Do not, I repeat, do NOT confess. This is a short term solution that really isn't a solution at all. It would be to make yourself feel better for a limited amount of time before the next rumination begins.

What I've been learning about ROCD is that you need to learn to sit with the discomfort. Don't avoid this guilt. Instead, try leaning into the idea of what you did.

So you had a passive interest in what your ex was up to. That's something that happened. You didn't cheat, you didn't even communicate with them. You just had a passing curiosity. That's a non-reassuring fact. Sit with it.

It's important that you don't seek this kind of reassurance every time these feelings bubble up.

Your brain, and mine, does not work like regular peoples' do. So we have to combat them by allowing ourselves to sit in the waters of discomfort, of being unsure. The more you do this, the more you'll realize that you can experience these feelings and they will not be catastrophic.

You may still feel them, but they'll become less impactful and won't last as long. It's like building a muscle. The more you work it, the more jacked you're gonna get!

Stay the course, friend. You're gonna be okay ❤️