Can A Partner Help Or Hinder Your Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?

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I can only speak from personal experience as to whether or not your partner can help or hinder with obsessive compulsive disorder or OCD. In my case I used to think that my former partner was actually helping me with my OCD. I would ask him questions such as whether or not a certain something on my body looked okay or not. He always replied that everything looked fine, and that reassured me. People with OCD are forever seeking reassurance from friends, family and partners. That reassurance however, is nothing but a quick fix. In the long run it doesn’t amount to a cure all or anything remotely approaching it.

As far as partners are concerned, what does matter is the type of relationship you have. At least this is true in my case. That man who would always try to ease my doubts about my OCD concerns is now my former partner. It's a long story. Anyway, what is important here is that I am currently seeing another person and I have noticed an amazing change as far as my OCD is concerned; it is getting better. Granted, I don’t totally attribute it to a new man in my life. I have been working on this OCD for a while now, and progress has been slow. But I believe that I can give the new man credit for what seems like a big leap forward. My therapist is the one who put this idea in my head, and it was an eye opener.
My therapist pointed out that my old partner was somewhat emotionally detached and distant, without a great sense of humor. The new guy, about whom I’ve told her a great deal, is just the opposite. He is strongly emotionally present, has a great sense of humor and is so interesting to talk to. He is very much alive and engaged with the world. Of course he has other qualities, but these seem to be the ones that are helping me cope with OCD. Who would have guessed that this would be a tonic? It is hard to explain and doesn’t even seem to be rational, but it is true. If he were very similar in character to the former boyfriend, I believe I would not have made such good progress, and so I don’t think it is just a matter of having a new man in your life. It really depends on what kind of man he is.

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.