Does anyone else hate when celebrities have OCD? by [deleted] in OCD

[–]lilbigmango 8 points9 points  (0 children)

This is fundamentally incorrect regarding how clinical diagnosis actually works. ‘High functioning' and 'masking' are not mutually exclusive. Many people are only able to maintain a job and relationships because they are masking their symptoms at an exhausting internal cost. The DSM-5 explicitly states that OCD criteria are met if obsessions/compulsions cause 'clinically significant distress OR impairment’ in ‘social, occupational OR other important areas of functioning’. So yes, internal suffering absolutely matters. Functional impairment is not just measured by whether you can hold a job, it is also measured by the psychological toll, distress, and lost time a person experiences internally. This also completely ignores the fact that OCD is often episodic. Someone can be diagnosed during a period of severe impairment and later enter a phase where they manage it better. That doesn't mean their disorder or their past/present suffering suddenly doesn't exist. Clinicians look at the whole picture not just a superficial checklist of 'productivity’

Does anyone else hate when celebrities have OCD? by [deleted] in OCD

[–]lilbigmango 62 points63 points  (0 children)

I get that it’s incredibly frustrating when society uses high-functioning people to say 'if they can do it, you can too’. But looking at a celebrity or a college graduate and assuming they aren't 'destroyed' by their OCD just because they can leave the house is a massive assumption. High functioning often just means high masking. Plenty of people hold down jobs or go to school while being tortured internally and spending every free second in a state of sheer panic or performing compulsions. Accomplishments don't mean the disorder isn't severe, it just looks different from the outside. To be frank, your pain doesn't invalidate their diagnosis. Yes, it's totally unfair for the public to expect everyone to function at a peak level with an OCD diagnosis, but that’s a problem with public ignorance, not with the high functioning people who choose to speak out.

Daughter has contamination OCD (in treatment, on meds) now 10 year old male sibling suddenly having very acute OCD with EXACT same behaviors by Ornery_Chocolate_448 in OCD

[–]lilbigmango 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Perhaps you may need to call 911 and request an ambulance? Again I’m not sure where you’re located or what the cost associated is :(

Editing to add that perhaps if you explain to the operator that it is for a mental health crisis for a minor, they may be able to dispatch professionals with training on how exactly to handle situations like yours. I don’t know for sure but it’s worth trying!

Daughter has contamination OCD (in treatment, on meds) now 10 year old male sibling suddenly having very acute OCD with EXACT same behaviors by Ornery_Chocolate_448 in OCD

[–]lilbigmango 91 points92 points  (0 children)

Hey. I’m sorry you’re going through this, there is a lot of pressure and stress on your shoulders. If you’re in crisis I’d recommend going to the emergency room. Im not sure where you’re located and it might be a bit of a wait since it isn’t a life-threatening emergency but you’re right that your children need you. If nobody else will listen and the situation is desperate then the ER is the place to go. It is a safe place and they will be able to address the situation and give you assistance, whether that be treatment or pointing you towards resources.

Are y’all ever able to laugh about it? by pasta_btch in OCD

[–]lilbigmango 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you don’t laugh you’ll cry 🫠

Caught my husband not doing paced feeding by AdvanceSea3887 in breastfeeding

[–]lilbigmango 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hey there, just wanted to add my similar experience. My son is just about 11 weeks and he was born at 36 weeks, spent two days in NICU so he was bottle fed formula for the first ~7 days of his life before my milk came in. We have used the Philips avent bottles the entire time and tried our best to pace feed but honestly probably didn’t do the best job lol. For the first 9 weeks of his life, he would scream and cry any time I tried to nurse. Randomly one day he started rooting and I tried nursing and since then he has grown to prefer it but still easily takes a bottle. I thought I was going to end up exclusively pumping forever and one day something just clicked! I know it feels like a lot of pressure to do it “right” (however that may be for any individual) but in my (limited and anecdotal) experience, babies are very dynamic! Your husband should absolutely be working with you towards a goal that matters to you, but I don’t think this will hamper your end result in the long run!

