Ocd Tag - Tumblr Posts

I want to tell all my pals with OCD out there that I love you 💛 your progress might not be perfect, and maybe you’ve just been focusing on getting to the next day, but I’m still very, very proud of you for being in this world and doing your best. You will go further and get stronger every day. I love you and I’m so lucky to share this world with you.

Here’s a picture that I took a little ways from my house. If you’d like, reblog this post with or comment something that makes you feel happy, or just talk about something if you need to. I’m here and I’m by your side.

I’ve been having a bit of a shaky night and this helps. What if someone threw up in the gas station I went to earlier and they didn’t clean it up properly and I inhaled the molecules and I’m going to wake up tonight feeling like I’ve been infected with a symbiote and I vomit feverishly for hours and become traumatized and my OCD worsens until it completely tears my mind apart? Haha would that be messed up or what?

I don’t know who needs to hear this today, but intrusive thoughts are basically your brain’s (sometimes very upsetting) way of saying “If there were two guys on the moon and one of them killed the other with a rock would that be fucked up or what?”

I’ve personally found that adding the “would that be fucked or what?” part in myself really helps put the more disturbing thoughts we sometimes get into perspective. Helps me say “yeah thar sure would be fucked up” and move on with my day.

It’s not a secret desire, it’s not something that only occurs to you because you’re a bad person. It’s just your brain deciding to process the fact that it knows an uncomfortable thing exists in the world by feeding it to you in an absurd “what if” with you as the main character.

Hi! I’m in the early stages of making a picture book based on two of my stuffed animals growing up, and I’m experimenting with the art style I want to use. Any thoughts on this test drawing of the two characters? I’m struggling a little with the line values… but this is just a first pass, the idea is to learn what I want for the book and determine how I can achieve that : )

If it makes a difference, I want the book to explore childhood OCD via Bitsy. The tone is light and gentle, kind of like Winnie the Pooh.

OCD attacks

In the past few years, I’ve seen a wide spread of information about panic attacks and how to handle them and help someone who is suffering from one. I am incredibly happy and grateful for this, yet I also want more people to know about a similar kind of situation that I have gone through countless times.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical expert by any means, I am just a person who has struggled with OCD throughout their life. These are things that would be helpful for more people to know about OCD attacks and that hopefully help them understand it a bit better.

What is an OCD attack?

An OCD attack is similar to a panic attack, except it is brought on due to the obsessive fears of obsessive-compulsive disorder. It can often seem confusing or irrational to a bystander, but you always have to understand that you are not in the afflicted person’s mind, and you don’t know the thoughts that led up to the attack.

An OCD attack may be a combination of knee-jerk reflexes, built-up stress, and genuine fear about a situation. The person might be truly mentally distressed, or it could be mostly a bodily reaction that they can’t control. It is always a terrifying, even debilitating thing to go through.

An example of an OCD attack:

Amy suffers from OCD. For months, she has had an obsessive fear of causing a car accident, and it has been getting worse and worse. She started driving longer routes to avoid passing by other cars in order to avoid an accident, and eventually she stopped driving altogether. But even that didn’t end her obsession. Amy is now afraid of anything related to cars, even anything that reminds her of cars.

One day, Amy is talking to her friend Matt, and the two of them overhear a conversation about a car. Even though it is irrational, Amy’s obsession is so strong that she becomes afraid that just hearing that conversation will cause Matt to crash his car. Terrified, she asks Matt not to drive home, imagining that he’ll get into a car accident if he does. She knows that this doesn’t make sense, which distresses her even more. Matt knows that Amy has OCD, but he doesn’t understand why she’s so afraid of him crashing his car just because she heard a conversation about a car.

Things to remember if you witness someone having an OCD attack:

Their incoming thoughts are not rational, and may even be very illogical, but they probably already know this. Telling them that they aren’t thinking clearly or aren’t making sense is not a surprise to them, and can make them feel like you don’t understand what’s happening or make them feel even more afraid.

