I wish I had heard your incredible explanation back in 1989! I'm 54 years old. I had 7 babies. My first baby was born in 1989. With each baby I suffered through the exhausting lonely battle of trying to get through months of intrusive and traumatizing thoughts that would stab through my mind many times a day. They'd come out of nowhere, without warning at all. My brain would cringe away from the dark thoughts with horror and fear. I couldn't fathom why I would even think of causing harm to my babies when all I wanted was to protect them and care for them. I loved them with every cell in me. With each pregnancy I braced myself, praying I wouldn't once again be faced with those scary thoughts. But sadly I always did. I was terrified of dropping my baby, accidentally stabbing my baby, accidentally drowning them during baths, etc.. It is such a blessing nowadays to have this kind of information available to moms. Back in the 80s and 90s it just wasn't talked about. I felt like a freak. I'm sad I wasn't able to thoroughly enjoy my babies. I feel robbed. Knowledge is definitely power when dealing with postpartum OCD. Thank you for helping the moms of today!
Thank you for stressing that the negative thoughts don't say anything about a person's actual intentions or values (rather, on the contrary!). I think this is what holds people back from seeking help or reaching out to family and friends. They think they will be judged and sadly there are still many misconceptions about OCD. Thank you for spreading awareness! 🙏
Please all of you, PLEASE, never stop sharing your stories. Please. It’s so important. Especially right now. I’m breaking down trying to explain to others the pain we can experience.
I had this, got on medication for depression. I am better now, but stress can be difficult in life. We all need breaks. Please go to counseling when life gets overwhelming. Tell people about what you are going through too that you trust. We are not meant to go it alone. Thank you for this video, this was over 20 years ago.
Thank you for this informative video. I suffered with this soul crushing disorder after the birth of my son. I had it a bit in pregnancy but it became overwhelming after he was actually born. I went to the dr and said I was suffering with anxiety, I didn’t want to open up to the full extent as I was worried I would be misunderstood. Albeit I was given medication and that did help a bit but also researching it and reading books on the ocd topic and getting counselling helped me a lot. My son is now 3 and I do occasionally still get those but it’s nowhere near as suffocating as it was. There is help! If you have this, it does not mean you are going to act on those thoughts! Knowing this doesn’t necessarily make it easier because you’re like “ why is this happening to me?” But get support and help and you’re not alone✌🏻 💕
Thanks for posting this. I had this 17 years ago.. little internet and no info about it. I admitted myself into hospital twice to keep my daughter ‘safe’ and thought I was the worst human alive. It look about a year to get better but this worked, the exposure (I found a doctor to help me in hospital) if anyone is struggling with this.. you’re going to be ok, you’re a wonderful person and a good parent. Get the help and do the work. Much love ❤️🙏🏻
Side note, nothing bad happened and my daughter has grown up to be a beautiful and hilarious (like me) young lady. Trust in the process, it will get better 🌻
@@kirubamurugan8918 Cognitive behavioral therapy, medication and taking one day at a time. At the end of the day they are just thoughts, they are not about you or the person you are. It took a while for me to figure that out and it was incredible anxiety. The fact that the thoughts worry you in the first place means you are a good person, and they in no way reflect your character. Talk to someone, keep reading, find people who understand. It does not last forever x
I’m struggling with this. Knowing what it is and knowing that the fact I have anxiety about those intrusive thoughts has made me feel better and more able to talk about how I’m feeling because I know I’m not a crazy person. Thank you for making this video please do a treatment video. We all need to be more open about things that may be uncomfortable. Because this is really hard and it’s disrupting my life.
I never knew what I had was called something. I didn't even know it was an actual 'thing'. This is really quite something to get my head around now! Perhaps I'm not crazy 😂
Postpartum is very real and one of the most scary experiences a woman can experience- I even went to a psychologist and he didn’t even snap that I had just given birth he totally misdiagnosed me and I suffered for a long time without any help or medication. I think all gynecologist who service pregnant women should educate them to recognize the symptoms and provide assistance and treatments.
