Getty Images/PhotoAlto/Frederic Cirou
Obsessive-compulsive disorder(OCD) can affect all areas of life.
Many who have OCD choose not to date and avoid intimate relationships.
Fortunately, there are other ways to cope that are less extreme.
Getty Images/PhotoAlto/Frederic Cirou
Relationships and Stress
Intimate relationshipscan be stressful for many peoplewith or without OCD.
Feelings of self-consciousness and shame are often immobilizing.
Trying to hide symptoms like counting or hand-washing can exacerbate anxiety.
Some of the medications used to treat anxiety have sexual side effects.
Many who experience obsessions related to hygiene or contamination can find it very difficult to engage in sexual relations.
Those with OCD may find these relationships to be especially difficult.
It’s not unusual for the stress to create high levels of anxiety.
There are otherways of managing stressand anxiety in relationships that are worth exploring.
Medication
Talk to your prescriber about your specific symptoms with regard to intimacy and relationships.
This practice is used in the treatment of many mental health disorders.
Part of the teaching is that our minds are always busy, and thinking is what minds do.
Experienced meditators know that we seldom, if ever, have an empty mind devoid of thoughts.
Most of these include learning to use your breath effectively.
It’s believed that anxiety can’t reside in your body if your muscles are relaxed.
Good Communication
Knowing what you want to say is only part of the equation of good communication.
It’s also important to know how to say it and when to say it.
Timing is important, so take it slow with new prospects.
As you build trust and intimacy, your partner may begin to share more of their anxieties.
A Word From Verywell
It’s critical to choose your partners carefully.
That being said, disclosing your OCD on the first date may not be the best idea.
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Cleveland Clinic.Stress: Learning to Relax.
Updated January 29, 2016.
Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Treatment for OCD.
National Alliance on Mental Illness.Maintaining A Healthy Relationship.
