Hello Brave One!

Here is this week’s spotlight on Existential OCD and Death Obsessions

Existential OCD and Death Obsession are characterized by recurrent and persistent intrusive (unwanted) thoughts, urges or images about Existential OCD and Death Obsessions along with compulsive, repetitive behaviors or mental acts aimed at reducing anxiety/distress or preventing a feared outcome from happening, all of which cause distress and impairment in functioning.

Common Existential OCD and Death Obsession Obsessions:

  • Fear of loved ones dying
  • Fear of self dying
  • Excessive questioning/wondering/doubting what happens after death
  • Excessive questioning/wondering/doubting about the meaning of life
  • Excessive questioning/wondering/doubting about what is real
  • Fear of actually being in a simulation/dream and reality not being real
  • If I do/don’t do X, my loved ones/I will die (if I say goodbye instead of see you later)

Common Existential OCD and Death Obsession Core Fears:

  • Death, missing out on the rest of life or doing life wrong
  • Being a bad person
  • Loss of meaning/purpose in life, loss of loved ones, ending up alone

Common Existential OCD and Death Obsession Compulsions:

  • Hypervigilance about safety
  • Ruminating about what will happen when loved ones die
  • Ruminating about the meaning of life, what happens after death, what is real
  • Checking that you/loved ones are okay
  • Researching the meaning of life, what happens after death
  • Avoiding creating a living will/death plan or keeping living will/death plan out/giving to loved ones

**Please note: themes help us get more information out to individuals suffering with OCD, but anything can become obsessive and/or compulsive and themes can overlap. It’s also important to remember that the content of OCD is not important, it’s all the same mechanisms responding to different triggers. We recommend working with a therapist trained in ERP.

Stay Brave!

-The OCD MN Team