Harm OCD is a form of OCD that involves unwanted and recurrent thoughts, images or ideas of being responsible for harm coming to oneself or others. Some examples of the compulsions and behaviors related to this type of OCD are as follows:
- Avoiding being around strangers because you might harm them
- Feeling that the only way to prevent something bad from happening is if you are constantly watching or guarding against it
- Avoiding carrying sharp objects with you because you believe you will hurt yourself or someone else
- Relentlessly going over a past event looking for signs that you caused harm because of your possible actions
- Repeatedly calling your loved ones to make sure they have not been harmed by something you did
- Avoiding going to specific places in case “something bad might happen or someone might get hurt”
Please keep in mind that our platform is not meant for reassuring one’s compulsions or behaviors; instead, we are a community that helps and supports each other in terms of recovery.
If you would like to read more about Harm OCD, please check out this article.