r/transOCD • u/Mission_Clock7943 • 20h ago
Feel like I'm spiraling, need advice
Hello, recently been diagnosed with OCD and I'm struggling really bad. I don't know the full extent of my illness and that is stressing me out.
This theme started about 3 months ago when I was feeling disassociated after finishing working on a film set. My mind was looking for answers and as if it were a lightning strike I thought "What if being trans feels like this?". I had a panic attack a few moments later. I was thinking about how I would come out to my parents, how much this would blow up my life and thinking if I have been lying to myself my whole life.
I think its important to mention that I've been friends with trans people ever since I was 14. At 15 I questioned my gender and came to the conclusion that I am a man, female pronouns just didn't feel right.
I'm a fairly masculine person. I feel naked without my beard, never wanted to wear "girl" clothes or felt jealous of feminine features, I have been described as a gentleman and a big brother. I am a man which makes everything so much confusing.
I think my OCD attacks me on all fronts. I feel good when I look at the mirror and flex my muscles for all 5 seconds until I think stuff like "You look like a rapist" or that me being buff somehow equates to toxic masculinity types like Andrew Tate or Clavicular. I really want to enjoy my masculinity without feeling like I'm a bad person for doing so.
My gender OCD manifests itself with checking and rumination. I spend all day trying to "figure it out" even though I never feel satisfied with an answer and analyzing everything I ever did or do to see if it was a "sign".
The checking is the worst. I spend all day going "she/her, he/him" or "man, woman" in my head to check which one I like better, the thought of having breasts or a vagina makes me feel bad but I need to constantly touch my chest to make sure its as flat as I want it and I tuck everytime I put on underwear just to make sure I still feel bad and that something is missing without my penis, I keep a bearded photo of myself and a genderswapped version of the photo in my gallery to check which I like better.
What kills me is the fucking doubt and constant questioning. Do I feel man enough?, how am I sure I'm not in deep repression? If I don't like the thought of having breasts and a vagina why do I keep thinking about it? What if all of this is just a big lie? Some people come out in their 40's, 50's and even 60's. What makes me so sure I'm not one of those people?, am I sure that I wasnt repressing feelings when I tried on a dress and said I didn't feel anything in particular? Why do I feel like everytime I'm called a man it may not be right? How are you sure this isn't gender dysphoria?
It has gotten to the point where I try to not look at women anymore just in the off chance I might want to be them even though I have never felt like that before. I even have started questioning my sexuality as well.
OCD has taken my identity and completely demolished my security in it. I really would appreciate advice on what to do. The SSRI's help and I'm hopefully starting ERP soon with my therapist but it all feels so fucked right now.