r/ExistentialOCD

My question for people who have recovered from this theme is: how on earth did you learn to live with the uncertainty of whether other people exist?

I know I’m supposed to learn to live with the uncertainty, but I don’t see how not fighting the question of ‘what if my loved ones don’t exist outside my head’ does not equal ‘I accept that I might be alone in the universe, and that my love might not be making anyone’s life better’. Accepting that would make my life meaningless and depressing.

Context for me: I have existential OCD of a Boltzmann brain and solipsism theme. (Boltzmann brains are a physics thought experiment that basically asks ‘What if you’re a brain floating in space with fake memories of the past, experiencing what you only perceive to be a complete reality?’ More info at the bottom of you want.) (Solipsism being the idea that you can’t prove other minds exist outside of your own.)

My core fears are being alone and not making a positive impact on others around me. (With this theme, I’m afraid that other people don’t exist outside of my head.)

I’m a couple sessions in with an OCD specialist; this fortnight he told me to work on doing things that matter to me - spending time with loved ones, making art ect. - while the intrusive thoughts yell in the background.

Any help is appreciated, thank you for taking the time to comment.

Scientific & philosophical explanation of Boltzmann brains in this video - you only have to watch to 6:18 to understand. Are You A Dream Of The Universe? - YouTubewww.youtube.com › watch Big trigger warning though, this is the video that started my OCD. (Of course, everyone is different and I know it won’t freak everyone out.)

hi everyone!! about a year ago i experienced severe dpdr (i’ll try to find my posts on here) and thought my world would never be the same. this knowledge was debilitating and haunting, and ruled my life for months. this page didn’t help much, so i wanted to come here and say that YOU CAN RECOVER!!!!

i thought i was one of those people who would never recover, but i was so wrong.

if you want me to make a post on how i did it, let me know. dm for questions, support, etc. i’ve been there and i know how horrific it is. i want to help as much as i can <3

EDIT: i will make a master post and have it up tonight!

[removed]

So as the title says, this is a persistent obsession I've had since I was young, and it goes away for a few years but then comes back. Since it's existential in nature and actively invokes true fear and panic attacks in me, I have a hard time with just sitting with the thoughts or "acceptance and let go". I will try to engage in grounding (cold water, phone a friend, pressure, going outside) but once the thought even slightly takes hold in the back of my mind it triggers a derealization episode that makes grounding harder. Literally all I've been able to do is distraction to try and avoid the thoughts entirely. Even talking about the thoughts in detail will trigger a high scale panic attack.

Does anyone have any tips or tricks for how to stop giving an obsession power when by nature its rooted in uncertainty and entropy?

Also, for reference, I don't currently have the resources to get access to a therapist as much as I really want one right now. I don't have medical insurance, but understand once I do I will be returning to therapy. This is more of a tool to get out of this episode because its actively affecting my quality of life. I've been having to rely on my anti anxiety medication for really bad episodes. I appreciate any insight!!

Alguien tiene pensamientos relacionados con sufrimiento eterno ?? Después de morir o en otras realidades? Además en mi caso los pensamientos no son pensamientos cualquiera, sino que se acompañan de sensaciones extrañas, como si fueran mágicas y pudieran hacer que algo sucediera….No entender qué son me causa mucha ansiedad. No sé describirlo en palabras

Since 2023 I have been gifted with insomnia and cause of it Now I am an overthinker also so everyday is difficult for me , I survived anyways, I have no one to tell about my thoughts so I am here .

Alguien tiene pensamientos relacionados con sufrimiento eterno ?? Después de morir o en otras realidades? Además en mi caso los pensamientos no son pensamientos cualquiera, sino que se acompañan de sensaciones extrañas, como si fueran mágicas y pudieran hacer que algo sucediera….No entender qué son me causa mucha ansiedad. No sé describirlo en palabras

I have strange thoughts, like the fear of not being myself—of being someone else, or perhaps a criminal in prison. Sometimes I’m afraid of ending up in some random place where I won't be able to leave and will be stuck there forever. Does anyone else have this?