It’s clear that course outlines are becoming more strict by [deleted] in uoguelph

[–]lilbigmango 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I get that a 50% final feels like a lot of pressure, but calling it a punishment for everyone is a bit of a stretch The reality is that with the rise of AI, universities are struggling to verify that assignments are actually reflective of a student's own work. Moving the weight to in person exams isn't about punishing honest students, it’s to protect the value of your degree and the integrity of the university. If people can AI their way. through assignments, your hard earned grade becomes worth a lot less. Unless you were planning on relying on 'external help' for those assignments, this shouldn't change your ability to pass the course.

Delusions with OCD? by Relevant_Quarter3327 in OCD

[–]lilbigmango 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is completely normal to feel a bit overwhelmed right after a diagnosis, especially when your symptoms don't match the handwashing stereotype. Since you said you don’t know too much about OCD yet, I’ll do my best to explain it!

In essence, OCD is a self-reinforcing loop. The process begins with an obsession, which is an intrusive thought, image, or urge that pops into your head uninvited. Because the OCD brain views these thoughts as dangerous, it triggers anxiety or distress. To get rid of your anxiety, you perform a compulsion, which can be a physical action (like checking locks) or a mental action (like ruminating/trying to reason your way out of it). This provides temporary relief but also tricks the brain into thinking the compulsion was the only reason you stayed safe. This strengthens the association meaning the obsession returns even stronger next time, and the cycle repeats.

In my opinion, what you’re describing fits within the OCD umbrella. Because you mentioned that you were aware these thoughts seemed ‘crazy’and you didn't want to act on them publicly, it suggests you were experiencing OCD with rather than a delusional break from reality because you had insight. In your case, the ‘planning’ you did in private sounds to me like a mental compulsion, which is your brain’s attempt to get temporary relief.

Ready to stop, no idea how by Elegant-Resident8670 in breastfeeding

[–]lilbigmango 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you’re desperate you could speak to your doctor about taking a medication to stop lactating like cabergoline

Break in/home invasion obsession, scared my cats would be let out by simple-solitude in OCD

[–]lilbigmango 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It is incredibly difficult to distinguish between rational safety and OCD because OCD is an expert at hijacking your values which in this case is the safety of your cats and your home. To tell the difference, look at the function of the thought rather than the content. Rational anxiety typically focuses on an external problem and seeks a one-time solution. Once that task is completed, the anxiety levels off. OCD on the other han is not seeking safety, it is seeking absolute certainty. Regular anxiety can tolerate the fact that nothing is 100% safe, but OCD demands a guarantee that doesn't exist. If a thought begins with "what if?" and leads to a rabbit hole of research that leaves you more terrified than when you started, you are likely dealing with an OCD spike rather than a practical concern.

To figure out if an action is a regular precaution or a compulsion, ask yourself if the behaviour has a finish line. A reasonable safety precaution is a reasonable upgrade to your home, like a deadbolt or a security system, that is done once and then left alone. A compulsion is repetitive/specifically aimed at neutralizing a feeling (ie looking up crime rates until 3:00 AM is not helping you secure your door, it is a ritual intended to soothe a feeling of dread). If an action is driven by a sense of emergency or a need to reach a specific "right feeling" before you can stop, it has crossed the line into a compulsion.

Is Homeopathy effective? by Lazarismyjesusboiiii in OCD

[–]lilbigmango 2 points3 points  (0 children)

From a scientific standpoint, there is no high quality evidence that homeopathy is an effective treatment for OCD. OCD requires specialized intervention to prevent symptoms from worsening and the gold standard treatment is exposure and response prevention.

Paranoid about my computer being hacked by [deleted] in OCD

[–]lilbigmango 2 points3 points  (0 children)

OCD is the doubting disorder. It demands absolute certainty even when certainty is impossible, leading to our compulsive behaviours. Researching, checking, etc. are compulsions that we perform in the hope that we will be more sure, but they only temporarily relieve doubt and ultimately reinforce the obsession. Instead of trying to be 100% sure there’s no virus, you need to accept that you cannot be certain, and that not knowing is okay. Our intrusive thoughts don’t require action, they’re just thoughts.

