Unveiling the Silent Struggles: More than 10 Common Symptoms Experienced by Moms with OCD and Anxiety

Motherhood is a remarkable journey filled with love, joy, and treasured moments. However, beneath the surface, many moms silently battle with the overwhelming challenges of OCD and anxiety. In this blog post, we shed light on more than 10 Common Symptoms Experienced by Moms with OCD and Anxiety From intrusive thoughts that contradict their true values and ignite distress to the relentless cycle of compulsions they engage in for temporary relief, these symptoms can disrupt their daily lives and rob them of the peace they deserve. By exploring these symptoms, we hope to foster understanding and offer support to moms who may be going through similar struggles. Together, let’s empower and uplift one another on the path to healing and well-being.

Nearly 95% of the population experiences intrusive thoughts, but for those without OCD, these thoughts are often considered insignificant and unrelated to their core desires and identity. In contrast, individuals with OCD perceive these thoughts as significant, causing distress and anxiety. As a result, they engage in compulsions, which are mental or physical actions taken to alleviate distress.

While compulsions may provide temporary relief from anxiety and distress, they perpetuate a cycle of obsessions and compulsions, keeping individuals with OCD trapped. Compulsions can consume several hours each day and lead to years of debilitating anxiety, lifestyle modifications, health risks, and missed opportunities. These anxieties and OCD tendencies often impact the areas of our lives we cherish and value the most. Common symptoms of both disorders include thoughts and compulsive behaviors that manifest in various ways:

• Fear of causing harm to a loved one, especially your child(ren).

• Fear of responding inadequately to violent thoughts.

• Frequent doubts about past events, fearing that you may have done something wrong without evidence to support these concerns. Examples include worrying about unintentionally offending someone, accidentally causing harm while driving, or unknowingly breaking rules or laws. You may question if you deliberately blocked certain memories from your mind to forget that you are a bad person.

• Fear of losing consciousness and unknowingly committing violent acts.

• Fear of not performing tasks correctly, such as washing or turning off something, and being responsible for a tragedy.

• Fear of experiencing a personality shift where you might enjoy harmful thoughts and act on them.

• Fear of not being good enough for your partner.

• Fear of self-harm due to feeling overwhelmed.

• Fear of your sexual orientation not aligning with your actual orientation.

• Fear of having inappropriate sexual thoughts about a child.

• Fear of becoming aroused in the presence of children.

• Fear of something terrible happening to your children due to your negligence.

• Feeling the need to ensure that conversations, text messages, interviews, appearances, etc., are conducted flawlessly to convey messages perfectly, fearing judgment from others.

• Fear of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs), developing cancer, or becoming ill.

• Fear of germs, toxins, radiation, dust, and dirt.

• Fear of contamination by germs or getting sick.

• Fear of committing immoral acts such as cheating, lying, or stealing.

• Fear of being perceived as fake or fooling everyone, believing you are a bad person.

• Fear of not adhering to religious rules or doctrine appropriately.

• Fear of negative consequences resulting from not following religious rules or doctrine.

These fears can be all-consuming and may include thoughts like:

• What if reality is a simulation, and I’m not really here?

• What if life is meaningless, and we’re all here by accident?

• What if there is no afterlife, and life has no meaning?

To neutralize these obsessive thoughts, individuals may engage in various behaviors, such as:

• Seeking reassurance from others that the disturbing thoughts are unfounded, unlikely, or not a reflection of their character. This can involve seeking reassurance from doctors regarding personal or children’s health or excessively praying or seeking guidance from religious leaders and therapists.

• Providing self-reassurance by researching to counteract obsessive thoughts, convincing oneself that certain actions were not performed or are beyond one’s capabilities, or using mental techniques to convince oneself that the thoughts are unfounded.

• Engaging in mental review by repeatedly recalling past experiences to reassure oneself of safety or evaluate past behavior for potential moral offenses.

• Avoiding people, places, and things that trigger unwanted feelings and thoughts, such as removing sharp objects from the home, avoiding being alone with children, or avoiding contact with certain objects.

• Practicing mental avoidance or thought suppression by attempting to push intrusive thoughts away through distraction or deliberate avoidance of triggers.

• Performing mental rituals, such as repeating certain words or phrases, thinking specific thoughts immediately after negative ones, or engaging in other mental actions to reassure that harmful urges, thoughts, or feelings will not be acted upon.

• Excessive prayer, involving prolonged or excessive praying beyond the standard practice in one’s faith.

• Confessing worries and concerns about sins or potential acts to loved ones, healthcare providers, or religious authorities, sometimes repeatedly confessing the same incident due to fear of inadequate communication or lingering guilt.

• Checking behaviors, such as repeatedly checking on a baby’s breathing, excessively verifying locked doors or turned-off stoves, washing hands excessively, taking pictures to confirm the closure of a garage door, or monitoring body sensations for certain symptoms.

• Mental imagery or visualization to counteract distressing thoughts or neutralize perceived threats.

In summary, any behavior that is repeatedly performed in excess with the purpose of alleviating distress associated with obsessive thoughts, urges, or feelings falls under the category of mental compulsions.

If any of these examples resonate with you, it’s essential to know that you are not alone. We understand that the distress caused by suffering from OCD can be debilitating, but please remember that this condition is treatable. We want parents and mothers to be aware that there is a path forward toward peace and healing. If you would like more information about our Anxiety and OCD Treatment Program for Moms, please contact us via the contact tab or by reaching out to our office at frontdesk@serenityrw.com, the text feature on your website or 801-984-0184.