PolarBear

When an intrusive thought strikes simply tirn your attention yo something else. Whatever you were doing previously is fine. Give yourself permission to leave these thoughts alone. You do not have to do anything with them. You are allowed to let them go.

Frankly, your husband was right not to wash his hands. Why should he take unnecessary steps to feed your mental disorder? Getting others involved in our compulsions is a step too far. Instead of trying to get others to do your compulsions, put your energy into understanding why you don't have to do those compulsions in the first place.

Obsessions are intrusive thoughts, images, feelings, urges, impulses or sensations that cause distress. Note the word urges. These are completely normal with OCD. They don't mean anything. They are what they are. The problem is when you attach meaning to them, take them seriously and do compulsions.

Welcome to the world of OCD. What you need to do is leave this alone. Let it go. Spend no more time trying to figure it out. You have spent two years trying to figure out if you did something bad. Did you figure it out? Are you closer now to an answer? No. I guarantee that no matter how much time and energy you put into trying to figure this out, you will not find an answer. It is a truth about OCD. Trying to find an answer is a compulsion. So is going through scenarios in your head. All they do is make you more stuck. They lead to more anxiety and doubt.

Then don't deal with it. That's an option, you know.

Different results for different people. Weeks, for sure. Did you slowly work up to 200mg?

Good job!

How you should deal with this is stop dealing with it. Stop trying to figure out if this, if that. Leave it alone. And get vaccinated.

Starting new threads about every perceived problem is not helping you. Can you try to take a break, rrlax and get your mind on something else?

Madchoc, so you know that compulsions don't work and don't make you feel better. They actually prolong your suffering, causing more obsessions, doubt and anxiety in the future. So what if next time, when you get a thought and feel that jolt of panic, you took a step back, realized it's just OCD up to it's nasty tricks, and made a conscious decision not to do compulsions? Yes, you will get anxious. But you were going to get anxious even after doing compulsions. If you then refocus your mind onto something else and just leave the thought alone, the anxiety will begin to dissipate. It takes practice. I will tell you that the first time it works, it feels so powerful! It's because doing nothing takes the power away from OCD and gives it to you.

Look, you have to start doing things differently. You have to start looking at the thoughts in a different light. You asked him to change his top. You likely ruminated like crazy. Did doing those things make you feel better? Is your situation better now that you did those compulsions? I know what the answers are but I want you to be brutally honest with yourself.

So, what are you going to do? Fish fingers aren't the problem.

How you stop this is stop falling for OCD'S bag of tricks. Going back and looking was a compulsion. Going back a second time was a compulsion. Checking your car for damage was a compulsion. All the ruminating you have been doing is a compulsion. You think you have to do these compulsions so you feel better but it doesn't work. Do you feel better now that you've done all these compulsions? Of course not! Compulsions make things worse. They result in more intrusive thoughts, more doubt, more anxiety. There was a perfectly acceptable alternative to what you did... dismiss the thoughts as junk and leave them alone.

I forgot about PANDAS. There is debate whether the disorder causes OCD or OCD-like symptoms, notably excessive and often bizarre rituals. It also typically affects youth.

Unlikely. In fact, near 100% no. What is more likely is that you have gotten yourself anxious and stressed about your health and that has spurred your OCD on.