Excessive Guilt

[Dolphin_08]

Sometimes I might say something or do something so small that makes me feel so overwhelmed with guilt - for example saying something rude to a sibling or parent.

A lot of my OCD is centred on worries about the health and safety of my family and friends. When I do something that's probably not right but is so small and so normal, I am filled with worry and guilt. It's hard to explain, but I feel so guilty and then start to worry about how I'm taking advantage of their health and safety, and that I shouldn't have done that because it might not always be the case. Even after I apologise, I still feel so guilty and so upset.

Do you think this is an OCD thing? Does anyone else experience this?

[Hidden]

I also experience this, it's a new theme OCD is trying to overwhelm me with after recovering from a long period of obsessive harmful thoughts recently.

Even the slightest show of annoyance I give to others who test me or continuously ask me to do things for them will make me feel guilty and anxious about whether I'm mistreating them. If I don't end a conversation "right" or if I end on a bad note with someone even if it is the tiniest issue I will constantly think about whether I've hurt their feelings.

I realise they probably aren't thinking the same way I do even if we end on a bad note. For example if I disagree with my father on something and then leave to go to work I will think about how I've been mean. My father probably won't even have a thought about it because in reality I haven't said anything bad at the time. But you can't fight OCD with logic as we know.

It's a new one I'm trying to understand and work around it like I did with the harmful obsessive thoughts. They come and go but are not as intense or anxiety inducing as they were before thanks to the daily practice I did.

I may write to you if I come up with a strategy that works for me and hopefully it may help you with it too.

[Dolphin_08 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so much for replying! I'm so relieved to find out that I'm not alone. I'm glad you are starting to overcome your previous struggles, that's incredible! And I completely agree in that as time has passed, my intrusive thoughts have become less distressing.

Maybe I will try to implement some of my previous strategies the next time that I feel like this. And if anyone else has any other tips that would be amazing xx