I was and still am convinced that if I laid my newborn down, he would choke on his spit up and die/drowned because he couldn't roll over yet and of course they can't lay on their stomachs because of sids. So I literally did not lay my newborn down for 4 months, not 1 single time. I held him in my arms. It was extremely distressing to say the least. Now I'm due with my second baby in 3 months and I already feel ocd. I just bought a house as a compulsion
i've had anxiety/ocd my whole life. but now since becoming pregnant it has intensified it 1000x times worse. i have panic attacks all day long now, increased intrusive thoughts, obsessive thoughts, depersonalization, existential thoughts, and i don't know how to cope or if this is normal in pregnancy. 😭
@@lindseysivak4667 yes. I upped my medication and it helped tremendously. She is 1 month now and I hardly ever have intrusive harm thoughts at all. And when I do, I usually don’t panic about it. They just come and go.
I used to have very bad OCD year a ago,then slowly disappeared...now i am finally father ,and i developed again very painful OCD,i cant by happy with my new born baby because of severe intrusive thoughts... :((((((((
I’m a happy Dad who determined he had this when my son was six months. ERP is the key, just make sure to do the RP/muscle relaxation during the exposure. When I drive my family and a thought comes I make sure not to grip the wheel too tight. Rag doll.
I get severe postpartum ocd and anxiety and insomnia. It’s finally getting better 2 months postpartum. One of your videos actually really helped me. Do you have any videos on insomnia/sleep ocd? I couldn’t find any
I have all that thoughts in my mind.. Thoughts of contaminating my baby with germs, that is why I always wash my hands, even if its cracking and wounding already.. But only when I am in my 8month pregnancy and when i gave birth. It will continue until my child is 3 and then gradually stops as my child grows..i thought this was normal until my 3rd child that I am already worse, paranoia is so much..
Hey Nathan thank you for your content! Would you mind doing a video on how to do erp for ROCD? That would be extremely helpful for us sufferers. Thanks again !
Nathan Peterson thank you! A good topic in that video when you release it is how to do ERP for checking feelings. That’s one that a ton of us suffer with since feelings are such a big part of us and play a large role in our relationships. Looking forward to the video.
What causes such dark thoughts if it’s the opposite of the person’s character? Some deep ambivalence and conflicting emotions about having a child and so it comes out totally extreme?
The problem is that anxiety at the level of OCD is so much more irrational that the most random thought of all possibilities that have happened or wont happen come into the persons head and they cant forget about it because its really hard because of the anxiety and the mental images are terrifying its a lot on a person. Its draining because its just nonsense but it wont let the person be in place unless they fight it. I dont even know if i explained it correctly because it is so complex. The mind is unfair.
OCD makes you question reality and be scared of things other people wouldnt be. The person lives with fear, stress, and anxiety. Maybe even guilt depending on what their thoughts/compulsions are. It is horrible that people go through it related to their child as well. Makes them scared to seek help and that someone will not understand and try to rip their life apart.
Elsa Agðarsdotter Yes, I suffered with it when my daughter was born 26 years ago, and still do. My ex husband and his mom tried to use it against me when he filed for a divorce, so I’d look mentally incompetent so they could take my daughter from me. It was humiliating and the judge looked at me like I was crazy. I still suffer today from it and what they tried to do to me. 😰
I wish I had heard your incredible explanation back in 1989! I'm 54 years old. I had 7 babies. My first baby was born in 1989. With each baby I suffered through the exhausting lonely battle of trying to get through months of intrusive and traumatizing thoughts that would stab through my mind many times a day. They'd come out of nowhere, without warning at all. My brain would cringe away from the dark thoughts with horror and fear. I couldn't fathom why I would even think of causing harm to my babies when all I wanted was to protect them and care for them. I loved them with every cell in me. With each pregnancy I braced myself, praying I wouldn't once again be faced with those scary thoughts. But sadly I always did. I was terrified of dropping my baby, accidentally stabbing my baby, accidentally drowning them during baths, etc.. It is such a blessing nowadays to have this kind of information available to moms. Back in the 80s and 90s it just wasn't talked about. I felt like a freak. I'm sad I wasn't able to thoroughly enjoy my babies. I feel robbed. Knowledge is definitely power when dealing with postpartum OCD. Thank you for helping the moms of today!
