Hello everyone my journey with harm ocd has been so distressing and can’t even describe how lost and lonely I feel. I also had a moment yesterday where I had another moment of harm ocd and my thoughts were saying “yes just do it”. Brought me to tears. Has anyone ever experienced something like this?
Hi, fellow harm OCD sufferer here! Yes, I specifically have instrusive thoughts relating to my child which causes severe distress for me. However, in my therapy I have learned that the "yes just do it" voice is common in harm ocd and just a new way for the ocd brain to distress you. If it presents as a command of sorts and not just a thought well then it must be true, but fear not its just the ocd getting creative. I also will cause commands likw that as a checking behavior. Like if I say okay just do it , I am trying to get my brain to say no you dont want to in order to calm my anxiety about it.
Do you feel lonely experiencing this? I was fine about a week ago and then my period came and I got these intrusive thoughts back. Now I’m feeling lonely and upset because I’m thinking these thoughts.
So I have had this since about 6th grade, I am 30 now (for reference) ...and I just started meds last year. I was so so afraid of side effext etc, but once you find a med and dose that works for you it is life changing. I would also reccomed a therapist, if you do not have one already. My husband has attended sessions to educcate himself and it has really helped me to feel supported.
I hear everyone say that. I’m 33 and I just started having these feelings after i stopped taking birth control. I think my hormones got messed up. That’s the only thing I can think of and stress definitely stress. I just want to heal and be a mom and be happy. I miss being happy. I do have a therapist just changed to another one because the first one didn’t really help 😕 my husband thinks I’m making up my ocd symptoms because I am diagnosing myself.
@mslove Hormonal changes can make anxiety worse. And stress can trigger OCD. An ERP therapist is what you want for treating OCD and educating your husband.
I have not but I know ERP therapy has helped me tremendously and it can work for harm OCD too.
I felt pretty lonely at first and embarassed especially because what mom would have these thoughts about her child ...but therapy and this app have certainly normalized things for me. Sometimes what I see as an intrusive thought because I am so worried about them is actually not even a Harm OCD thought, it is normal (i.e. thinking about stabbing something when holding a knife). Most people holding a knife, the thought will cross thier mind. Also, classifying these thoughts for what they are as simply a symptom of a disease. Like if you had a cold, you wouldnt be mad at yourseld for having a runny nose. My period always makes the thoughts louder and more frequent. Try downloading a period tracker to journal the symptoms and rememeber its comming it is a good reminder that youe period is simply causing a flare up of what are totally normal ocd symptoms for you.
Do you do anything besides therapy that helps. Like exercising or journaling?
I take medication that helps.... I also am working really hard on mindfulness and being present in the moment not in my head......i dont use a journal but i will keep notes of things so i can go back and remind myself of previous ways ive felt....and i really try to get out of the house alot ...i have a baby so not teaditional excersie but we go to the park and to the grocery store
I’m thinking I might need mediations even though I’m scared to take them. Thank you so much for your replying. I never realized how lonely I can feel. My husband doesn’t really believe me so it makes me feel like Worse.
It gets better with the right treatment it does..it seems like its overwhelming but with the right meds therapy and support it gets better and tbh as a fellow mom that does add some challenges but its worth it
I am going to stay hopeful. I’ve been for the past 4 months. Do you have any books that might help? I’m literally trying to rush and heal myself. I know I should be patient. But I just have so much guilt
Its taken me the past year to really start to feel myself again. It is really important as guilty as you feel to selfcare and heal because you nees to be the best version of you to help others. Do not be discouraged by a long process. As for books my therapist and i are usinf the complete ocd workbook by scott garnet
Thank you so much for your kind words. Everyday is a struggle for me and I just want to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Hey guys. I’ve been dealing with Harm OCD for around 3 and 1/2 months now, and it’s been extremely difficult to experience. I’ve had OCD my whole life and some of my family members do as well, one of my cousins actually has the same main subtype as me, but he was diagnosed almost a year ago when I didn’t have it myself. I’ve been going to an OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center the past week and I’m really struggling with the exposures we do there, as well as the ones we do at home. I constantly feel like I’m judging myself and I genuinely feel worthless, like I’m a horrible person to have unwanted intrusive thoughts like these. I feel like it’s so difficult to stay mindful and to not judge any of the thoughts that surface. Those with Harm OCD, have any of you here gone from debilitating OCD to living fulfilling lives? If so, what was the process like for you, if you’d like to share? Thanks and I hope you’re all doing well, or are continuing to improve.
Hello, My name is Dana, I’m new to this app but I’ve been suffering from harm OCD for quite some time now and it’s been extremely debilitating. I’ve never experienced anything like this EVER in my life. It started at the beginning of this year, I got hit like a runaway train with intrusive thoughts and it shook me to my core. I wanted to see if anyone on here has struggled or is currently struggling with harm OCD and could maybe share their stories? It would just be nice to feel less alone and maybe share what has worked/not worked. All I want to do is overcome this! Thanks in advance to all who respond.
Does anyone else suffer with harm ocd the way I do, sometimes I feel like I don’t even have ocd and like these are my actual thoughts when I started ocd I would feel so bad for thinking what I was thinking and I would cry everyday but now I just feel numb and like I don’t feel nothing I can’t even cry I’m also on antidepressants so idk if that’s affecting it but it’s like the only thing holding me back from doing my actions is like thinking I could go to jail or ruin my life or regret it later in life & it’s like I tell my self or my mind that whatever it is and it like gets mad that like I can’t do it and it makes me feel worst because it makes me feel like I actually wanna do that and ugh it’s like a constant battle everyday because it like gets mad for not being able to do that because I obviously know it’s something bad and will ruin my life.
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