Engaging in someone’s compulsions for them might temporarily lessen their panic, but it will cause them more anxiety and panic later. OCD is a vicious cycle. It’s best to just assist the person by being there for them while they calm their body down, instead of trying to perform their compulsions to satisfy their OCD. In order to make progress to recover from OCD, that person has to choose not to engage in their compulsions.

The human body has a very powerful response system to both real and imagined threats. Once it has been triggered, it usually takes five to twenty minutes to calm down, and it can have lasting effects afterward. When someone is in a fight-or-flight (or freeze) response like this, their body will prioritize their strength, speed, and reflexes over their clear thinking. Even if the person is trying their best to calm down and think clearly, it will probably take time.

The slow, deep intake of oxygen has been proven time and time again to encourage the body to go back into its usual calm state. Oxygen flow to the brain also allows for clearer thinking, and slow, deep breathing is an instinct that is easy for a distressed person to focus on.

If you do accidentally something that freaks them out, know that it is not your fault. You probably couldn’t have known that what you did would trigger that person’s OCD, and it is a mistake that could happen to anyone.

Whatever inconvenience the OCD attack is causing YOU as a bystander is probably a lot less inconvenience than it is causing the person. No one in the world would want or choose for this to happen to themselves. Not only is an OCD attack interruptive, it is stressful, exhausting, and can feel embarrassing. Furthermore, their whole day can be thrown off because of the attack, which makes all kinds of inconveniences for them. This should be an unspoken rule, but unfortunately some people don’t forget it: do not make someone feel like they are burdening you because they are suffering, because that is unnecessary and can even make it worse for them.

Things that can help someone who is having an OCD attack:

Telling them that you’re there for them and offering to stay with them for as long as they need.

Telling them that you have faith in them, you know that they will feel better soon,

Asking if there are any therapy strategies that they are supposed to use for an OCD attack, and offering to help them with it.

Telling them that there’s no rush, that they can have all the time they need to feel better. Sometimes, in a state of panic, it can be extremely overwhelming to think that you are stealing someone’s time or ruining your own schedule. Hearing that there isn’t a rush can be a huge relief in and of itself.

Offering to listen if they want to talk about what’s happening to them.

If the person is afraid to do something (eat, touch an object, leave the house…), you can offer to do it together.

Offering to hold their hand, give them a hug, or whatever their preference is.

Offering to help with anything they need after the attack, such as taking them home or handling responsibilities for them. Sometimes a person can feel extremely overwhelmed not just because of the trigger, but because they don’t know how they will keep going after they’ve calmed down. Offering to take some things off their shoulders and help them can also be a huge relief in and of itself.

Providing a distraction like an interesting conversation, a simple task, or a change of scenery. Even if the person doesn’t directly engage in it, it can still be helpful for them to just watch or listen to you.

Taking deep breaths, even if they don’t do it themselves.

Getting them a glass of water.

Getting them a sensory object like an ice cube or ice pack, a fidget toy, a mint or piece of gum, or any other safe substance that can help to reconnect them with the outside world via their senses.

Getting them a grounding tool that they already use for OCD attacks, like a fidget toy or noise blockers. Some people keep items like this in a backpack or purse. There are even apps you can get on your phone that they might already have.

Giving them privacy or helping them go somewhere with more privacy. It can be even more overwhelming to feel embarrassed or stared at when you’re already distressed.

Thank you immensely for reading this post. I hope it is helpful. If you want to suggest any changes or additions, please comment or reblog! Like I said, I am not an expert, but this has information has come from many, many days going through this stuff. And if you need someone to talk to about it, or you have questions, I’ll do my very best to help you.