Thank you for stressing that the negative thoughts don't say anything about a person's actual intentions or values (rather, on the contrary!). I think this is what holds people back from seeking help or reaching out to family and friends. They think they will be judged and sadly there are still many misconceptions about OCD. Thank you for spreading awareness! 🙏
Please all of you, PLEASE, never stop sharing your stories. Please. It’s so important. Especially right now. I’m breaking down trying to explain to others the pain we can experience.
I was just diagnosed with this at 28 weeks pregnant, the psychiatrist called it severe. I got some meds and have already noticed a difference.
I had this, got on medication for depression. I am better now, but stress can be difficult in life. We all need breaks. Please go to counseling when life gets overwhelming. Tell people about what you are going through too that you trust. We are not meant to go it alone. Thank you for this video, this was over 20 years ago.
Thank you for this informative video. I suffered with this soul crushing disorder after the birth of my son. I had it a bit in pregnancy but it became overwhelming after he was actually born. I went to the dr and said I was suffering with anxiety, I didn’t want to open up to the full extent as I was worried I would be misunderstood. Albeit I was given medication and that did help a bit but also researching it and reading books on the ocd topic and getting counselling helped me a lot. My son is now 3 and I do occasionally still get those but it’s nowhere near as suffocating as it was. There is help! If you have this, it does not mean you are going to act on those thoughts! Knowing this doesn’t necessarily make it easier because you’re like “ why is this happening to me?” But get support and help and you’re not alone✌🏻 💕
Which medecine did u take for recovery???
Thanks for posting this. I had this 17 years ago.. little internet and no info about it. I admitted myself into hospital twice to keep my daughter ‘safe’ and thought I was the worst human alive. It look about a year to get better but this worked, the exposure (I found a doctor to help me in hospital) if anyone is struggling with this.. you’re going to be ok, you’re a wonderful person and a good parent. Get the help and do the work. Much love ❤️🙏🏻
Side note, nothing bad happened and my daughter has grown up to be a beautiful and hilarious (like me) young lady. Trust in the process, it will get better 🌻
@@bexta351 i am facing ocd while i am pregnant, a lot of negative thinking in my head
@@bexta351 mam how did you recovered from that
@@tamannasvlog2182 How are you going now?
@@kirubamurugan8918 Cognitive behavioral therapy, medication and taking one day at a time. At the end of the day they are just thoughts, they are not about you or the person you are. It took a while for me to figure that out and it was incredible anxiety. The fact that the thoughts worry you in the first place means you are a good person, and they in no way reflect your character. Talk to someone, keep reading, find people who understand. It does not last forever x
I’m struggling with this. Knowing what it is and knowing that the fact I have anxiety about those intrusive thoughts has made me feel better and more able to talk about how I’m feeling because I know I’m not a crazy person. Thank you for making this video please do a treatment video. We all need to be more open about things that may be uncomfortable. Because this is really hard and it’s disrupting my life.
I never knew what I had was called something. I didn't even know it was an actual 'thing'. This is really quite something to get my head around now! Perhaps I'm not crazy 😂
Postpartum is very real and one of the most scary experiences a woman can experience- I even went to a psychologist and he didn’t even snap that I had just given birth he totally misdiagnosed me and I suffered for a long time without any help or medication. I think all gynecologist who service pregnant women should educate them to recognize the symptoms and provide assistance and treatments.
