The Question That Keeps You Stuck: "Is This Really OCD?"

Are you still trying to figure out if what you're going through is really OCD or something else? That question right there might actually be the problem, because we know the more you chase certainty, the less certain you feel.

Sound familiar? You're not alone. Most people with OCD fall into this trap at some point, and it doesn't mean you're failing - that's just how OCD works.

But there is a way to know if you have OCD without having to prove it. Let's break down why the urge to prove your OCD experience is real becomes such a strong trick that OCD uses against you.

The Certainty Trap: Why Proof Makes You Doubt More

Why does all that effort to get proof leave you doubting even more? The cycle has a name: I call it the certainty trap. It's when the harder you work to feel sure about something, the more doubt digs in.

You gather facts. You replay conversations. You rehearse mental arguments hoping they'll stick. But do you actually get an answer at the end? Do you think "Oh yep, this is OCD. I knew it. Yep, yep, yep"? Or is there still questioning there?

The 2 AM Google Spiral

For many people, the loop looks familiar. Maybe you Google your exact worry at 2 AM, refreshing the results over and over. You're hoping that one stranger's story matches yours, because if it does, what you're experiencing must be OCD.

Maybe you share an experience without even saying it's OCD, wanting someone to say "You're overthinking" or "Don't worry about it" or "That's normal." You get that sneaky relief: "Yes, okay, so it must be OCD."

But then what happens? A few minutes later, your brain says "But what if they're wrong? What if you got it wrong this time?"

Why Knowing It's OCD Doesn't Actually Matter

I totally get wanting to know if you have OCD or if your current experience is OCD-related. It's a relieving thought: "If I can just identify that this thought making me feel like a bad person (or that I could harm somebody, or God's mad at me, or I did something wrong, or I can't stop noticing my breathing) is OCD, then I can move on. I don't have to think about it anymore."

But that's not really how it works. Many people know what they're experiencing is OCD, but it doesn't matter - they're still putting the knives away, still avoiding things they want to do.

In a way, it kind of doesn't matter if you know something's OCD or not.

A Simple Equation for Recognition

I do have something I sometimes tell people: You're having a thought that keeps happening over and over. You're having it day after day after day. You're starting to feel anxious and distressed about that thought. You want to know for sure, want to get a good answer.

Maybe you even got a really good answer, but then your brain says "What if they didn't understand exactly what I was saying or feeling? I didn't mention this one detail. Maybe they would change their answer." And you loop back around wanting to do it again.

That equation right there is: this is OCD. I can't be certain about that, and you can't be either sometimes. But we know:

• This thought is not fleeting - it's sticking around
• It wants you to figure it out
• You don't see an actual problem right now

The roof isn't falling down. A car isn't about to hit you. You don't see fire in the corner. You didn't just stub your toe. There's not a problem you can solve right now. So we let it be.

Beyond Just Labeling: Taking Action

This gets a little controversial because some people repeat "This is OCD, this is fine" over and over. Sometimes that's hard because yes, you can recognize it's OCD - but then what are you going to do about it?

You should use exposure and response prevention. That's what works. But if you're just saying "Oh yeah, this is OCD," I want you to take action with it.

You can't just say "This is OCD." Follow it with "This is what I'm going to do: I'm going to write a script about it. I'm going to lean into this uncertainty. I'm going to do an exposure."

Simple Exposure Exercise

Here's a snippet you can try: Take your fear, your uncertainty, the thing you're wondering if it's OCD or not. On a piece of paper, write down over and over:

"This may or may not be OCD. This may or may not be OCD."

What's the core fear? "If it is OCD, it means I would really harm somebody. I may or may not harm somebody. This might be OCD, it might not. Maybe, maybe not."

Write down the thoughts and give them uncertainty answers. Your brain doesn't like that - it wants you to know for sure. You're making the commitment: "I'm not figuring this out."

The Decision Point: Stop Teetering on the Fence

Sometimes we get to a point where we say: "If I'm even questioning if this is OCD or not, I'm going to say it is. That's it. Maybe I'm wrong, I don't know. But I don't want to stay on that fence, don't want to teeter."

If you're teetering, you're stuck. You don't want to do that every single time. If it's OCD, it's OCD.

But What If You Really Don't Know?

I just told you not to figure out if what you're experiencing is OCD, and you might be thinking "But I really don't know if this is OCD."

Yes, there will be people like that. Hopefully you have the option to see a specialist, get a diagnosis, let them educate you on what OCD looks like. Get an official diagnosis if you don't have one.

The problem lies when you know the answer but keep questioning it anyway, or the doubt keeps coming in: "Is this OCD or is it really me?" That's the red flag. We're not doing that.

Life Is the Prize, Not Certainty

Certainty is not the prize here. Life is the prize. What are you doing in life? What are you doing right now?

If you don't have goals, set some up:

• "In the next month, I'm completing this one thing I want to complete" (maybe it has nothing to do with OCD)
• "In the next year, I want to go on five dates. I'm going on five dates."

That is life. Figuring out if you have OCD (unless you're at the very beginning stages) is not your job. Your job is to live life, not do compulsions, and move on.

I know I make it sound easy - it can be hard. But the more you ride the wave, go through this without trying to figure it out anymore, the better you end up feeling overall.

The Next Time You Ask "Is This OCD?"

The next time you say "Is this OCD?" what do you think the answer should be?

Maybe, maybe not. I don't know.

But right now, I'm playing checkers. This is where life is. Maybe I'm doing something wrong, I don't know, but I'm going to keep doing it.

You're going to know for sure when something is actually wrong - you won't have to question it.

Breaking Free from the Meta-Obsession

The irony is that obsessing over whether you have OCD is often... OCD itself. It's a meta-obsession that keeps you trapped in the very pattern you're trying to identify.

The way out isn't through more analysis or certainty-seeking. It's through accepting uncertainty and focusing on living your life regardless of the label.

Whether what you're experiencing is OCD, anxiety, or something else entirely, the solution often looks the same: accept the uncertainty, don't engage with the compulsive questioning, and redirect your energy toward your values and goals.

Your brain will try to convince you that you need to know for sure before you can move forward. But that's exactly the trap. You can move forward without knowing. In fact, that's often the only way to move forward at all.