benedictsoup Posted May 28, 2020 Share Posted May 28, 2020 Hello! My OCD has been diminishing in some forms and I've really started to be able to ignore the thoughts/treat the OCD like a bully inside my head. However as of late I've been thinking about what it'd be like to go back into the dating field/making new friends. It scares me a lot. It's been easy with my friends and family to deal with my issues but I'm worried about discussing the issues with anyone outside of friends/family. How would you recommend I begin the process? I think I'm ready to open up to more people about it but I don't know where I'd start. Thank you! Link to comment
malina Posted May 28, 2020 Share Posted May 28, 2020 Hey, I understand your worry, I had the same issue when I met my partner. I had been seeing him about a month or so and felt that things were going somewhere but I felt that I was hiding who I really was if I didn't tell him about my OCD. I was really ready for him to say that he didn't want to be in a relationship with someone who had so many personal problems and to break up with me, I was terrified but also didn't want to have to hide something about myself forever. So one day, I just sat down and told him the key details of my OCD and he was so supportive and didn't break up with me (we have been together almost 7 years now). I had made such a big issue about it in my head and it wasn't even a problem for him. I don't think you have to open up to everyone. Just test the waters and see how it goes. I think in some ways it'll come naturally because when you meet someone you really like, you'll just get on really well and naturally start sharing more and more about yourself. You'll be surprised how many people have struggles of their own or have dealt with some kind of mental health issues of their own during their lives. At the end of the day, even if someone isn't particularly understanding or reacts badly, it's not the end of the world either. Link to comment
benedictsoup Posted May 28, 2020 Author Share Posted May 28, 2020 Thank you @malina for the response! I appreciate it, I’m gonna tell a few of my less close friends and see how it goes. Link to comment
dksea Posted May 29, 2020 Share Posted May 29, 2020 Hi @benedictsoup, OCD is a very personal disease and its not always well understood or accepted by society in general so of course its understandable you are worried about sharing that information about your life with others. Early on in my life with OCD I didn't tell anyone, the only people who knew for sure were my parents and my therapist. As time has gone on I've been more comfortable being open about it with others, and more people in my life know. For the most part telling them has been more about me being comfortable and wanting to be able to talk about it with them, rather than them needing to know for some reason. It can be refreshing to be able to talk to someone and share the stresses you are going through or get support, but its a very personal choice and you can decide for yourself when/if to tell different people in your life, there is no specific right or wrong answer I'd say, it all depends on what your needs and comfort levels are. Certainly it would be something that should come up in a serious relationship at some point, but its not something you probably need to address on the first date or anything either Anyone who you will be with long term should be someone who you can trust with that information, so if they react badly, as sad as it might make you feel in the moment, its better for your long term health and happiness that you are with someone who will accept and support you. Try to keep that in mind and good luck with whatever choices you make in when and whom you share this with. Ultimately its important to do what is right for you and your mental well being first and foremost. Link to comment
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