Have you ever found yourself spiraling into a never ending thought process about your place in the world, the universe and your existence? Have you ever gone so deep into thinking about what is the point of living if our universe is so big and we are just a speck of dust in comparison? Well, if you have and it has severely impacted your life then you might have something called Existential OCD. If you might have heard about OCD or Obsessive Compulsive disorder before. So you might have some idea on what it could be. Here is everything you need to know about Existential OCD and how you can overcome it.
Why Self-Care is Important
The international OCD foundation describes Existential OCD as having certain ongoing intrusive, and repetitive thoughts about questions which cannot possibly be answered, that are often philosophical or frightening in nature. The questions usually revolve around the meaning, purpose, or reality of life, or the existence of the universe or even one’s own existence.
While to some extent it is normal to have these questions and worries about our greater higher purpose in life. If you are an intellectual and you find yourself liking philosophical debates, or even if you watched a thought provoking movie that led you to have these questions, it is understandable to have such questions at least once in our lifetimes. There are a lot of movies in our cultural zeitgeist that explore such themes, most famously the 2005 movie Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. It answers the ultimate questions for the universe being ‘42’. In the 2022 movie, Everything Everywhere All at Once, they used the center of a bagel to represent the notion that there's nothing but a pointless void to see when you look at life. Such media is very thought provoking and interesting to watch. Most people who engage with such media often think about the deep philosophical questions asked in these stories and they can move on. A lot of people cannot do that however.
Similar to other forms of OCD, individuals with Existential OCD can’t just drop these questions. These individuals experience something called ‘Existential Obsessions’. Obsessions can be understood as thoughts that are intrusive, repetitive in nature. They are often unwanted thoughts or urges that can cause people a great deal of discomfort, anxiety, and fear
Individuals with existential obsessions typically spend hours going over and over these questions and ideas, and may become extremely anxious and depressed.
What are the symptoms of existential OCD?
Symptoms of Existential OCD can resemble OCD symptoms to an extent in that they also have a great deal of anxiety as a root cause along with irrational thought behind them. Their irrational intrusive thoughts include deep philosophical questions that sound like “what is my purpose in life?” “ What is the meaning of life?” These questions can plague the individuals to the point of distress and maladaptive behavior.
Some of the common obsessions in existential OCD include:
- - the meaning of life
- - the purpose of existence
- - what happens after death
- - the nature of reality
- - the nature of the universe
- - Wondering if someone is actually real
- - Beliefs that an outside force is controlling them
- - Concerns that life is pointless
- - Fears about the afterlife
- - Thoughts about the reality and the nature of the universe
- - Worries about the difference between right and wrong
These are some typical patterns observed in obsession that follow people with Existential OCD. These obsessions can lead to compulsions as a response because of the severe anxiety that they cause.
Some compulsions that people with existential OCD might do include:
- - seeking reassurance that things or people are real
- - Constantly going over about the meaning of existence
- - asking others what they think about life and death
- - researching existential or philosophical literature
- - reviewing events to determine if they were real or not
- - avoiding media or conversations about life, death, and reality
These behaviors can quickly become maladaptive and disruptive in people’s daily life, plaguing them until they can find the answers they are looking for. Which for a lot of these questions might not even exist.
Treatment Options for Existential OCD
So, can it be treated? In simple words, yes. The treatment procedure would typically be the same as that of OCD and other forms of maladaptive behaviors. Therapies and medication can be used as well. Therapies like CBT or cognitive behavioral therapy works wonders for Existential OCD. CBT can be useful to teach people how they can recognize and change their unhelpful thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that are fueling the symptoms they experience. One form of CBT in particular, called ERP or exposure and response prevention can also be very useful in treating OCD. In ERP, they slowly and gradually are exposed with their triggers and their obsessions. If someone has existential OCD, this might involve activities like discussing death, reading philosophical literature, or saying things like “I’m not real.” In this form of therapy the therapist begins with slowly building up exposure to the obsessive existential thoughts, through language and images. In the response part, the therapist tries to gradually build acceptance. Medications that are typically used for OCD such as types of SSRIs can also be used however only on the psychiatrist’s recommendations. If you find yourself worrying about the unknown, and it has become too much for you to deal with alone. You can try talking with Healo! https://healo.infiheal.com/ Healo can help you ease your anxieties about the world and provide a warm listening ear for your worries.
CONCLUSION
While having Existential OCD can be extremely overwhelming and difficult, it can be overcome with a lot of effort and time. Sometimes it is okay to simply accept that we cannot change certain things and that we do not have all the answers. It is even peaceful in fact, to some extent. It is not a one stop solution and may take time but that is okay.
