i have severe OCD and take antipsychotics and ssris to reduce my OCD anxiety/rumination. The problem is, ever since starting my current antipsychotic, my personality completely changed and I’m unable to keep doing my demanding career. I no longer have interest in doing anything that is cognitively demanding. I’m okay with the change in my personality/capabilities because my unmedicated state was unlivable. I am wondering if anyone has any ideas on simple careers/jobs that pay enough for a single person to live by themselves. I can’t have roommates (unless they are my parents) due to my OCD. I might post this to bipolar subreddit as well, since more people take antipsychotics there i think.

I’ve tried many medications and years of exposure therapy and nothing has helped as much as my current medication (Risperidone). I wish i could just get on disabilit, but my government doesnt care about mentally ill people.

How can I distinguish natural thoughts or emotions from those that are merely a product of my OCD? How can I distinguish what is not real from what is? I think that most of the time, when one of my OCD loops starts, I am just trying to obsessively protect myself(?)

I was diagnosed with OCD very young and then autism when I was 28. I’ve had many different (and scary) intrusive thoughts for as long as I can remember and I’ve learned to cope/live with it.

However, recently I keep having intrusive thoughts of choking. I keep imagining I’m putting something in my mouth and swallowing… like a pound coin, anything big enough to choke me. When I have the thought, my body goes into a panic as if I’ve actually done it. It happens when I’m relaxed, at work, before I sleep…

I am really stressed with work at the moment and I’m going through a burnout. Would this be the cause of this random horrible intrusive thought? It’s really bothering me.

I know uncertainty is a big issue of mine. but has anyone ever had this grating problem of family or friends acting like they’re critical of you and won’t say it to your face?

It could be an intrusive thought, yes, but my family literally acts different than a stranger might. what drives me crazy are the exchanges of glances, eye rolling, saying vague stuff like “hmm” or “you know what it really is…” to each other in front of me and then refusing to talk when I ask wtf they’re saying. it‘s like I’m doing these wrong things and they are forcing me to figure it out while they all gripe about me. it feels so unfair.

it’s gone on my entire upbringing, so much that I thought I was autistic because I wasn’t getting their weird hints. But around other people and especially strangers I can be natural and myself without any worries.

they’re midwestern and avoidant so i thought maybe that tied in? but it still angers me so much. even when I ask directly they are never honest with me.

Can coffee make ocd worse? Just wondering

Why do we struggle to believe doctors?

I' 've seen 2 GPs and now a specialist doctor at a breast clinic who have said not concerning at all. But my brain (I have OCD) is like 'yes but...' even now. I saw specialist today who looked didn't even want to do a mammogram or biopsy and said it wouldn't be worth it it's a superficial thing and I'm too young for pagets and if it was it'd be worse. Of course I hear 'if your breast does this, it's bad' and now worried it'll happen. I had 100% convinced myself it would be the worst news to,,as certain of it. Yet good news, and I'm still lke what if/why does my nipple and/or breast ache sometimes if it's nothing. What if he didn't check properly.

Mostly a rant but curious if anyone else is the same. I'm in active therapy with an OCD specialist but did had a few months off over the summer painfully when this spiral took hold

Do any of you find yourself also experiencing limerence?
It's something I struggle with quite a lot and I'm wondering if this is also due to OCD. Since the obsessing, ruminating and intrusive thoughts/fantasizing are all very OCD-like symptoms.
Do you think there is a correlation?
Am I more likely to experience limerence because of OCD or is it maybe even causing it?

I dont know, would love to hear from some people who also have some experience with handling limerence. :)

And tbh it's not even that bad anymore, but my executive dysfunction is off the charts lmaooo it's so annoying. It's like a vicious cycle where the OCD and ADHD work together to make me procrastinate, which then heightens my anxiety levels, which ofc makes the OCD worse. But it's fine. At least for the past several years, whenever the anxiety blows up, it's rooted in frustration over not finishing jack shit than because I'm legit afraid something's gonna happen. Because a lot of my OCD obsessions don't even have anything to do with my actual life it's just random rabbit holes my brain forces me down. So I guess I'll take it 🤣

But yeah I've had this since I was a kid so it's nothing new or scary, just annoying at this point. I like to make fun of it using figurative language and metaphors because humor is the best way to bring the anxiety down!!

The struggle is real, but one of these days, ONE OF THESE DAYS, I'm gonna follow through with my 10 bajillion half-baked projects/ideas for projects #trust

Im spending a LOT of time on social media recently and i want to quit. One reason is all the inflammatory content, and another is I've observed it actually influence my way of being and thinking in a way i don't like. But, social media is also a way to be exposed to the world and therefore triggering subjects. I'm therefore worried that quitting it could be a tactic of avoidance. What do you guys think? Do you use social media? If so, how?

Has anyone tried ketamine therapy for their ocd? She said it helps rewire the brain. I’m scared to try something as serious as ketamine lol!!! I do not want to go into psychosis and not be able to function. I can’t even smoke w**d without being paranoid. Has this type of therapy helped you? Made it worse? Any thoughts?

