PolarBear

Hi Garfield. I am not perfect either. Far from it. It's hard not to offer reassurance, especially when it's so easy. We just need to be careful.

Maladaptive daydreaming is not always positive. There are many people who experience disturbing waking daydreams.

You have to leave it alone, as hard as that can be. When you catch yourself doing it, stop. Refocus onto something else.

I know the urge to offer comfort is strong but telling Ironborn 4 times they are not a sex offender, especially when this obsession has been raised in the past, is just offering reassurance that won't work. This can offer temporary relief but it won't resolve the issue that the obsession will inevitably come back.

Intrusive images are another type of obsession. I used to get them. Even had intrusive movies in my head.

I don't know where you get this idea that meds don't affect thoughts. Some people see a reduction in the frequency and severity of obsessions on meds.

Yeah, I spent 10 years on forums and OCD websites, looking for someone, anyone, who had the same mix of obsessions. I never did. It was a waste of time. It took me a decade for me to realize that my OCD was unique to me and just as valid as anyone else's.

In an OCD world, we are all unique. I advise you stop looking for someone who is exactly like you. I spent 10 years searching for someone with the same mixture of thoughts as me. Never did. Didn't mean my OCD was less valid. Just different.

I had harm thoughts and had a very short fuse. Minor situations got blown out of proportion. Take a breath. Relax and let it go.

I have seen situations like this where sufferers are convinced something is wrong, only to be told by a professional that there is nothing wrong. Everything is fine. And guess what? The checking and ruminating does not stop, because it is an OCD problem. Again, could there be a problem with KCBell's tooth? Sure. This isn't a dentistry forum. It's an OCD forum. If KCBell wants help with a tooth, go see a dentist. Here we deal with OCD. There is clearly OCD going on here because KCBell is completely fixated on this situation to the detriment of living.

It is entirely an OCD problem. Could there be a crack in a tooth? Sure. Being fixated on it 24/7 is not normal. That is OCD.

My advice is don't sit with it. Get up and do something. Go for a walk. Bake a cake. Clean the house. Do something. Doing nothing creates a situation where you are entirely focused on your obsessions.

I personally have not seen anyone on here say, just stop your compulsions. Maybe it came across as that.

No one will ever say overcoming OCD is easy.

Or... you could leave the topic alone, stop asking people here and elsewhere for reassurance. You are hyperfocused on an insignificant thing. It is taking up your time. Where has the 3 hours a day gotten you? Absolutely nowhere. So give it up.

It's all nonsense made up by your own mind. There are no clean days. There are no dirty days. Just days. Yes, it feels that this is true, but OCD is a master at faking things. And yeah, this is totally OCD. Welcome.

This won't end until you end it. Accept what is and move on.

Reframing them means you are paying attention to them. Writing them down. Giving yourself reassurance by coming up with an alternative. Does that sound like something you should do?

You can search on YouTube for How to Stop Ruminating by Dave Preston. Might help.

Floods, a little about genuine anxiety. Snowbear is right. Of course it is genuine. Anxiety is anxiety. Obsessions cause distress. Most people label that distress as anxiety. For some, it is fear, guilt, shame, disgust. They're all real emotions. The problem with OCD sufferers is that they have a wonky part of their brain that initiates those emotions at inappropriate times. Without that, sufferers would have a much easier time dismissing obsessions. The combination of an obsession and a jolt of anxiety almost forces you to pay attention. One other thing. Leap of faith... it means doing something without knowing for certain. You keep coming back to, if I only knew for sure... You're not going to. OCD won't let you have certainty. So you take a leap of faith - a commitment to do something without the certainty that it's the right thing.

This is classic OCD. You have a thought/theme stuck in your head (obsession). Your inclination is to solve it/answer the question (compulsion). Your drive is to find certainty. OCD won't let you find certainty. It's the OCD paradox. No matter how hard you try, by doing compulsions, you'll never get to the end. The ONLY way out is to stop trying to solve it/answer the question. Refuse to get into mind debates over it. Quit seeking reassurance. Stop Googling the topic. It is uncomfortable. You have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Do you see your words as a little out of proportion? You can't enjoy your life because of a wonky tooth? Doesn't that seem a little drastic?

What malina said. That's why it's a leap of faith. You're just going to assume it's true and get on with it.

Garfield has pretty much answered the question.