#intrusive-thoughts

#intrusive-thoughts

Valentine's Day is supposed to be a celebration of love and romance, but if you have romance-related OCD, also known as ROCD, then the recent celebration of love may have instead been a trigger for obsessions and compulsions around trying to determine if the person you are with is the right person. Doubt about whether your partner is truly the love of your life can become overwhelming and trap you

I can't work up the courage to talk to any of my friends when I'm having mental health issues. It hits the worst for me usually at 4-5 am, and I never want to wake anyone up when I'm having panic attacks that late due to my intrusive thoughts, even though being around people helps. I'm in a safe place and have a therapist/medication, but it feels like I'm not getting better every time I find myself back in this situation.

"If I had an intrusive thought, I'd restart the walk from the bus stop," she says. "I was genuinely terrified that if I didn't redo it and something happened, it would be my fault".

This is the same thing I think when people say they want to suppress an inappropriate crush: Give it up. It won't work. Just let yourself keep your feelings. They're not harming anyone. Instead, let's focus on your actions and making sure they're aligned with 1) being the kind of person you want to be, and 2) being strategic about setting your husband up to have some measure of peace when his mom is gone.

Intrusive thoughts are incredibly common among new mothers, often accompanied by anxiety. They typically indicate anxiety rather than a reflection of one's parenting abilities.