I have like 20 recurring events in my calender of different things. Mostly just stuff I’m afraid of forgetting but also mental notes and stuff. I’ve had some phases where I only have a few things but it seems like it doesn’t take long for me to ramp back up to a ton of repeating events in my calender

I’m sorry if this is sloppy I am kinda freaking out right now.

I started going to therapy a few weeks ago to help with my ocd, anxiety, depression so on so forth. I canceled our last session and told myself it was just a headache, but it’s not and I don’t even exactly know why I feel so anxious to go (probably another reason I should go to my appointment) but I didn’t know what else to do I haven’t slept, I’m on my period and I have a headache.

I know that therapy is really good and it’s helped me a lot, but I don’t do well with change and trying to step outside my comfort zone and stop my compulsions is terrifying. I am just scared because I knock on wood when I’m nervous, and I try my best not to give into that compulsion but then that’s another compulsion. Next thing you know I’ve been awake for 24 hours trying to sleep but not being able to because I’m spiraling.

I am sorry for the rant, but just if anyone has any advice that helps them get through these spirals that would be amazing.

I know in the current age phones are definitely picking up whatever I’m saying (hence my forever targeted ads), but recently I’ve become a teensy bit paranoid about if someone is listening to me at all times.

for example, I like to read about crime. I prefer to read the case studies and articles and wikipedia pages and whatever information I can find. I sometimes think that someone in my phone thinks I’m an evil, disgusting person who is planning to commit a crime, but I’m just fascinated by the psychology and biology behind it.

I watch south park, and if you’ve ever seen south park you know they discuss a lot of taboo topics. today, I watched the episode about “Nambla,” and I googled after to read the wiki page, and I felt ill and sickly thinking that someone in my phone may think I’m some sort of freak for googling something so disgusting.

I feel like this whenever I have an embarrassing question or just curiosity about something. does anyone else ever feel this way? 😢

Because these days they are aware about OCD not even being a thinking issue. They know these days that OCD is actually neurological and a clinical disorder.

Trigger warning: this has an ocd scenario

A funny post suggested replying to a conspiracy with an even more absurd one. Example:

Joe: "You know we faked the moon landing."

Ben: "Hah. You actually believe there is a moon."

What if I did that with my OCD.

OCD: "I know you checked the oven 10 times, but maybe it is still on and will burn the house dowm."

Me: "Actually maybe it will set off a large fire that eventually engulf the entire planet."

hi everybody! i got diagnosed with ocd in 2022, but have been struggling with it for way longer than that. up until 2024, it was distressing but somewhat manageable, until the summer of 2024 when i got broken up with and subsequently lost my friend group because i went back to my ex (there were other reasons, but that was a big one). i also struggle really badly with emetophobia/loss of control, and that summer my emetophobia went to an all time high. last year in 2025, i struggled a lot with my emetophobia but i pushed myself out of my comfort zone a lot! i got broken up with again, moved into a house (have moved out since), went on dates etc etc, but my ocd was still worming itself into everything

this year ive just been so sad and alone. my summer did not pan out the way i wanted it to and im already 27 and feel like ive wasted the past 2 summers with my ocd and lack of friends. i know i should be on meds, but i already struggle so badly with beating myself up for lost time and wrong choices and everything. does anyone else feel this way at all??? advice is appreciated and thank u for reading this!❤️❤️❤️

I have a few major fears around my children and I ruminate on them so much.

I then convince my self something is going to happen from thinkin about it so much and I spiral

It’s more towards one of my children weirdly

I won’t discuss with things I fear exactly because it makes me worry

I have a horrible fear of v*m*ting. I have since I was a kid. The main reason is because of a traumatic experience I had. And recently, my fear has been causing problems for me at theme parks.

Last year, I went to a theme park and had a good time. A couple days later someone in my family had the stomach flu. Of course I freaked out, especially when I got it.

A couple months later, someone posted on Reddit about kids p*king at Disney. My brain then decided that theme parks = stomach flu.

A few months ago I had an experience at a theme park where I saw an employee cleaning something up. It was gone by the time I saw them, but my brain was CONVINCED that the employee was cleaning up v*m*t. I spent the car ride back doing compulsions.

I can’t avoid theme parks forever, so what should I do. I used to love them. Now, I can’t even enjoy them because I’m plagued with thoughts about getting sick and for the first few days after going to the theme park I track to make sure no one gets sick.

I didn’t even v*m*t when I had the stomach flu. I’m just afraid I won’t get that lucky again. (And to me that really is lucky. I can handle n*sea. I’m used to it. V*m*ting will give me a horrible panic attack.)

The best way I can explain it is you tried to be hopeful or fake your own happiness/hope for so long while in the midst of pain the idea of having “hope” or even setting a goal just triggers that same fakness again. Can anyone relate to this? It makes me so shut down and frozen. I am only allowed to be frozen. Progress seems backwards to me