I remember seeing Encanto for the first time when I was going through a rough patch with my OCD. Even if he wasn’t written with the disorder in mind, I think Tío Bruno is a wonderful character that can help other people understand how it feels to have OCD, or any other mental illness. Though I do think his “superstitions” were more portrayed as “kookiness” rather than an actual coping mechanism. I appreciate how tired he seems, because being on constant high-alert against something you can’t explain, losing yourself in terrifying thoughts at seemingly every turn, and fighting against yourself and your fear hour by hour is a deeply tiring life to live. I remember watching that movie and thinking about it for weeks and even months afterward. It felt very calming and reassuring to see another person going through these cycles while also trying to be part of his family.

i don’t have anything interesting to say rn

the OCD is just rlly bad 😭

hey!! tattoo idea for all of us with OCD!!!

crappy drawing but that's the gist of it - basically it's two crescent moons facing each other, because the left one looks kinda like a C, and the right one looks kinda like a D, and together they look kinda like an O, and it looks pretty as a moon.

and then the quote doesn't have to be there, it can also be swapped out with a different quote or smth, and extra details could be added or whatever.

oh and here's a version with a semicolon in the center:

anyways. just an idea i had. reblog if you do something with this. i might give this tattoo to myself, i'll reblog with results if i do.

i have been exposed to too many triggers tonight and the OCD has arrived 😭 yay me

hey, real quick. to all of those people who romanticize OCD, and treat it as a cute, fun little quirk:

come fucking take it then.

no. no, i’m serious. come take mine. you can fucking have it. have fun with your newfound unstoppable stress, compulsions, and eternal guilt :D

(small disclaimer: this is kind of an aggressive sounding post?? so i just wanted to apologize to my followers, this is not a callout of any specific person, i’m just venting 😅 especially if any of y’all have OCD, i know how it can make you feel guilty to read aggressive posts even if they aren’t directed at you. so just wanted to say y’all are good!!)

I HATE MORAL OCD. well i shouldnt say hate thats a strong word. and i dont want to sound like i hate people WITH moral ocd because i dont of course. i just hate having it. but i shouldnt think that, i do like having morals, its just stressful to be thinking about them so constantly and scrutinizing every little thing i do or think. but really thats the least i could do so i should at least try, right? just because i suffer from— no, struggle with moral ocd doesn’t mean i should just stop thinking about things all together, thats not what im saying and i should make that clear, but i

These always trigger me as someone with OCD.

this site really hates people with ocd

i just realized how bad my ocd has gotten oh my fucking shit. like im crying cuz my jewelry box isn't clean enough and i can't fucking reorganize it cuz people are awake. i used to think that my ocd wasn't that bad and my therapist was overreacting but holy mother of god please get me on meds

if people ever ask why i have such bad ocd all i think about is my sister screaming "im going to punish you!" and "bad things are going to happen to you if..." and like immediately after i think of the pay your penance meme, laugh, then cry

got made fun of for stimming and now i feel horrible 😃

how bitches who say “i let the intrusive thoughts win!!! 😜” look at me after i give them actual examples of my intrusive thoughts

“oh my god…you should get that checked out D:”

actually i have it’s called ocd and i have it idk if you noticed

how bitches who say “i let the intrusive thoughts win!!! 😜” look at me after i give them actual examples of my intrusive thoughts

Sharing this here too

I do not usually make posts like this but recently I have seen a lot of content on Instagram, Twitter and I think tiktok too misunderstanding the meaning of intrusive thoughts, which may cause people experiencing them to be upset.

I have tried to shortly explain the difference of impulsive and intrusive and hope it will help people to understand and use the words correctly.

Reblogs are very much appreciated!

Me with my OCD

My OCD: ooo but what if when you washed your hands a little sprinkle of filthy water fell onto your hand and then got carried into the kitchen and-

Me: if you don't shut the fuck up I'm gonna lick the floor.

Everyone human on earth is rash and emotional during the toughest times.

Empathy is understanding reasoning.

Human emotion isn’t linear, there’s always blips and that’s natural.

Progress is identifying the blips, identifying the triggers and decreasing the frequency.

being self aware suuuucks like yeah this thought pattern/behavior is stupid and pointless and a symptom. i know this. [does it anyways