Relationship OCD
If you have relationship OCD, you may have persistent doubts about your romantic or platonic relationships.
You may ask yourself questions like:
Am I in the right relationship?
Will I ever find the right relationship?
Do I love my partner, or is this just the relationship I thought I should be in?
Relationship OCD has two subtypes: relationship-focused and partner-focused.
Here are some more common obsessions:
Fears about being married to the wrong person.
Fears of their partner not measuring up to their expectations
Fears about not being honest with their partner.
Fears that they are not attracted to their partner.
Fears of not feeling the same way about their partner as their partner feels about them (or vice versa).
Here are some common compulsions:
Mentally reviewing interactions in their relationship
Asking for reassurance from their partner
Comparing partners to others
Ruminating on past relationships
Researching on the internet
Reading many books about improving relationships, attachment theories, etc.
Confessing
Avoidance of relationship songs that bring up relationship stress.
Avoid seeing romantic movies that may be triggering.
For those of you who read one of these symptoms and think, Oh, that could be me! Remember, genuine OCD is repeated, obsessive, unhelpful, and severely time-consuming. Many people in a long-term relationship have probably asked their partner if they still loved them, or have read a book about relationships. However, a person with OCD may read many books about relationships and repeatedly ask their partner questions multiple times a day. When we meet, I will assess with you at your first or second counseling session.
There’s a way to quiet the noise in your head. I’m trained in Exposure with Response Prevention, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. I offer a free 10-minute phone consultation for women in Michigan or North Carolina. In-person sessions are available for those living near Jackson, Michigan.
