What Does OCD Feel Like? And What Is the OCD Bubble?
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can feel different from person to person. When you’re caught in an OCD spiral, you may feel fearful, confused, disgusted, anxious, stressed, or overwhelmed. Sometimes, you may even feel unsure of yourself or question things that normally wouldn’t make you think twice.
The intrusive thoughts that occur with OCD are often ego-dystonic, meaning they go against your values, beliefs, desires, or sense of who you are. Rather than finding comfort in these thoughts, you may feel shocked, scared, disgusted, surprised, or confused by them.
While many people experience intrusive thoughts and are able to dismiss them relatively easily, someone with OCD may have a much harder time letting certain thoughts go. Instead, the thought can begin to feel important - like something that needs to be figured out, analyzed, disproven, or resolved. This is where an OCD spiral can begin.
What Is the OCD Bubble?
There is a concept in Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT) called the OCD Bubble, which I think captures this experience really well.
Imagine that when you enter an OCD spiral, you begin to float up into a little bubble. Inside this bubble, OCD takes over the story and begins to prey on some of your biggest fears and doubts.
You might find yourself asking:
“But what if?”
“Maybe this could really happen.”
“What if I actually think that?”
“What if this says something terrible about me?”
“How can I be completely sure?”
The further you move into the OCD Bubble, the more convincing the OCD story can begin to feel - even when there isn’t evidence in the here and now that you need to be concerned.
What Happens to Your Senses in the OCD Bubble?
Something important happens when you enter the OCD Bubble: you begin to lose trust in your senses.
In I-CBT, our senses include more than just the traditional five senses. They also include the information you already have about yourself and the world around you.
Physical senses: What you can directly see, hear, smell, taste, and touch in the present moment.
Common sense: What you already know about how the world works based on your experiences, knowledge, science, and social or cultural understanding.
Internal senses: What you know about your own intentions, desires, wants, feelings, and experiences in the present moment.
Real self: What you know about who you are. This can include your values, patterns, character, and the person you have consistently shown yourself to be.
When OCD takes over, imagined possibilities can begin to feel more important than all of this real-world information. Instead of trusting what is actually happening in front of you, you may find yourself becoming absorbed in what "could", "might", or "possibly" be true.
So, What Can You Do?
A practical first step is simply learning to notice when you are entering the OCD Bubble.
Mindfulness can help you recognize when your attention has shifted away from the present moment and into OCD’s imagined story. Rather than immediately trying to solve the doubt, you can begin by asking yourself:
"Am I trusting the information I already have through my senses, or is OCD trying to pull me into an imagined story?"
The goal isn’t necessarily to argue with every OCD thought or prove it wrong. Instead, it’s learning to recognize when OCD has pulled you away from reality-based information - and practicing coming back to what you already know through your senses, your experience, and your real self.
Looking for OCD Therapy in Orlando?
If OCD has been keeping you stuck in cycles of doubt, fear, or “what ifs,” you don’t have to figure it out alone. I specialize in OCD and Anxiety treatment using evidence-based approaches, including ERP and I-CBT.
I offer a free 15-minute consultation to answer your questions, talk about what you’re experiencing, and see if we may be a good fit.
Disclaimer
This blog is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health care, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing symptoms of OCD or believe you may have OCD, it is recommended that you seek support from a qualified mental health professional, ideally one with specialized training in OCD and evidence-based treatments. The information shared here is meant to increase understanding and awareness, not to replace individualized therapy or clinical recommendations.
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