Surely you have heard of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder but have you ever heard of Relationship OCD? You may have and chances are that you have most certainly come across someone that suffers from this mental disorder, without ever knowing that it was, in fact, a mental disorder. Commonly mistaken for intense relationship insecurity, Relationship Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is an actual disorder that is often overlooked and categorized as something that it is not. ROCD is a lot more common than you think and like other mental illnesses such as your panic attacks, this disorder does not discriminate when choosing it’s victims, affecting people of all ages, all races, all shapes and all sizes. While some may argue that ROCD isn’t a real, or serious illness, research shows that people worldwide are being affected by this kind of OCD each and every day. It’s unfortunately never talked about, providing an ignorance surrounding ROCD issues, which continues to keep people unaware that there is a scientific name for their irrational panics within a relationship, and it’s imperative that an ROCD sufferer gets the treatment necessary to avoid any further traumatic occurrences within their life. Of course it may seem healthy to question your relationship from time to time, but there are very specific symptoms that happen to ROCD sufferers, which creates that fine line between healthy, and unhealthy relationship worries. It’s a lot more than a female simply believing that she deserves more that what her boyfriend gives her, or a man dreaming of being with Eva Longoria. Let this anxiety blog eliminate your panic attacks.
WHAT IS ROCD SPECIFICALLY?
ROCD is an acronym for Relationship Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Sufferers of ROCD would find themselves constantly worrying about their relationship, and whether or not their partner is good enough for them, or if they even care for that person anymore. People who suffer from this form of OCD would also find themselves regularly questioning their ability to love, continue to love, and/or feel more towards their partner than they already do. Sure, everyone feels like this at certain points within a relationship but what sets common worries and ROCD panics apart from one another is the frequency, and consistency of these irrational fears of their feelings, as well as the comparison of their relationship to others, which is all created from ROCD triggers.
WHAT TRIGGERS RELATIONSHIP OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER?
There are a variety of things that can trigger the actions and thoughts of an ROCD sufferer. ROCD is often created by the constant and exhausting thoughts that are continuously running through the sufferer’s mind, creating panic attacks that are most certainly sickening. Now, the majority of triggers can be categorized into two; triggers from internal sources, and outer sources. Internal ROCD triggers consist of the sufferer and their own thoughts. Internal triggers include a constant comparison of their relationships with their past ones, as well as the relationships that they see from others whether it be a couple walking through the mall or a complete stranger at the local park. These irrational internal comparisons always manage to create a negative feel for their current relationship, claiming that it is lacking someway, somehow. Other internal triggers consist of the worrier creating intrusive images within their mind. For example, an ROCD sufferer would picture of their partner kissing someone else, which would in turn create an irrational jealousy of their partner being involved with another person. As for outer triggers, anything from outside media sources such as movies, music, and tabloids cause the ROCD sufferer to make these irrational comparisons from the unrealistic Hollywood life, to their relationship. The sufferer does not comprehend that the media creates an ideal image of relationships by glamorizing images and events, which creates an unrealistic illusion to the sufferer that something is lacking within their own life with their partner. Outer trigger sources are created from the confusion and lack of differentiation between reality and a fantasy world.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF AN ROCD SUFFERER?
Unfortunately, the most common symptom of Relationship Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is having the sufferer’s relationship end. Often times, the unrealistic panic, wonder and questions about their own relationship and whether or not they even love their partner can lead them to wanting to end the relationship. On the other side of things, it can leave a ROCD sufferer demanding an unrealistic amount of attention and special treatment from their partner, which can then lead to the relationship ending, and not by the sufferer’s choice. Other symptoms include a constant creation of scenarios in which one’s partner is “not enough”, as well as mood swings and irrational judgment of one’s character and actions. This can be easily spotted if a couple has been together for a longer period of time, and these kinds of symptoms happen suddenly, and to an extreme.
Although it may seem normal to question whether your partner is the one for you, what sets a Relationship Obsessive Compulsive Disorder sufferer apart from the average person is the irrational analyzation of their relationship, in comparison to relationships around them, as well as comparison unrealistic relationships portrayed through the media via television shows, movies, magazines and other sources of media. For example, if an ROCD sufferer stumbles upon a tabloid of Justin Bieber renting out the Staple Center for Selena Gomez, they would immediately question why they don’t have this within their own relationship, and wonder why their partner doesn’t do this for them, all the while, creating an irrational comparison between a fairy tale lifestyle that appears flawless, to their real life, without differentiating their life, from a celebrity’s.
Discovering your panic attacks throughout this anxiety blog will allow you to climb over the obstacles to heal.
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