, I'm just so incredibly relieved to be feeling so much better myself—you have no idea! (((;
Feel free to ask anything else if you need. Cheers.

If I run into any questions, I'll let you know. Thanks for the "invite." 😉
And thanks for the reply 👍
Honestly, it’s just good to see people finally shaking off those little nuisances that can seriously make life miserable for anyone dealing with them.
I've always been an overthinker—always analyzing everything—but lately? It's like I've lost the steering wheel. My thoughts are spiraling out of control, and frankly... there's a lot of dark stuff in there. Brrr.
Goodnight 😍

circles said:So, I think the title pretty much covers it.
Has anyone else (unluckily) dealt with this issue, and how do you actually manage it? I’m not talking about those rare, one-off episodes that pop up once in a blue moon. I mean the kind of disorder that's just... there. Every single day. A constant, fundamental part of your existence.
In my case, it’s specifically this obsessive hand-washing thing.

You realize there's OCPD, right? Not just OCD?

There’s a massive difference. One is Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder, and the other is just standard OCD.

There's this solid book called Brain Lock by Jeffrey M. Schwartz—it would be great if you could just grab a copy here in the US and give it a read.

There isn't really a "fix" for OCD; it’s more like a state of mind. The more you fight it, the worse it can get. You really have to get to know the disorder, wrap your head around it, and learn how to live alongside it just to "beat" it.

BTW, what would happen if you just... didn't wash your hands the way you usually do?
I'm guessing you feel this intense, overwhelming internal urge to do it, and you just can't say no. Like it's just pulling you along?

You've got it easy compared to some people who ritualistically scrub their entire house down to the floorboards, but hey, I don't want to give you any new ideas.😁

It's a bit like dyslexia. Only, I am 100% certain that dyslexia is a state of mind. There is no point in fighting it. Even Einstein was dyslexic; that's exactly what made him who he was! But anyway, that's a whole different rabbit hole.🙂

Gerald Clark2 said:Seriously though, isn't OCD basically just linked to suppressing sexual desires? (Asking for a friend, or if there are any actual psychologists hanging out here)

Nope. ( *Screw you, Freud 😬 seriously, let’s stop trying to shove sex into every single thing we talk about)
But hey, I'm not gonna go out on a limb and say I'm an expert or anything.
I really think things just get worse whenever life throws some major curveballs or stress our way.
So, if you're actually struggling because you aren't getting enough action—well, then congrats, you've got OCD, which is basically just your (definitely imperfect) way of trying to deal with anxiety, stress, or at the very least, those overwhelming feelings that you just don't know how to handle yet.

Gerald Clark2 said:Yeah, compulsions and intrusive thoughts stem from some deep-seated conflict that hasn't hit your conscious mind yet. You might grasp a piece of the puzzle, sure, but there’s always that hidden layer lurking beneath the surface.
Atlanta, look, if you’re assuming your issues are popping up because you can't face one specific thing—I mean, maybe that's true, or maybe your situation is just different, or maybe that issue is just triggering a current crisis—I’d suggest you actually "look" at the problem. Maybe you won't find an immediate fix, but just face it. Accept that it exists instead of turning your head away. That’s how you take the driver's seat, rather than letting the problem drive you.
If things don't improve after that, then at least you'll know the roots go deeper. Then you aren't just guessing; you actually know where you stand and can start hunting for the real solution.
Just my two cents, anyway.
Honestly, I'm just so incredibly relieved that I've recovered (mostly)—you have no idea how much! (((;
Feel free to ask anything else if you're curious. Best,

Really solid post here.😬

Look, I deal with OCD too. I'm pretty inhibited since I've never had a girlfriend and I'm 24. I just can't shake these damn inhibitions... I don't have the guts to talk to a girl even though I want a relationship more than anything.

I got rejected a few times, and now I've built up this mental image that I'm just not good enough to have a girlfriend, like I don't deserve it or something... I used to have phases of cleaning and hand-washing, but over time, that morphed into a whole different level.

OCD shifts over time. For example, someone who started out with hand-washing might end up compulsively gambling, hanging out in chat rooms, scrolling this forum, stuff like that.

Rebecca Moore said:Man, this is a solid point.😬

Look, I deal with OCD too. Honestly, I’m pretty inhibited—I’m 24 and haven't even had a girlfriend yet. I just can't shake these damn inhibitions... I don't have the guts to actually talk to a girl, even though I want a relationship more than anything.

I've been rejected a few times, and now I've built up this mental image that I'm just not good enough to have a girlfriend, like I don't deserve it or something... I used to go through phases of cleaning and hand-washing, but over time, that evolved into something else entirely.

OCD shifts over time. For example, someone who started out obsessively washing their hands might later move on to compulsive gambling, spending all day in chat rooms, or hanging out on forums like this one.

Hey, Rebecca Moore.

You aren't alone. It's the exact same story with me, except I didn't have as much trouble with the hand-washing stuff. Instead, I had plenty of other "lovely" issues.
Things change. From what I've experienced, OCD isn't a static thing. It evolves right along with the person living with it. Maybe you'll eventually gain some confidence with women, but then you'll get hit by some totally different symptom you didn't even know existed.

Basically, the longer I've dealt with this piece of crap, the better I get at fighting it.

