OCD is way more complicated than the stereotypes of being “super neat” or “obsessive about cleaning.” It’s often tied to experiences that dig deeper into who we are and what we’ve been through. For many, trauma plays a huge role in how OCD develops and sticks around. Let’s unpack some types of trauma that might hit close to home for people with OCD—because this isn’t something that comes out of nowhere.
1. Growing Up Without Emotional Support
If you grew up in a home where emotions weren’t exactly a thing people talked about, it can manifest as OCD. When parents or caregivers don’t show up emotionally, kids often feel like the world is a big, scary place they can’t control. For someone with OCD, those rituals and routines can start as a way to feel grounded—because when nobody else is there for you, you have to find your own way to feel safe.
2. Dealing with Bullies or Feeling Like the Odd One Out
Getting bullied can stick with us for life. It’s not just about mean words, it’s about feeling unsafe, unworthy, and constantly on edge. For people with OCD, this can lead to compulsive behaviors aimed at avoiding criticism or trying to fit in better. Those “quirks” are often just coping mechanisms for all the hurt that came from being singled out or excluded.
3. Surviving a Health Scare
Getting seriously sick or injured can leave you shaken to your core. Beyond the physical recovery— the mental toll of realizing your body isn’t invincible can be difficult to deal with. For many with OCD, this experience can turn into constant checking (is the stove off?) or repetitive actions (washing hands over and over) to prevent another “what if” moment. It’s not irrational; it’s survival mode kicking in.
4. Being in a Toxic Relationship
istockEver been in a relationship where someone made you doubt yourself at every turn? Maybe they were controlling, manipulative, or just downright cruel. That kind of emotional whiplash can make you desperate to reclaim some sense of stability. For those with OCD, rituals and routines often become the only thing they can control when everything else feels like it’s falling apart. It’s heartbreaking, but it’s also how people survive.
5. Witnessing or Experiencing Violence
Violence—whether it happens to you or you see it happen to someone else—shakes you in ways that are hard to describe. It rewires your brain to be on high alert all the time. For people with OCD, this often looks like obsessive behaviors aimed at staying safe, like triple-checking locks or avoiding certain places.
6. Growing Up in a Hyper-Critical Household
When every little thing you do gets nitpicked or criticized, it can rattle you in ways you wouldn’t expect. You learn to second-guess yourself, to try to be perfect just to avoid the backlash. For those with OCD, this often turns into compulsive checking or overthinking—anything to make sure they don’t mess up again. It’s exhausting, but it makes sense when you’ve spent your life walking on eggshells.
7. Losing Someone You Loved
Grief has a way of sneaking into every part of your life, especially when it’s sudden or traumatic. For people with OCD, rituals might become a way of feeling like they have some control over the uncontrollable. Whether it’s checking on loved ones repeatedly or performing rituals to “protect” them, it’s all tied to that deep fear of losing someone again.
8. Living Through Money Struggles
When you’ve faced financial instability, the fear of “not having enough” can bring on some psychological challengers. Even if things get better, it’s hard to shake that scarcity mindset. For some with OCD, this shows up as hoarding, compulsive saving, or obsessing over every little expense.
9. Being Gaslit into Questioning Reality
Gaslighting is brutal. It makes you doubt your own thoughts, memories, and reality. For someone with OCD, this kind of manipulation can fuel obsessive questioning—”Did I really say that?” “Did I lock the door?”—or constant seeking of reassurance from others.
10. Growing Up in a Chaotic Home
If your childhood was full of arguments, unpredictability, or even divorce, it leaves you craving stability. For people with OCD, this might mean creating order wherever they can—organizing their space obsessively or sticking to strict routines. It’s their way of saying, “If I can’t control the chaos out there, I’ll control what’s in here.”
11. Constant Pressure to Succeed
Whether it was academics, sports, or work, feeling like you had to be the best at everything is a heavy load to carry. For people with OCD, this often turns into perfectionism—double-checking, over-preparing, and obsessing over every little detail. These people are constantly trying to meet impossible expectations that have been drilled into them for years.
12. Going Through a Natural Disaster
Natural disasters remind you in the harshest way that you’re not in control. For someone with OCD, the aftermath can involve compulsive behaviors aimed at creating a sense of safety, like over-preparing for emergencies or constantly checking the weather. It’s their way of making sure they’re never caught off guard again, even if it means living in a constant state of worry.
13. Dealing with Daily Microaggressions
Microaggressions might seem “small” on the surface, but over time, they chip away at your sense of self. For marginalized people with OCD, this can fuel obsessive thoughts about how they’re perceived or compulsions aimed at avoiding scrutiny.
14. Experiencing Public Humiliation
Public humiliation leaves a scar that’s hard to forget. Whether it was a mistake at work, school, or even in a social setting, that overwhelming feeling of shame lingers. For people with OCD, this often leads to overanalyzing every interaction, obsessively planning to avoid embarrassment, or even isolating themselves altogether.
This content was created by a real person with the assistance of AI.
