Obsessions about death, reality, and the meaning of life

Existential OCD involves obsessions about philosophical questions that no one can answer. People with this form of OCD may obsess over whether they are real, what happens after death, the meaning of life, or the vastness of the universe. In this video, we will talk about the obsessions and compulsions seen in this form of OCD, as well as how we generally approach treatment.

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Blog post on the subtypes of OCD:

[MelissaShepardMD]

Hi all! Thank you for watching. Please refrain from using the comment section to try and convince others of your views on what happens after death or on the meaning of life. I understand that these are well-intentioned, but they can be harmful to people with OCD. And it is off-topic as a person's actual belief system has very little to do with the development of existential OCD.

[rachanapai]

When my grandfather passed away it was just grief in the beginning. But after a few days I started wanting to get some validation about whether it is possible we will meet again. And I think that was when I went down the rabbit hole. I have always been an over thinker and I had always believed thinking about something will help you solve the problem. And then I don't know when this started but for days I would be searching the net, asking AI assistants, going over youtube. What some people said gave peace and then that peace would be gone because someone else had another take on it. I searched on NDEs, god and everything I could find and get my hand on. Non-dualism was probably the worst thing I discovered. It actively says that what you see is an illusion. And I started feeling like a pair of eye observing. Like I don't matter. That there is no I. I am still not out of it. And this experience is like going to hell.

[Manuel-nlhr]

I'm having a real bad existential crisis. I don't know if it is depersonalisation or derealization. All i know is that i have that intrusive thought that everything around me isn't real, myself included, i question everything, life, existance, the universe....everything seems so illogical and that shakes me...I get trembling, my heart races really fast and sometimes i simply can't find peace or hope...I feel so alone, and terrified, like i can't trust anyone because nobody really exists. I can't fight it with logic and i dont know what to do...I've never been this terrified in my life, i swear. All i want to do for the whole day is to lay down as if im ill and cry, sometimes i cant cry cause i feel numb and empty...I have no interest in anything anymore. Can someone please offer some help?

[gunshotlagoon]

I've suffered from different kinds of OCD throughout my life and was able to conquer each of them one at a time. But existential OCD has been so tough to overcome that it sometimes feels hopeless. The certainty of death and the absolute dread that surrounds it is too scary for my mind to ignore. It has also led to other problems for me including panic disorder, high blood pressure, nihilism, suicide ideation and health anxiety. The good news is I was just recently diagnosed by a therapist that I have this type of OCD after months of trying to figure it out on my own. I just want to move on and look back at all this as just a bad dream.

[DihelsonMendonca]

On the contrary ! The more I think about these things, the more I want to think. It gets on loop. Anxiety, fear of tragedy, uncertainty, ruminating thoughts. 👍

[ShawnaeRasmussen-freu]

I have OCD & this is the best description I’ve seen on YouTube so far. I have the “purpose” story on repeat in my head. And thus have become avoidant of following through on my career and dreams because I’m unsure if it’s my actual purpose, or I may have misjudged, etc

[eldadelo]

OCD since age 7. Very severe most of the time. Various various types.
As I approached age 40 started suffering from existential OCD and it is absolutely the worse type.
Thank you for this video Dr. Shepard. Everything you described is exactly what I'm going through.
The only videos I watch now days are about stuff like metaphysics, solipsism, astronomy and death. Feels like I desperately need answers to the big questions.

[justmadeit]

Long term unemployment has given me too much time to ruminate on things

[ShaneBlackheart]

I am so thankful I found this video. I have C-PTSD, and I thought it was related, and it may be, but existential OCD describes in a way what I have struggled to describe for the past two years. It's been a nightmarish cycle of anxiety and obsession, and I felt so alone with it. It's all I can think about sometimes and it has robbed me of a normal life with my other diagnoses. I also experience DPDR with this, as I already have dissociation issues with C-PTSD and DID, so the existential OCD leads to dissociation a lot of the time.

[dhatingaddhingda]

I am suffering from existential OCD too.. But thankfully after suffering from it for 8 months I've finally found a Cure.

[Cleverjaba]

Leaving a positive comment to make up for the negative ones. IT IS POSSIBLE. ERP works, trust it and take a leap of faith. Acceptance is key, and the “take your fear with you but dont give it all the control” works. Trust that you cant handle it and dont make your world small ♥️ Get professionel help if you are very scared to do it alone.

[findyourenergy]

I have the thought that life is meaningless, because we all going to die in the future and so life doesn't matter because everything that exist, will go away.. It makes me more sad then anxious.. I dont know what to do... This hits different then other ocd thoughts I had.

[lmaowhat]

hello everyone, am in the middle of the worst existential crisis and death anxiety of my life, has consumed me for over a month now and it feels like I cannot go back to normal with the “knowledge” I’ve acquired and the realisations I’ve had about life and death. I keep having this thought that every second that passed will in time be a memory that I will not be able to relive. Whenever I am experiencing something good all I think about is how when I look back on it when I’m old I will feel hopeless. Has anyone dealt with similar thoughts?

[dringavlogs]

Dear Melissa
I’m Dringa vlogs, I’m completely blind, autistic and have a chronic heart condition.
I watched your anxiety video because I have that as well, matter of fact, today, I JUST posted a video about anxiety coping.
I loved your notes about smell, sucking in smells I like, like catnip, woods, vanilla or eucalyptus, calms me down, but I like to have it in my face, sometimes I do so by applying it to the nose part of my mask.
As for mindfulness, not really my cup of whiskey, neither is deep breathing, bot I love how descriptive your video is, being blind, I like that you described the product you were talking about.

[mrc.p]

I have this and Depersonalization and derealization for 3 years.

[MilkyisDead]

Me constantly telling myself “if you don’t visit your mom at least twice this weeek you are a bad child and she is gonna die and you are gonna regret it.”

[desjarayjackson]

oh my this is me… I had no idea it was an OCD thing.. thanks for posting I feel a bit less alone

[DihelsonMendonca]

⚠️ I'm struggling with it for 8 years. It comes and go. In the end, you want to know why you are here, what's my purpose ? What's after death ? Why do anything if everything is meaningless and sad ? 😮😮😮

[BBx]

“Is this me in a coma right now” - OH GOD, new OCD unlocked ugh

[crystalvyces]

Oh wow. I think I legit have OCD. Oh man. It’s like someone finally understood what i can’t stop thinking over and over! I didn’t realize that depersonalization was also an OCD trait… oh wow. Umm how does one find a therapist? Psychiatrist?? Asking for a friend. 😂