I was and still am convinced that if I laid my newborn down, he would choke on his spit up and die/drowned because he couldn't roll over yet and of course they can't lay on their stomachs because of sids. So I literally did not lay my newborn down for 4 months, not 1 single time. I held him in my arms. It was extremely distressing to say the least. Now I'm due with my second baby in 3 months and I already feel ocd. I just bought a house as a compulsion
i've had anxiety/ocd my whole life. but now since becoming pregnant it has intensified it 1000x times worse. i have panic attacks all day long now, increased intrusive thoughts, obsessive thoughts, depersonalization, existential thoughts, and i don't know how to cope or if this is normal in pregnancy. 😭
I’m 8 weeks and my ocd just started and I haven’t had it since I was 12… I’m absolutely terrified.
@@moturn8614 has it got better for you?
@@lindseysivak4667 yes. I upped my medication and it helped tremendously. She is 1 month now and I hardly ever have intrusive harm thoughts at all. And when I do, I usually don’t panic about it. They just come and go.
@@moturn8614 that’s awesome I’m happy to hear!! What kind of meds do u take?
@@lindseysivak4667 sertraline!
I used to have very bad OCD year a ago,then slowly disappeared...now i am finally father ,and i developed again very painful OCD,i cant by happy with my new born baby because of severe intrusive thoughts... :((((((((
Omg going through this and it horrible makes my head feel like it going to blow thanks so much
ocd is destroying my life.
I’m a happy Dad who determined he had this when my son was six months. ERP is the key, just make sure to do the RP/muscle relaxation during the exposure. When I drive my family and a thought comes I make sure not to grip the wheel too tight. Rag doll.
Thank you so very much for all this free information. You are a very special person to do this...has helped me so much
I get severe postpartum ocd and anxiety and insomnia. It’s finally getting better 2 months postpartum. One of your videos actually really helped me. Do you have any videos on insomnia/sleep ocd? I couldn’t find any
This!!! My PP ocd started with insomnia
I’m so thankful for this video. That explains alot.
I have all that thoughts in my mind.. Thoughts of contaminating my baby with germs, that is why I always wash my hands, even if its cracking and wounding already.. But only when I am in my 8month pregnancy and when i gave birth. It will continue until my child is 3 and then gradually stops as my child grows..i thought this was normal until my 3rd child that I am already worse, paranoia is so much..
Love can heal ocd permanent ❤️❤️
Hey Nathan thank you for your content! Would you mind doing a video on how to do erp for ROCD? That would be extremely helpful for us sufferers. Thanks again !
Nathan Peterson thank you! A good topic in that video when you release it is how to do ERP for checking feelings. That’s one that a ton of us suffer with since feelings are such a big part of us and play a large role in our relationships. Looking forward to the video.
Hey thanks for the video, I am really struggling with this and I'm looking forward to you doing a treatment video!
Did u recovery from this
@@tamannasvlog2182 id like to know as well
Thank you for making this video, it really has helped
This is me, totally. My next therapy topic.
What causes such dark thoughts if it’s the opposite of the person’s character? Some deep ambivalence and conflicting emotions about having a child and so it comes out totally extreme?
The problem is that anxiety at the level of OCD is so much more irrational that the most random thought of all possibilities that have happened or wont happen come into the persons head and they cant forget about it because its really hard because of the anxiety and the mental images are terrifying its a lot on a person. Its draining because its just nonsense but it wont let the person be in place unless they fight it. I dont even know if i explained it correctly because it is so complex. The mind is unfair.
OCD makes you question reality and be scared of things other people wouldnt be. The person lives with fear, stress, and anxiety. Maybe even guilt depending on what their thoughts/compulsions are. It is horrible that people go through it related to their child as well. Makes them scared to seek help and that someone will not understand and try to rip their life apart.
Imagine the depression it can bring. Too much
Elsa Agðarsdotter
Yes, I suffered with it when my daughter was born 26 years ago, and still do. My ex husband and his mom tried to use it against me when he filed for a divorce, so I’d look mentally incompetent so they could take my daughter from me. It was humiliating and the judge looked at me like I was crazy. I still suffer today from it and what they tried to do to me. 😰
Am going through this