Also, people here constantly bring up this idea that someone with OCD has dark, repressed things buried in their subconscious that cause these conflicts. That might be a total myth. There's research showing that OCD is linked to chemical imbalances in the brain (like serotonin), which means it's actually more similar to a physical disorder. Your brain is basically just glitching out.

Either way,
best,

rowdyviper722:"Look, people here constantly claim that OCD stems from some dark, repressed stuff buried in your subconscious, and that’s why the conflict exists. That might be total nonsense. There’s actual research suggesting OCD is tied to hormone imbalances in the brain—specifically serotonin—which makes it much more like a physical ailment. Your brain is basically just glitching. "

I read somewhere that OCD (usually those intrusive thoughts) tends to flare up during depressive episodes, specifically because of the serotonin levels...

Frank Cooper3 said:I've read somewhere that OCD (especially intrusive thoughts) often pops up during depressive episodes, mostly because of serotonin levels...

That’s probably a fair point. Honestly, though, I’ve never really dealt with depression myself. Everything about this stuff is so incredibly layered and messy that there's rarely just one simple answer.

So, I was reading this list of depression symptoms, and it mentions things like "intrusive dark thoughts" or "disturbing mental imagery." Honestly, since OCD falls under the anxiety umbrella, I’m completely lost on where to draw the line anymore.
For me, it all kicked off right when my depression hit. Now, I just feel constantly on edge—totally wired and tense.

Frank Cooper3 said:rowdyviper722: "By the way, people around here love to claim that having OCD means you've got all these dark, repressed secrets buried in your subconscious causing the friction. Honestly? That might just be a myth. There’s actual research suggesting OCD is tied to brain chemistry—like serotonin levels—which makes it feel much more like a physical ailment. It's basically just your brain glitching out."

I've read that intrusive thoughts (the obsessive part, mostly) tend to flare up during depressive episodes, specifically because of that serotonin connection...

It is absolutely linked to serotonin.

I was dealing with intrusive thoughts since I was a kid, maybe ten years old. That was my biggest struggle. I also had various tics, which, you know, falls under the whole OCD umbrella.

Does anyone else here deal with what you'd call "superstitious beliefs"?

Hey, just getting online now. Hey, Dennis Torres, have you actually looked into getting some professional help yet?

Rebecca Moore said:It’s definitely linked to serotonin.

I’ve been dealing with intrusive thoughts since I was ten years old. It was my biggest struggle back then. I had various tics too—just part of the whole OCD package.

Does anyone else here deal with what you'd call superstitious beliefs?

So how do you actually treat it? Antidepressants?
My logic is, if someone starts out with depression, once they clear the depression, the rest should stop, right? 🙄

I’ve been dealing with superstitious nonsense since elementary school. Eventually, I outgrew it because it just stopped making sense, but then other stuff started creeping in to take its place.

Frank Cooper3, honestly, I really hope that if this depression started for you, it’s just a phase that passes. For some people, it's a lifelong battle; for others, it hits once and stays away, or it just rolls in and out in waves.

So, how is everyone else handling treatment?
I’ve never seen a psychiatrist, and I have zero interest in taking medication. People say behavioral therapy is the way to go, but over the years, I’ve basically taught myself how to manage—learning to spot my OCD triggers and just ignoring them. That said, some days are absolute nightmares. It’s a constant up and down.

I've never even touched a sedative.
Look, I’ve had my share of struggles. I spiraled after one specific event hit me—it caught me off guard, personally speaking. I didn't expect it to hit this hard. My head feels clearer most of the time, but there are days when it just... drags me under. Depression is the heavy hitter here, so it's obvious why things feel the way they do. I have no intention of going on medication; I'm trying to be stronger than my own brain. 😁 It sounds stupid, I know, but I'm terrified of pills and all that stuff, even if I see how much they help others.
Jesus, I can't imagine what it's like for you, dealing with this since you were ten, while I've only been in the thick of it for five months... 🙄

Question!
I don’t know a whole lot about this specific disorder, but...
Back when I was riding the subway about five or six years ago, I constantly felt like someone was staring at me, which was incredibly distracting. I knew deep down I was just imagining it, so I tried to avoid looking up, but the more I refused to look, the more anxious I became. Eventually, it got to the point where my head would start jerking around like I had some kind of nervous tic. The reason behind it was that I felt like the entire train car was watching my every move... I didn't know where to direct my eyes, so I just ended up twitching (which, let's be honest, makes me sound like a total lunatic, haha)
On top of that, I often felt this overwhelming urge to look at something specific, almost like I was being commanded to do so, and I frequently found myself compulsively counting things...
I never actually sought out professional help because I've always believed that people are their own best doctors. Besides, I'm skeptical about therapy—why go just to have someone tell me how to live my life? Or worse, make things more complicated? I've actually said before that young guys shouldn't rush to see a psychiatrist right away (honestly, maybe they shouldn't go at all)....
I eventually managed to work through this mostly by building up my self-confidence. I started holding my head high and actually making eye contact with people instead of shrinking away. I basically told myself, "Chin up, buddy," hehe.
Also, if you have a good sense of humor, you'll find it much easier to deal with this stuff.

So, now I'm wondering: were those actual symptoms of the disorder, or was I just overthinking everything?
Maybe it was just a massive lack of self-esteem... Even today, I still get a bit uneasy on the subway, but it's nowhere near as bad as it used to be...
Hopefully, sharing this helps someone out along the way.