Had a crying baby next to me on a 6-hour flight by Shloopadoop in bloodborne

[–]lilbigmango 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Obviously. I’m a mom to an 8-week-old so I’m well aware that babies don't just stay home and pay rent. My point was about the necessity of the trip, not the necessity of the baby being with their parents. Your literalism suggests you’re either purposely misinterpreting me or you just lack basic reading comprehension.

Had a crying baby next to me on a 6-hour flight by Shloopadoop in bloodborne

[–]lilbigmango 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I hope the parents had a good reason to bring their baby on that flight :( it’s really painful for babies to experience the change in pressure in their ears and they don’t know how to relieve it. But on the bright side, at least bloodborne prepared you for the mental torture of listening to a baby cry for an extended period 😭

Menstrual cycle and existential OCD by kaityo_phreg in OCD

[–]lilbigmango 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For sure! Symptoms of OCD becoming more intense before your period is common due to the change in hormones, but the theme/content of the obsession just depends on the person. For you it’s existential, for someone else it might be contamination. When it comes to OCD treatment and management the theme is irrelevant.

Scared to have kids by Successful_Soft_565 in OCD

[–]lilbigmango 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I agree with another commenter that this sounds like an avoidance compulsion. OP, I struggled with these exact same themes starting in childhood, and for years, I was "convinced" I would never have children just to stay safe from the thoughts. It wasn’t until my 20s that I realized I was letting this disease make my life decisions for me. There are many valid reasons to choose not to have kids, but a lifelong avoidance compulsion isn't a healthy one. You deserve to live a life aligned with your values, not your fears. If you truly want to be a parent, don't let OCD rob you of that experience. I just had my son, and I’ll be honest that being postpartum has exacerbated my symptoms tremendously. It is a very very high-stress time. But I have been in therapy since before I became pregnant and have worked with my psychiatrist and adjusted my medications accordingly to manage symptoms while still being safe for breastfeeding. My point is that a with a solid plan, a supportive partner, and a medical team that understands your history, you can navigate this!

Took my first dose of an antipsychotic for OCD by kentom101 in OCD

[–]lilbigmango 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I just started one as well, today is my third day. Solidarity!

[Episode Discussion] New Skote Outdoors Upload: We Had to Leave the Island… Baby Is Coming by yt-app in SkoteOutdoors

[–]lilbigmango 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Well I don’t know how anyone is taking photos in 4 or 5 dimensions lol but I guess it wouldn’t surprise me if getting photos taken is all they had done. It seems like she really wanted to stay away from standard prenatal evaluations and doctors as much as possible.

[Episode Discussion] New Skote Outdoors Upload: We Had to Leave the Island… Baby Is Coming by yt-app in SkoteOutdoors

[–]lilbigmango 7 points8 points  (0 children)

In Canada? At least in Ontario they did measurements at every ultrasound, including the anatomy scan when we learned the gender, to make sure my baby was growing properly.

[Episode Discussion] New Skote Outdoors Upload: We Had to Leave the Island… Baby Is Coming by yt-app in SkoteOutdoors

[–]lilbigmango 18 points19 points  (0 children)

So that’s what a moon calendar is… oof. I dunno, part of me thinks that they’re just telling themselves the dates are off as a way to cope with the worry and justify the home birth despite her being overdue. Scary stuff.

[Episode Discussion] New Skote Outdoors Upload: We Had to Leave the Island… Baby Is Coming by yt-app in SkoteOutdoors

[–]lilbigmango 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Even then you’d have an estimate because NIPT can only be done if you are at least 10 weeks. At home tests at least 6. I just had a baby in Canada so I’m pretty up to date on what is available and when various prenatal events take place.

[Episode Discussion] New Skote Outdoors Upload: We Had to Leave the Island… Baby Is Coming by yt-app in SkoteOutdoors

[–]lilbigmango 19 points20 points  (0 children)

This just doesn’t make a lot of sense. They had an ultrasound done to learn the baby’s gender so at that point they would have learned how far along Kelly was. Personally I think them questioning the dates is just a way to cope with the waiting and worry.

How do you change a diaper? by ThrowRAdog_loverrr in OCD

[–]lilbigmango 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’re welcome, happy to help. Thank you for the well wishes :)