Can you share some ocd horror stories?

Sure. One success story is about a person who had severe OCD related to checking things constantly, like whether the doors were locked. Through cognitive - behavioral therapy, they learned to gradually reduce the frequency of checking. They started by setting specific time intervals for checking and slowly increased the time between checks. Eventually, they were able to go about their day without constantly being preoccupied with checking, which greatly improved their quality of life.

Sure. There was a guy with OCD who had to touch every doorknob three times before opening a door. One day, he was in a hurry and only touched it twice by mistake. He spent the whole day worrying about it but later laughed at himself for being so silly.

There was someone with OCD about symmetry. Everything in their room had to be perfectly symmetrical. They joined a support group. In the group, they heard from others who had similar experiences. They also worked with a psychologist. The psychologist helped them understand the root cause of their need for symmetry, which was related to a fear of chaos. With time and effort, they started to tolerate a bit of asymmetry in their environment. Little by little, they could function better in normal situations where perfect symmetry was not possible, like in public places or at a friend's house.

Sure. One funny OCD story is about my friend who has to check the stove exactly five times before leaving the house. Once, he was in such a hurry but still couldn't resist doing it. Another is a person who arranges their bookshelf alphabetically by author and genre every single day. It's really obsessive but also quite amusing in a way.

There was a person with OCD who had an obsession with symmetry. Everything in their room had to be perfectly aligned. With the help of exposure and response prevention therapy, they started to expose themselves to slightly asymmetrical situations and resisted the urge to fix them immediately. Over time, their anxiety decreased, and they became more comfortable with imperfection. This led to a great improvement in their daily life and relationships as they no longer let their OCD control them.

A gay individual with OCD might have an obsession with cleanliness in a sexual context. For example, he might worry excessively about STDs even after taking all the proper precautions. He would compulsively wash himself or demand that his partner also engage in extreme cleaning routines, which put a strain on his sexual and emotional well - being.

Sure. One success story could be about a person named John. He had severe OCD symptoms like excessive hand - washing. Through Rogers' treatment approach, which focuses on the client - centered therapy, he gradually learned to accept his thoughts and feelings without acting on his compulsions. He started to have a more positive self - image and his OCD symptoms reduced significantly over time.

There was a woman named Mary. Her OCD made her check things repeatedly, like if the doors were locked dozens of times a day. With the help of medication and support from her family, she started to face her fears. She practiced exposure therapy and over time, her OCD symptoms improved significantly. She is now able to focus on her career and hobbies instead of being trapped in the cycle of checking.

A perinatal OCD sufferer was always double - checking things related to the baby, like the safety of the crib. But she sought help early. Her therapist introduced her to exposure and response prevention therapy. At first, it was difficult for her to resist the urge to check. However, as she continued with the therapy, she became more confident. She managed to break the cycle of her OCD. Now, she can take care of her baby without being consumed by obsessive thoughts.

There was a person with OCD who always had to check if the doors were locked. Every time they left the house or a room, they would go back and check at least three times. This was really time - consuming and also made them very stressed when they were in a hurry but still felt the need to check.