Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
6 highly specific things that people dismiss as just being an “anxious kid in their 20s” but could actually be OCD:
1️⃣ Accepting your coffee order even when they made it completely wrong:
You’re afraid the barista will think you’re rude or difficult if you ask them to remake it. You’re also extremely afraid of upsetting anyone, so you avoid that possibility at all costs and just accept the coffee, even though you probably aren’t going to drink it.
2️⃣ Refusing to make ANY decisions about the friend group plans:
“Where should we get dinner?” I’m down for whatever! You’re so afraid of picking somewhere your friends don’t like, making the “wrong” choice, or being judged for your suggestion that you avoid deciding altogether. You’ll do pretty much anything to make sure the decision falls on someone else.
3️⃣ Overanalyzing the people who like you on dating apps:
You start wondering what the people liking your profile say about how you are perceived. Then you can spend hours analyzing who likes you, comparing profiles, and spiraling over what it all means about your attractiveness or how other people see you.
4️⃣ Analyzing every tiny change in the way your friends text you:
They normally say “omg yes!!!” and today you got a “yes.” Now you’re rereading the conversation, asking other people if the text seems normal, wondering what it means about your friendship, and trying to figure out if you did something wrong. You might even apologize just in case.
5️⃣ Refreshing your family’s location until you can see that they’re safe:
It can be normal to check if someone made it somewhere safely. But you might find yourself refreshing their location over and over because you feel like you need to see them where they’re supposed to be before you can stop worrying that something happened.
6️⃣ Over-explaining your plans to your partner so nothing could possibly seem suspicious:
You’re so worried that leaving something out could look suspicious that you explain where you’re going, who will be there, how you know everyone, and anything else that could possibly be misunderstood. Leaving any room for uncertainty feels too risky, so you keep adding details to make absolutely sure your partner knows you aren’t hiding anything.
Doing any of these things doesn’t automatically mean you have OCD. What can make them part of an OCD cycle is the compulsions happening in response to the fear. That might look like avoiding making the dinner decision so you can’t make the “wrong” choice, repeatedly checking a family member’s location to make sure they’re safe, asking friends for reassurance about a text, or over-explaining to your partner so there’s no uncertainty about your intentions. These compulsions might bring some relief in the moment, but the fear and doubt tend to come back.
If you relate, you’re not alone. Specialized treatment can help you break out of the OCD cycle. Book a free call with our team using the link in our bio to learn more and/or get started today.
#ocd #ocdawareness #intrusivethoughts #ocdproblems #ocdrecovery
6 highly specific things that people dismiss as just being an “anxious kid in their 20s” but could actually be OCD:
1️⃣ Accepting your coffee order even when they made it completely wrong:
You’re afraid the barista will think you’re rude or difficult if you ask them to remake it. You’re also extremely afraid of upsetting anyone, so you avoid that possibility at all costs and just accept the coffee, even though you probably aren’t going to drink it.
2️⃣ Refusing to make ANY decisions about the friend group plans:
“Where should we get dinner?” I’m down for whatever! You’re so afraid of picking somewhere your friends don’t like, making the “wrong” choice, or being judged for your suggestion that you avoid deciding altogether. You’ll do pretty much anything to make sure the decision falls on someone else.
3️⃣ Overanalyzing the people who like you on dating apps:
You start wondering what the people liking your profile say about how you are perceived. Then you can spend hours analyzing who likes you, comparing profiles, and spiraling over what it all means about your attractiveness or how other people see you.
4️⃣ Analyzing every tiny change in the way your friends text you:
They normally say “omg yes!!!” and today you got a “yes.” Now you’re rereading the conversation, asking other people if the text seems normal, wondering what it means about your friendship, and trying to figure out if you did something wrong. You might even apologize just in case.
5️⃣ Refreshing your family’s location until you can see that they’re safe:
It can be normal to check if someone made it somewhere safely. But you might find yourself refreshing their location over and over because you feel like you need to see them where they’re supposed to be before you can stop worrying that something happened.
6️⃣ Over-explaining your plans to your partner so nothing could possibly seem suspicious:
You’re so worried that leaving something out could look suspicious that you explain where you’re going, who will be there, how you know everyone, and anything else that could possibly be misunderstood. Leaving any room for uncertainty feels too risky, so you keep adding details to make absolutely sure your partner knows you aren’t hiding anything.
Doing any of these things doesn’t automatically mean you have OCD. What can make them part of an OCD cycle is the compulsions happening in response to the fear. That might look like avoiding making the dinner decision so you can’t make the “wrong” choice, repeatedly checking a family member’s location to make sure they’re safe, asking friends for reassurance about a text, or over-explaining to your partner so there’s no uncertainty about your intentions. These compulsions might bring some relief in the moment, but the fear and doubt tend to come back.
If you relate, you’re not alone. Specialized treatment can help you break out of the OCD cycle. Book a free call with our team using the link in our bio to learn more and/or get started today.
#ocd #ocdawareness #intrusivethoughts #ocdproblems #ocdrecovery
