Relaxing with OCD

Article on experiencing OCD when relaxing
2 experiences have been shared in this environment via the OCD Log.

On November 16th, 2025 a reader logged:

Theme: Harm/Violence

Compulsion: Other not listed

Environment: Relaxing

Imagine finally sitting down after a long day. The television is on, your drink is beside you, and for the first time all day, you have nothing you need to do.

Then it begins.

The free time you have, OCD takes advantage of. Less distractions means more thinking time.

a sketch of a retro tv

A thought appears from nowhere. A violent one you find pretty disturbing, completely against everything you believe. You don’t want it. You didn’t ask for it. Yet somehow, the harder you try to push it away, the more vivid it becomes.

You tell yourself it’s just a thought.

But what if it isn’t?

What if having the thought means something? What if you’re dangerous? What if you’re losing control?

You begin replaying memories, searching for reassurance that you’ve always been a good person. You analyse how the thought felt, whether you reacted the “right” way, whether you seemed too calm. The more you check, the more you need to.

The movie is still on, but you’ve no idea what’s happened in the last twenty minutes. Your body is on the sofa. Your mind is somewhere else entirely.

Eventually, the thought fades.

Not because you solved it, but because OCD found something else to question.

For a brief moment, the room feels peaceful again.

What should have been relaxing was anything but.

Behind every short story is a real lived experience shared by a reader on the OCD Log. The stories are fictionalised to protect privacy while reflecting those experiences.

OCD Log
On Dec 7, 2025, a reader experienced existential themes involving checking compulsions whilst relaxing
On Nov 16, 2025, a reader experienced harm or violence themes involving other not listed compulsions whilst relaxing
1 — Not difficult at all 2 — Slightly difficult 3 — Moderately difficult 4 — Very difficult 5 — Extremely difficult / Overwhelming
OCD experiences can feel very personal and taboo. Please keep this as vague as possible.

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